This is fantastic coverage for the festival. We are hoping that the rest of the national media will pick up on this article and go one better by covering the weeks events and promoting film and video production in the Mid-West. A special thanks to Eleanor McSherry on writing the piece.
Want a chance to show off that film that’s on your mobile? Or that YouTube movie that you filmed last summer? Or your final year project for college that you sweated buckets over to make? Well Limerick City’s Technical College might just have the Film Festival for you!
In 2010 Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) assistant lecturer and media professional, Simon McGuire realised that there was a need for a film festival for third level students in the Mid West. He wanted to provide a place to showcase new talent. With the current rise in film production courses and with the popularity of websites like YouTube, it seemed like just the ticket.
James Skerritt, Philip Greaney, Hugh Tiernan and Stephen Boland (Winners of Best Overall Film at 1st LIT FILM FESTIVAL 2010)
In its inaugural year (2010) the festival boasted a strong attendance on the day with 20 people attending the Workshops and 120 attending the awards night at the Millennium Theatre. Also there were 223 viewers (approx) online watching the live video stream (using six cameras) on www.litvchannel.net. The judging panel consisted of members of the professional media industry, who represented technical and non-technical areas. They included Matt Kelly and Marion Malone of Matt Kelly Productions and Laura Ryan of the Limerick Co-ordination office. This was excellent for a first run and showed that there was a definite need for this kind of festival in the Mid West.
Last year’s festival was only a one-day event and open to third-level students. This year the festival will be over five days and open to the general public. It will not just be about the film competition either as there will be plenty for those interested in getting into the film industry in Ireland. There will be a variety of talks, workshops, film viewings, an awards night, an industry exhibition and much more, all given by industry professionals. Its founder has great ambitions for the potential of this style of festival and they hope to add much more to its programme over the next couple of years.
Philip Greaney, Stephen Boland, James Skerrit, (Winners of Best overall Film ‘ Nos Na Fearatu’) Laura Ryan, Limerick Co-Ordination Office (Judge) and Simon McGuire, Lecturer, LIT, and Film Festival Organiser.
The criteria for the film competition is quite open. There is no limit on the length of film. It can be in any genre. The entry form deadline is the 28th of January, with the film entry deadline on the 31st of March 2011. There is also no entry fee. All they ask is that it is on a DVD and can be played easily. So far they have a lot of interested from all over the country.
The festival will take place from the 11th to the 15th of April, 2011 in Limerick Institute of Technology. So don’t just sit there and wonder ‘what if’. Get out and film something, be creative and send it off. You never know!
For further details on entry forms or for exhibiting or sponsorship please contact Simon McGuire on: simon.mcguire@lit.ie or on https://vteditor.wordpress.com/lit-film-festival-2011/
Or find them on Facebook or Twitter under LIT Film Festival.
Photos by Herbert Knowles, Shannon Co.Clare.
Simon McGuire 