After an intensive and competitive assessment process, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board has announced the nine teams that have been shortlisted, to go through to the next interview stage of the Catalyst Project, with the final goal of winning funding and mentorship to produce a feature film.
The final nine projects were whittled down from a total of 88 applications. Each team submitted a feature film script after partaking in two days of seminars in late 2013. The Catalyst project will provide three teams of emerging filmmakers with the opportunity to produce a low-budget (€350,000) feature film. The winning teams will also have access to key industry experts who will offer mentorship and guidance along the way.
Speaking of the final shortlist, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board CEO James Hickey said “We were very encouraged by the volume and high quality of applications for Catalyst funding this year. The assessment process was highly competitive and many difficult choices had to be made to confirm the final shortlist. We look forward to meeting with the shortlisted teams over the coming weeks and we wish the very best of luck to all of our applicants in their future endeavours.”
The shortlist is as follows (in alphabetical order):
Innocence – Emmet Fleming (producer), Nick Lee (writer), TJ O’Grady Peyton (director)
Kissing Candice – Venom Films; Andrew Freedman (producer), Aoife McArdle (writer), Aoife McArdle (director)
Sanctuary –
Zanzibar Films; Edwina Forkin (producer), Christian O’Reilly (writer), Len Collin (director)
Second Chance – Powerstone Media; Brian Kelly (producer), Mike Finn (writer), James Finlan (director)
Sleep No More – Blackthorn Studios; Conor O’Carroll & Steven Davenport (producers), Stephen Daly (writer), Stephen Daly (director)
The Dead Burglar’s Ex-Wife – TooOldTooUgly Productions; Sean Cuthbert (producer), Paul Farren (writer), Paul Farren (director)
The Drummer and The Goalkeeper – Virtuous Films; Kate McColgan (producer), Nick Kelly (writer), Nick Kelly (director)
This Broken World – Babyjane Productions; Emma Owen (producer), Stephen Walsh & Richard Keane (writers), Richard Keane (director)
Without Name – Lovely Productions; Brunella Cocchiglia (producer), Garreth Shanley (writer), Lorcan Finnegan (director)
The final three winning teams will be announced in October 2014.