As part of this year’s celebration of 25 years of the MEDIA programme in Ireland, Creative Europe MEDIA has teamed up with VOLTA Video on Demand to host an online Film Festival highlighting Irish and European films supported by MEDIA. Since 1990, the MEDIA programme of the EU Commission has invested over €39 million in Irish film and TV productions, film festivals, film exhibition, and training.
The Celebrating 25 Years of MEDIA Online Film Festival will be officially launched on 6th October at a Gala screening of the Creative Europe MEDIA funded documentary, Mattress Men, in the Lighthouse Cinema which is a member of the MEDIA funded Europa Cinemas network. Mattress Men tells the story of sixty-something Michael Flynn who in an attempt to save his struggling mattress business, reinvents himself as the eccentric online personality ‘Mattress Mick’ under the guidance of his good friend Paul Kelly. Paul, burdened with debts and living with his family in inner city Dublin yearns to get a full time contract working with Mick. Using all his marketing savvy and entrepreneurial skills, Paul embarks on a mission to make Mattress Mick a viral sensation. Will Paul be successful in his endeavours? And will Mick finally overcome the challenges in their friendship and recognise the hard work and good intentions of his long-time friend? Mattress Men is a bittersweet and moving tale of friendship and the struggles of two men that is sure to delight audiences everywhere.
The release of Mattress Menwill be the first DAY & DATE release of an Irish film on Volta which means that Mattress Men will be available to view online on Volta.ie at the same time as it is released in Irish cinemas. Directed by Colm Quinn and produced by El Zorrero Films, Mattress Men received MEDIA Development Funding and is gaining accolades at festivals like Hot Docs in Toronto and is set to become a cult sensation and a word-of-mouth crossover hit with audiences of all ages. Element Pictures Distribution will release Mattress Men on October 7th in cinemas and on-demand.
Celebrating 25 Years of MEDIA Online Festival will run for four weeks from 7th October to 4th November on Volta and will highlight a selection of MEDIA funded films representing 25 years of the programme. The Festival will feature small innovative collections including: Irish MEDIA Films; European Female Talent; Recent European Gems; and Oscar Nominated MEDIA Films. This online festival is a great way to catch up on films you might have missed over the years!
Orla Clancy of Creative Europe Desk Ireland MEDIA commented:
Our Celebrating 25 Years of MEDIA online festival is the perfect opportunity to revisit European film classics and see how valuable MEDIA funding has been to the European and Irish film industry. The beauty of Volta is that you can watch these European classics from the comfort of your own home, or even on your phone while you commute. See Irish gems like Garage and Kisses, and Oscar nominated films like Son of Saul, Ida and Amour as well as a host of other quality European films.
In tandem with the Festival and in the spirit of celebration, Creative Europe Desk Ireland MEDIA will run a competition offering entrants the chance to win a trip for two people to the EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS in Wrocław, Poland in December. The competition prize includes flights, accommodation and 2 tickets to the European Film Awards and will be open from 7th October until 1st November. Details on how to enter the competition will be available on the Creative Europe website http://www.creativeeuropeireland.eu/media. The closing date of the competition is 1st November.