Irish Film: Three finalists have been chosen for IFB Catalyst Project

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board has announced the e teams that have been selected as the winners of the Catalyst Project, which sees them receive funding and mentorship to produce a feature film.

The winning projects are:

Kissing Candice – Venom Films; Andrew Freedman (producer), Aoife McArdle (writer), Aoife McArdle (director).

The Drummer and The Goalkeeper – Virtuous Films; Kate McColgan (producer), Nick Kelly (writer), Nick Kelly (director).

Without NameLovely Productions; Brunella Cocchiglia (producer), Garreth Shanley (writer), Lorcan Finnegan (director).

Commenting on the successful projects, James Hickey, Chief Executive Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board said:Catalyst Project is an important part of the IFB programme for the continued development of Irish creative talent in film. What has been very positive about the initiative is that in the 88 applications we received, a great reservoir of talent came forward. In the end, whilst only three projects could be selected, the strength and depth of Irish creative talent demonstrated through the Catalyst Project bodes well for the future. I wish to congratulate the winning teams who have made it through an incredibly competitive process and we are looking forward to working with them over the next year.”

Kissing Candice tells the story of a lonely, imaginative teenage girl growing up in a stifling community, who finds romance with an unhinged stranger. Aoife McArdle has written and directed a number of short films and is an award-winning commercials and music video director. Andrew Freedman’s credits include the highly successful documentary feature film ‘His and Hers’, the BAFTA winning co-production ‘Kelly and Victor’ and a number of multi-award winning short films. 

The Drummer and The Goalkeeper is a story about finding true friendship in the craziest of places. Writer / Director Nick Kelly has previously directed the award winning short films ‘Delphine’, ‘Why the Irish Dance That Way’ and ‘Shoe’ which was long-listed for the Academy Awards®,. Kate McColgan is currently an Acquisition and Production Consultant for MPI Media, having previously worked across production and development for Parallel Film Productions, the Weinstein Company and Element Pictures. 

Without Name follows a systematic land surveyor who loses his reason in a supernatural environment that defies all boundaries. Lorcan Finnegan and Garret Shanley have previously collaborated on the award-winning short film ‘Foxes’ which was selected for SXSW and the Tribeca Film Festival. Finnegan is also an experienced commercials director. Brunella Cocchiglia has produced the award-winning short films ‘Fear of Flying’, and ‘Foxes’ as well as a number of commercials and music videos. Garret Shanley has written a number of short films and currently has a feature film in development with the IFB. 

This project marks the second Catalyst project with Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board offering the three teams of emerging filmmakers the chance to produce a low-budget (€350,000) feature film. The first Catalyst initiative, launched in 2007, led to the production of the feature films Rewind, One Hundred Mornings and Eamon.