Cork Film Festival will, for the first time, feature a series of round table discussions for attending filmmakers, taking place this Saturday (17 November). The inaugural Focus: Filmmaker Forum at Ireland’s largest film festival takes place in Republic of Work, South Mall and is presented in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. Further industry days for the 63rd edition of the Cork Film Festival include the esteemed Doc Day on Friday (16 November), also at Republic of Work; and First Take, a training anddevelopment event for emerging and newly established filmmakers on Thursday (15 November) at the Triskel.
With the Festival’s Industry Days, we strive to create a hub where filmmakers and the sector can be inspired and connect. Building on the success of First Take and Doc Day, we are delighted this year to present Focus: Filmmaker Forum, a new networking event to support filmmakers in their short-to-feature development. The sessions with some of the leading names in the industry will cover development, financing, production, distribution and festival strategy. Fiona Clark, Festival producer and CEO
The Cork Film Festival’s flagship Doc Day, presented in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and supported by Screen Training Ireland, brings industry leaders together to discuss the landscape in which projects are conceived, developed and distributed.
James Hickey, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland will open Doc Day with a discussion about the future of Irish feature documentary filmmaking and funding in Ireland; and there will also be a panel examining the experience of filmmakers who tackle social issues in their filmmaking, comprising of Directors Thomas Dumican (No Greater Law), Cynthia Lowen (Netizens), Treasa O’Brien (Town of Strangers), Astra Taylor (What is Democracy?) and Producer Lea Marin (What is Democracy?).
International documentary film industry players Isabel Davis, Head of Production/ Producer for Pulse Films; Calum Gray, Head of Sales at Embankment Films; Katie Holly, Producer, Blinder Films; and Greg Phillips, President of Distribution at Kew Media Group, will discuss how Irish documentary filmmakers can strategically promote their work on an international level.
The Festival welcomes back Producer Trevor Birney of Fine Point Films and Sarah Dillon, Development Manager at the WRAP Fund, who will talk on building a sustainable model for Irish feature documentary production, and Marcel Karst, Head of Theatrical Sales at Dogwoof, who will explore distribution.
The final session will look at the changing nature of documentary film. The speakers include Sarah Dawson, Film Programme Manager and Associate Programmer of Sheffield Doc/Fest; Michael Hayden, Programme Director of the Cork Film Festival; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, Co-Directors of The Gospel of Eureka; and Justine Nagan, Executive Director of American Documentary and Executive Producer of POV and America ReFramed.
First Take, supported by Screen Ireland and Screen Training Ireland, will include a case study of the Irish feature, The Dig with leading Actor, Moe Dunford; Co-Directors, Andrew and Ryan Tohill; and Producer Brian J Falconer.
Cork Film Festival is proudly supported by principal funder the Arts Council, along with Cork City Council, Screen Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Screen Training Ireland, Culture Ireland, Creative Ireland and Creative Europe Media. Principal media partner is RTÉ Supporting the Arts and media partners are the Irish Examiner and Red FM.
For full details visit corkfilmfest.org and check out Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.