One of the things we love here at Scannain is filmmakers who are not afraid to take risks. Filmmakers who have a desire, a passion to bring their filmatic dreams to life. And we feel we have an obligation to help in whatever small way we can to make their visions real. That’s why we have this column to help Irish filmmakers who are crowd-sourcing funding for their films gain a little more exposure. Please check out the projects below, and if one takes your fancy please help these films come to life.
Butterfly
Cathal Black will direct this short/long film (30-40 mins) which is written by playwright Neil Donnelly.
Plot Details: Leonard, a lonely probation officer, estranged from his wife, is faced with the difficult task of writing a report on Teri, a young, hot-tempered graphic designer who has convictions for minor theft. A clash of personalities in their first meeting sets the tone for what’s to come, and, over the course of their series of meetings, Leonard’s need to help her brings about more conflict as Teri stubbornly rejects his methods and uses his personal failings to keep him at arms length. As his patience runs out, Leonard drops his professional approach and makes one final attempt to break through to her. Teri’s acceptance or rejection of his helping hand will see her released from the dark past she has lived with for years, or condemn her to continue in her downward spiral.
Cast and Crew: Cathal Black, Denis Conway, Antonia Campbell-Hughes
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The Kids Aren’t Alright
The Kids Aren’t Alright is an Irish feature film aimed at raising awareness about suicide and depression issues faced by high school students.
Plot Details: The film follows our main character Ross, as he deals with the loss of one of his classmates, Kayleigh. Ross and Kayleigh were never close friends, but her suicide has affected him in a startling way which has caused him to take a step back and look hard at his current life situation. Ross suffers many sleepless night, and multiple vivid nightmares as he tries to deal with the additional stress this situation has added to his life. His girlfriend’s cheating on him with his best friend behind his back, and in a life filled with peer pressure about drugs and sex, Ross is finding it hard to understand who he is, and what his place is as he’s going through this tough transitional phase before school ends and he has to move on to figure out what to do with his life. It’s when Ross becomes better acquainted with one of his new classmates, Roisín – an openly gay; artistic, sarcastic, self-titled wonder-woman, that his perspective on life is changed forever. Roisín has a reputation for being a back-talking, witty and rebellious girl, that no teacher wants in their class, and nobody wants to socialise with. Through endless conversation and wild adventures, Roisín helps Ross return to understanding what the meaning of being young is, and how it’s possible to feel free and be a grown-up at the same time.
Cast and Crew: Stuart Comerford, Sean Donnelly, Catherine Campbell, Ross McCann, Hannah Joyce, Gareth Quinn Redmond (Turin Ives), and Liam Dunne
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Shem the Penman Sings Again
http://youtu.be/wozwkVBT7-s
Shem the Penman Sings Again is an experimental feature film that provides a way into James Joyce’s creative imagination and the conception of “Finnegans Wake”.
Plot Details: The film based on James Joyce and his love of music and song as exemplified in his relationship with the great Irish tenor John McCormack.
Cast and Crew: Padraig Trehy and Rossa Mullin
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Shot
Shot is the first professional short film from Galway director Cormac Dowling.
Plot Details: Now 40 and living under the cold eyes of his father, Liam survives in a bubble of imagination, but even in the most desolate of places, the remnants of war can be felt and amidst the silence of rural Ireland, the echoes of violence will erupt when the trigger is pulled.
Cast and Crew: Cormac Dowling, Mairéad Ní Thréinir, Kevin Minogue, and Gary Flaherty
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Still Life
[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcEK7YFY2wM’]
Still Life is a short drama about a turning point in the lives of a father and daughter, as they cope with dementia.
Plot Details: A short drama about a turning point in the lives of a father and daughter, as they cope with dementia. One struggles to maintain civility in the household, as time runs out for the other, and throughout, their relationship is put to the test one last time. The result of their journey is for the first time, seeing, understanding, and appreciating the role they play in each other’s life.
Cast and Crew: Oisin Mac Coille, Ruth Hayes, and John Finnegan.