Irish Festival: Details announced for First Cut! Youth Film Festival 2015

The First Cut! Youth Film Festival 2015 has announced details of their 6th event, that will take place Friday 27 & Saturday 28 February in Youghal, Co. Cork in a ‘big screen’ pop-up venue.

The festival has continued to grow and provides filmmakers with a much needed opportunity to showcase their work and meet fellow filmmakers. One of the most important aspects of filmmaking is meeting other filmmakers to collaborate with and learn from. It offers an exciting opportunity for young filmmakers, aged 12- 24 years, to gather together in a vibrant festival atmosphere for a rare chance to network and showcase their work. It showcases and celebrates films made by young people, bringing them together in a professional, yet relaxed, atmosphere with opportunities for learning from /engaging with each other and with film industry professionals. Young people can also take part in FREE events hosted by film experts. Most screenings during the festival are accompanied by discussion and question-and-answer sessions with directors, producers or actors involved in the productions. Filmmakers can receive feedback on their film.

Being a ‘pop-up festival it travels out this year to the Mall Arts Centre, Youghal and turns it into a great ‘cinema’ and festival venue with all sorts of exciting film events for young people who live there, in surrounding areas and further afield.

The festival engages young people who are making short films or who are interested but up to now haven’t had the opportunity to check it out & learn more. Organisers invite the whole community to get involved, bringing together local, national and international talent, skills and vision. In all over the 2 days of screenings the Festival will present almost 100 short films in various categories and special programmes. This year they welcome a new category ,the annual Open Call was extended this year to include short films from college students.

Organisers are delighted with the response to the 2015 Open Call, short films from young people from all over Ireland and internationally have been submitted. They have received films from 10 different counties: Cork, Dublin, Tipperary, Galway, Clare, Louth, Wexford, Kerry, Limerick and Louth and 8 countries are represented: Scotland, Greece, the UK, Spain, Nepal, India, Ireland and South Korea!

Fictional Shorts Animations, Dramas, Documentaries Comedies, Music Videos, Thrillers – an excellent mix from young filmmakers age 12 to 24, in schools and colleges.

As well as the screenings of works by young filmmakers, the Festival will also include workshops, performances and the rare opportunity for young filmmakers to learn from, and engage with the professionals. Panel discussions, Q&A sessions and hands-on workshops will take place in the Mall Arts Centre and in other locations throughout the town during the Festival.

More details and tickets can be found on the festival website, Twitter, and Facebook page.

First Cut! Youth Film Festival works in association with Cork Film Centre and is funded by The Arts Office of Cork County Council, the Arts Council and is sponsored this year by Salesforce. Thank you also to South and East Cork Area Development Ltd, (SECAD).