Last night saw the final night of the Made in Cork shorts program and it really is incredible to see how much the program has grown now covering three nights. Although there was quite a number that centered on small moments such as Mark Cogan’s Partly Cloudy and Christina Utzeri’s Riddled, there was also a fair representation of intense personal drama with Blake Norton’s Psychosis and out right horror in Twinkle Toes by Daniel O’Connell. One of the highlights of the program was the amazingly animated film Daithi Agus Goliath (David and Goliath) by Gerald O’Brien that updates the classic bible story with vibrant colors and a great soundtrack. And of course, there was a fair amount of Irish humor especially Shaun O’Connor’s Rint and Mutt two films that had the audiences roaring.
This year was the first time we were able to attend the Slow Foods program at the festival and it was amazing. A lovely box of small bites catered by BiteSize set the tone for two wonderful films Conor Ferguson’s short Un Peu Plus, about a women’s insatiable quest for french pastries and the fascinating story of the Michelin starred French chef Michel Bras and his son Sebastian who has worked by his side for over 15 years. Step Up To The Plate ( Entre Les Bras) is an extraordinary documentary that skillfully depicts the creativity and passion that are the hallmarks of french cuisine.
Today has already started on a high note with a screening of Andrew Legge’s the Girl With The Mechanical Maiden as we start the whirlwind screenings of six Irish Shorts programs, a half dozen Irish documentaries and tonight’s screening of Kirsten Sheridan’s Dollhouse which she will introduce and hopefully do a Q&A after, hopefully in the festival bar over a glass of wine….!
One last note, yesterday nostalgia filled the air when Clair Lynch’s Fruit 15 was screened along with Ken Wardrop’s Undressing My Mother and Declan Reck’s Big Swinger among others that prove great films, or in this case shorts, do stand the test of time, they were indeed amazing. Looking forward to the rest of the IADT program.
