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Cork Film Festival to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in style Cork Film Festival is set to hold its most ambitious programme of screenings and special events to mark its 50th anniversary celebrations. The 50th Cork Film Festival which will run from 9th to 16th October, 2005, offers film lovers an exciting programme of events which include big budget films, world cinema, innovative independent films, international documentaries, an Irish showcase and short films from all over the world. One of the oldest film festivals in the world, for 50 years the Cork Film Festival has brought the best in world cinema to Irish audiences. From its beginnings in the Savoy cinema in 1956, the festival has grown and developed to become a highly regarded international event. An indication of this is that this year the festival received a record 2,500 entries from filmmakers all over the world. Mick Hannigan, Director of the Cork Film Festival said "For fifty years the festival has been flying the flag for cinema in Ireland and in this, our anniversary year, we will celebrate that impressive history." Since its inception in 1956 the short film has been an integral component of the festival. In 2005 the festival continues its love affair with the short by offering short film makers the opportunity to compete for seven prestigious awards. These include: the Jameson Award for Best Irish Short Film with a cash prize of €6,000; Best International Short; the Claire Lynch Award for Best First Irish Short; the Irish Examiner 'Made in Cork' Award; Gradam Gael Linn for Best Irish Language Short and the 'Outlook' Award for Best Lesbian & Gay Short . Throughout the year Cork has become a place of unstoppable energy as the city holds the mantle of European Capital of Culture 2005. The city has been host to hundreds of events - artistic, musical, dance, theatrical and sporting with artists and participants from Ireland, Europe and beyond. To mark the Cork Film Festival's 50th Anniversary and to celebrate Cork's tenure as European Capital of Culture, the festival is hosting a major international symposium on the short film. This prestigious Symposium will take place in Cork from 6th until 8th October, 2005, and will bring together short film specialists, curators, programmers, film makers and film critics from all over the world. The aim of the Symposium is to reflect on the short film as a specific artform, albeit one which has been unjustly neglected. The festival is also a platform for Irish and local filmaking and each year there are premieres of Irish features, documentaries as well as shorts. There is a special focus on local filmmakers through the festival's 'Made in Cork' programme. The festival is also a meeting place where Irish filmmakers and Irish audiences have an opportunity to meet with international directors in a relaxed and convivial setting. 2005 is also the 15th year of the Outlook programme at Cork and to celebrate this milestone the Cork Film Festival will host a special focus on Queerscreen, the organisers of Sydney's annual Mardi Gras Film Festival. Tickets for all events and the festival catalogue can be purchased from the end of September at the Cork Film Festival Box Office which is situated at 15 Grand Parade, Cork. The Festival Programme will also be available online at www.corkfilmfest.org For further information please contact: Eimear O'Brien, |
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