In recent years technology, in the form of digital home movie cameras and readily available and simple to use editing software on home computers, has emancipated the art of filmmaking. No longer does it cost hundreds, if not thousands of euros to make a short film, no longer does the budding filmmaker have to scrounge short ends of film stock, beg and borrow equipment, and deal with prohibitively costly laboratory bills.
With a few inexpensive cassettes of tape and a lot of imagination and hard work, anyone can make a short film….and this means anyone, not just film school or media studies students, but young people, the retired, in fact any one with access to a mini DV camera can enter the exciting world of film making. It is not even necessary to form a group; it is entirely possible to make a short film entirely by oneself.
Short filmmakers find that once their film is made, the opportunity to screen it is very limited. It is our aim to provide a window for such artists. Winning films, as chosen by our juries, will be rewarded with cash prizes donated by our sponsors and a certificate from the festival.
We want to celebrate and encourage the making of short films by bringing together filmmakers of all levels of experience, to share their knowledge and techniques, to screen short films, to meet and learn from established film makers and to have a wonderful experience of West Cork that they will take away with them and remember for years to come.