A programme of industry events on 16th and 24th November 2023, comprising First Take, Doc Day Live and Doc Day Online.
Panel discussions with special guests from the international film industry, sharing their invaluable insight into current trends in the sector.
Presented in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
Supported by Coimisiún na Meán
FIRST TAKE (Thursday 16th November)
First Take is a training and development platform for newly established film professionals, film and media students and the wider film industry, which comprises case studies, presentations and panel discussions. Its intention is to promote fresh thinking amongst emerging and working filmmakers, inspiring them to be proactive in creating and promoting their own film work.
SESSIONS INCLUDE:
1. SCREEN GREENING | FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY
This session will draw on current sustainability practices on Irish productions, breaking down how filmmakers can implement sustainability as a standard practice in their productions.
Presented in partnership with Screen Producers Ireland
Speakers:
- Kelly Campbell – Filmmaker
- Alex De Velera – Sustainability Officer
- Anthony Muldoon – Chairperson, Screen Greening
Hosted by:
John Gormley – Director of Strategic Policy, Screen Producers Ireland
2. UNITING PERSPECTIVES | A DISCUSSION ON INCLUSION
Cork International Film Festival is delighted to collaborate with The National Talent Academy to host an important discussion on inclusion in the Irish film industry, featuring voices and advocates who are working to foster a more equitable and dynamic screen sector.
The National Talent Academies are an initiative of Screen Ireland.
Speakers:
- Femi Bankole – Co-founder, Black & Irish
- Ala Buisir – Co-founder, GORM
- David McDonagh – Filmmaker
- Mary McDonagh – Filmmaker
- Allie O’Rourke – Comedian & Writer
Hosted by:
Demi Isaac Oviawe – Actor & Radio Presenter
3. SPOTLIGHT ON SHORT FILMMAKERS
A panel of short filmmakers who have presented their work at Cork International Film Festival will discuss the anatomy and processes behind the making of their short films, both creativity and practically, as well as providing insights and inspiration to the audience on how to step onto the filmmaking ladder and begin the process of creating their own work.
Speakers:
- Kelly Campbell – Director, An Encounter (Winner, Grand Prix Irish Award 2021)
- Luke Daly – Co-director, Mud Queen (Screening at CIFF 2023), Co-director, Flicker (Winner, Grand Prix Irish Award 2020)
- Nathan Fagan – Co-director, Mud Queen (Screening at CIFF 2023), (Winner, Grand Prix Irish Award 2020)
- Sinead O’Loughlin – Director, Lamb (Audience Award Winner for Best Short 2022), Co-director, Misread (Screening at CIFF 2023)
- Allyn Quigley – Director, Yellow Belt & Findlater (Screening at CIFF 2023)
Hosted by:
Don O’Mahony – Senior Programmer, Cork International Film Festival
4. PAUL DUANE | CAREER INTERVIEW
Paul Duane is one of Ireland’s most dynamic and distinct filmmakers, with an off-beat and varied career path that has included work across television, documentary and fiction feature.
A true independently-minded filmmaker, Paul will discuss his journey so far and what he has learned along the way, with a focus on his new feature film All You Need Is Death.
Speaker:
Paul Duane – Director, All You Need Is Death
Hosted by:
Tara Brady – Film Critic, The Irish Times
The event will be followed by a networking reception from 17:00.
Supported by the National Talent Academies
DOC DAY LIVE (Friday 24th November)
Cork International Film Festival continues to develop its focus on high-quality Irish and international documentary cinema with Doc Day, connecting emerging and established non-fiction filmmakers with industry professionals and the wider documentary sector, with the objective of helping to inform, inspire and develop opportunities within the global documentary landscape.
SESSIONS INCLUDE:
1. EXPERIMENTAL VOICES IN DOCUMENTARY | FOCUS ON IRISH NON-FICTION FILM ARTISTS
This session will focus on experimental filmmakers and visual artists and their work in the non-fiction realm, focusing on both their creative processes, and how they straddle the two ‘industry’ models. Featuring voices from across the moving image spectrum, the discussion will incorporate film diffusion strategies via festivals, streaming, broadcast and theatrical, and the divergent roads their practices have taken them down.
Speakers:
- Alice Butler – Co-Curator, AEMI
- Myrid Carten – Director, Sorrow Had a Baby
- Aoife Desmond – Director, Bury our Hearts in the Bend of the River
- Tadhg O’Sullivan – Director, To the Moon
Hosted by: Don O’Mahony – Senior Programmer, Cork International Film Festival
2. VENOM FILMS | PRODUCTION COMPANY CASE STUDY
One of the most successful documentary-focused production companies in Ireland, Venom Films have gone from strength to strength since the company’s inception. Established by director Ken Wardrop and producer Andrew Freedman in 2006, successful releases have included His & Hers, Mom & Me, and The Great Pigeon Race. The team will discuss Venom’s company’s development structure and their filmography, with a focus on their new feature So this is Christmas, directed by Ken Wardrop, and screening at CIFF2023.
Speakers:
- Ken Wardrop – Director / Company Founder, Venom Films
- Samantha Corr – Producer, Venom Films
- Heidi Fleisher – International Development Consultant, Venom Films
- Andrew Freedman – Producer / Company Partner – Venom Films
Hosted by: Niamh Fagan – Project Manager, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
3. MY FRIEND LANRE | RELATING TO YOUR SUBJECTS
An intensely personal portrait of friendship and creativity, My Friend Lanre draws on 25 years of footage with filmmaker Leo Regan’s friendship and collaboration with Lanre Fehintola. In this session, Regan, his producer Mary Carson and the film’s editor Chloë Lambourne will dissect the process of making this brave and intimate work.
Speakers:
- Mary Carson – Producer, My Friend Lanre
- Chloë Lambourne – Editor, My Friend Lanre
- Leo Regan – Director, My Friend Lanre
Hosted by: Rose Baker – Programmer, Belfast Film Festival
4. IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? | DOC DAY KEYNOTE
A documentary which explores what it takes to love oneself fiercely despite the pervasiveness of ableism, Is There Anybody Out There? is a heartfelt and deeply personal film by filmmaker Ella Glendining. Doc Day invites Ella to discuss her experiences making this deeply heartfelt, thought-provoking and important film.
Speaker:
- Ella Glendining – Director, Is There Anybody Out There?
Hosted by: Kim Bartley – Filmmaker
Doc Day will be followed by:
- 17.00-18.00: Networking reception co-supported by Creative Europe Desk Ireland MEDIA.
- 20.00: Documentary Gala: ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’
Doc Day Online (November 24th – December 31st):
In addition to the in-person offering for Doc Day 2023, the Festival will host a series of online sessions complimenting this year’s non- fiction programme and encompassing in-depth filmmaker conversations and case studies.
ONE NIGHT IN MILLSTREET | ANATOMY OF A SPORTS DOC
The creative team behind new Irish feature documentary One Night On Millstreet, about the infamous 1995 boxing match in Millstreet, County Cork, between Steve Collins and Chris Eubank, will discuss the genesis, evolution and creative process of the film, with advice and anecdotes about the making of the film.
Speakers:
- Morgan Bushe – Producer, One Night in Millstreet
- Andrew Gallimore – Director, One Night in Millstreet
- Peter Murnaghan – Producer, One Night in Millstreet
Hosted by:
Esther McCarthy
ALAN GILSENAN | CAREER INTERVIEW
One of the most prolific contemporary Irish documentarians working today, Alan Gilsenan has had many documentaries screen with CIFF in recent years, with two new films, The Day of Trees and The United Irishmen screening at this year’s Festival. To celebrate these screenings, we will host a comprehensive conversation with Alan about his career, filmography and the mark he has made in Irish film.
Speaker:
Alan GIlsenan – Director, The Day of Trees / The United Irishmen
Hosted by:
Donald Clark – Chief Film Critic, The Irish Times
Landschaft & We Will Not Fade Away | Authorial Proximity
Taking into account contemporary ideas about authentic approaches to narration and who should get to tell what kinds of story, this session looks to explore two distinct approaches, working as a filmmaker on a subject from outside of the context and from within the context. Alisa Kovalenko and Daniel Kötter will discuss their unique relationships to their documentary subjects, with reference to their competition films at this year’s festival: WE WILL NOT FADE AWAY and LANDSHAFT.
Speakers:
Daniel Kötter – Director, Landschaft
Alisa Kovalenko – Director, We Will Not Fade Away
Hosted by:
Rohan Crickmar – Documentary Programmer, Cork International Film Festival
The networking receptions are sponsored by our Drinks Partner Murphy’s and supported by Rebel City Distillery.