Following a record number of entries this year, Fresh International Film Festival 2020 will hold the Limerick heats of Ireland’s Young Filmmakers of the Year 2020 at the Belltable Arts Centre on Friday 6th March.
Fresh International Film Festival, incorporating Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards, has received over 1,700 submissions for this year’s festival, the highest number of submissions in the festival’s 24-year history. The Fresh screening panel has now viewed all submissions and has selected films by young filmmakers from Limerick to screen at the Regional Heat in the Belltable Arts Centre on Friday 6th March. The regional heats are also taking place all this week in Leinster, Dublin, Cork, and Galway.
Films shortlisted for the final will be announced at the conclusion of each regional heat and will be screened at Fresh International Film Festival 2020 in Limerick from March 23 to 28 and Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards will be presented on March 25 and 26 during the festival at the Odeon, Castletroy, Limerick.
Now in its 24th year, Fresh International Film Festival encourages young people from Ireland and overseas, aged 7 to 18 years, to create, exhibit and share films. The festival provides an opportunity for these young filmmakers to have their work seen on a cinema screen for the first time and to compete for the title of Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year. All films submitted are also considered for a range of Specialist Awards including the Radharc Trust Award (documentary), the Boulder Media Animation Award, the RTE 60 Second Short Film Award and the RTE Factual Award, in addition to the International and Audience Awards. Other highlights of Fresh International Film Festival 2020 include feature screenings and workshops, including a Careers in Screen interactive audience led event which aims to highlight the wide variety of career paths available in film and television; providing an instructive, educational and inspirational platform for participants.
Reflecting on the volume of entries for this year’s festival, Jayne Foley, Fresh International Film Festival Director commented, “Fresh International Film Festival is all about encouraging young people to tell their stories through film. Fresh is an international event and we are now seeing films made by young people from Iran, China, the USA, Korea and all over Europe. This year we received over 1,700 films made by young people, films that tell stories and reflect the lives of all these different cultures. This is so exciting.”
The regional heats are also taking place in Dublin, Cork, Galway and all screenings are open to the public but space is very limited, so advance booking through the Fresh International Film Festival is essential at (061) 319555 or email info@freshfilmfestival.com.
