Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced its programme of industry events for 2022, comprising First Take, Doc Day Live and Doc Day Online. CIFF will host panel discussions with special guests from the international film industry, who will share their invaluable insight into current trends in the sector. CIFF Industry Days are presented in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Personal Documentary Filmmaking: A Conversation with Abigail Disney, part of Doc Day Live programme (Friday 18th November):
Filmmaker Abigail Disney will join Doc Day for an in-conversation on the making of her recent documentary feature, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, a very personal film which premieres at the Cork International Film Festival this year. Though a specialist in producing, directing and promoting non-fiction films with advocacy and impact at their heart, this film is a particularly vulnerable and brave endeavour, given the subject matter which explores her personal history and the legacy of the Disney organisation. Hosted by Journalist and Broadcaster, Una Mullally, Abigail will discuss the intimacies, and intricacies, of telling her own family’s story.
Filmmaker Career Interview – Frank Berry, part of First Take programme (Thursday 17th November):
From his beginnings as a community filmmaker and educator, Frank Berry has moved to become one of Ireland’s leading directors and makers of socially-engaged films. As the director of three successful features, in addition to his work in documentary and short films, Frank will reflect on his journey as an award-winning filmmaker.
Doc Day Live (Friday 18th November):
Cork International Film Festival continues to develop its focus on high-quality Irish and international documentary cinema with Doc Day Live on Friday 18th November at The Metropole Hotel. Doc Day will include sessions on dissecting current trends and shifts in the non-fiction film industry, as well as a focus on impact distribution with Sarah Mosses, CEO of Together Films, one of the most prominent impact strategists and distributors working in the documentary industry today. A networking reception will conclude the event and precede the Irish premiere of Abigail Disney’s new feature documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales at 5:30 pm at the Gate Cinema.
First Take Industry Sessions and Screening of Hyphen (Thursday 17th November):
First Take, on Thursday 17th November comprises a series of industry sessions, including a focus on Irish Screen Guilds, and the new National Talent Academies, a Screen Ireland initiative that provides courses, programmes and career opportunities for the Irish film, television and animation industry. First Take will be followed by a special screening of the UCC Puttnam Scholars’ short film, Hyphen with a Q&A hosted by Lord David Puttnam, and the announcement of the CIFF2022 Shorts Awards winners. Further First Take session details are below.
Doc Day Online (November 18th – 30th):
In addition to the in-person offering for Doc Day 2022, the Festival will host a series of free online sessions, complementing this year’s non-fiction programme and encompassing in-depth filmmaker conversations and case studies.
IGNITE Documentary Talent Development Programme:
IGNITE is a bilingual talent development programme and a joint initiative led by Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland, Belfast, directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers embarking on their first or second non-fiction feature film. Supported by TG4, the Arts Council of Ireland, Screen Ireland, Screen Skillnet, Northern Ireland Screen, and Arts & Business NI.
First Take: Irish Screen Guilds in Focus
The screen industry in Ireland has experienced exponential growth in the past number of years and the need for skilled and competent crews has never been greater. This session will use Screen Ireland’s new learning resource ‘The Competency Framework for Crew’ – as a foundation to explore the wide range of career opportunities available and to encourage greater diversity and inclusion in the sector. Jess Drumm, CEO, Screen Guilds of Ireland and Irish Guilds representatives will be in attendance and the event will be hosted by Elaine Geraghty, Managing Director, Ardmore and Troy Studios. The event is presented in partnership with the Screen Guild of Ireland.
Cultivating Film Careers | Ireland’s National Talent Academies
With the increased expansion of the Irish film industry, development supports for emerging Irish filmmakers have propagated around the country. First Take will provide a platform to our new National Talent Academies, disseminating information on these training and mentoring opportunities for the next generation of Irish filmmakers. Speakers are Rachael Power, Film & TV Crew Academy Manager (South), Film in Limerick; Eibh Collins, Development Executive, Árdan; and Gareth Lee, Skills Manager, Screen Skills Ireland. The event will be hosted by Elaine Geraghty, Managing Director, Ardmore and Troy Studios.
Doc Day: Making an Impact. The Work of Together Films
Together Films supports filmmakers to ensure that their projects get to the right audiences, at the right time. In this in-depth presentation, Sarah Mosses, founder and CEO of Together Films, will break down how the organisation works with filmmakers, develops impact strategies and singular distribution plans, using as a case study the recent feature documentary, Battleground, which looks at the US anti-abortion campaigns’ attempt (and eventual success) at overturning Roe v. Wade, which will premiere at Cork International Film Festival this year.
Doc Day: The Changing Face of Non-Fiction Film
In recent years various factors have caused monumental shifts in the industry – what does today’s documentary landscape look like? In this extensive panel discussion, speakers Trevor Birney of Fine Point Films, Vanessa Tovell of Lightbox, and Aideen Kane, Director, The 8th, Producer, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales in addition to a representative from Screen Ireland, will dissect and focus on the current trends in non-fiction film, their own experiences, and best practice for this ever-changing industry.
Cork International Film Festival runs from November 10th to 20th. The full programme is available from Wednesday 12th October. corkfilmfest.org