This year Dublin Doc Fest – the short documentary film festival I run & Ireland’s only short documentary film festival – turns 6 and to celebrate, we’re hitting the road! Teaming up with the Embassy of Ireland Berlin and the Irish Film Institute (IFI), we delved into the festival vaults to bring a special night of short Irish docs in Berlin’s oldest Kino, Kino Moviemento on Wed 18th April 2018.
Programme:
Off the Board (dir. Siobhan Perry, 07′ 55″)
Needle Exchange (dir. Colm Quinn, 09′ 41″)
What Remains (dir. Pat Collins in collaboration with Tadhg O’Sullivan, 11′ 00″)
Novena (dir. Anna Rodgers, 18′ 00″)
Grey Area (dir. Jonathan Barton, 11′ 00″)
Home (dir. Aoife Kelleher, 15′ 00″)
Bloody Good Headline (dir. Paul Quinn & Tom Burke, 14′ 12″)
The Truth About Irish Hip-Hop (dir. Gavin Fitzgerald, 18′ 47″)

Celebrating contemporary Irish documentary filmmaking with a very special programme that includes; Pat Collins & Tadhg O’Sullivan’s captivating short ‘What Remains’ compiled entirely from IFI archive, Aoife Kelleher’s ‘Home’ – a touching portrait of the Irish immigrant, Siobhan Perry’s ‘Off The Board’, a delicate short about adolescence and facing one’s fears and Gavin Fitzgerald’s fast-paced doc ‘The Truth About Irish Hip-Hop’ on the flourishing Irish hip-hop scene.

Proudly supported by: the Embassy of Ireland Berlin & The Irish Film Institute.

I’m over the moon to announce that my latest short doc ‘Company B‘ – about Ireland’s only all male contemporary dance group – has won second place in the non-fiction category at the Cut the Gap! The Gender Equality Short Film Day in Vienna, Austria.  Thanks to all who attended and voted for the film – it’s always nice to have one’s work recognised, but it’s extra special to be honoured by a topic very close to my heart: gender equality.

Just three days until it shows at this year’s Shebeen Flick Irish Film Festival in Berlin – tickets available here.  Hope to see you there!

#documentary #film #shortfilm #irishfilm #gender #equality #dublin #ireland #feminism

The programme for Shebeen Flick Irish Film Festival has been announced and I’m so happy to be included in the wonderful programme this year.  My short documentary film ‘Company B’ – about Ireland’s only all-male contemporary dance group – will play before Paddy Cahill’s feature doc ‘Amanda Coogan: Long Now’ on Fri 16th March at 19:00pm in Kino Moviemento, Berlin.  I studied Amanda’s work as an art student in Dublin, many years ago so it’s great to open for a feature about her and her work.

#documentary #film #ireland #irishfilm #equality #gender #creativity #dance

Woke up to the news that my latest short documentary film ‘Company B’ – about Ireland’s only all-male contemporary dance group – has been selected for Cut the Gap! The Vienna Gender Equality Short Film Day next month.  The screening will take place in Top Kino on Sat March 10th at 17:00pm.  It looks like a really nice day planned with interesting talks and film categories.  Can’t wait!

#equality #feminism #film #irish #film #documentary #ireland #gender

I brought my latest short documentary film ‘Company B‘ – about Ireland’s only all-boy contemporary dance group – to my first Open Screening as part of the British Shorts Film Festival Berlin last week.  The screening took place in one of my favourite cinemas in Berlin, Sputnik Kino and it was the first time seeing it on the big screen.  Nice responses and questions in the Q & A afterwards too – can’t wait to show it again next month at the Shebeen Flick Irish Film Festival, Berlin.  I’m also looking forward to attending another Open Screening event – it was great to see so many filmmakers showing their work to such an enthusiastic audience!

#documentary #film #berlin #irishfilm #shortdocs #creativity

It’s always such a delight to have analogue photos developed – when I see them printed in my hand, I’m immediately transported back in time to the moments before the shutter snapped.  I remember the decisions composing the shot, the patience (or more often than not, impatience) of the subject as I adjust the light meter and focus, the day, how I was feeling – all the little moments that brought the image to life that I just don’t get when taking pictures on digital devices.  I’m a sucker for process and I love the sense of occasion that analogue photography innately possesses.

This one is from my good friends Soracha & John’s wedding, it’s one of my favourite 35mm pictures.

Dublin Doc Fest – the short documentary film festival I founded in 2013 – returns for it’s fifth festival event in the gorgeous RHA Gallery on Sat the 11th of Nov 2017.  With four exciting film programmes from emerging and established documentary filmmakers from across the globe – join me for another night of special doc shorts on themes of observation and incarceration, memory and family ties, feminism, freedom and some wonderful music docs!

Dublin Doc Fest’s objective is to create a unique platform for short documentary film in Ireland – to give it its own space & context for exhibition – in carefully curated programmes. We believe Ireland fosters a high standard of documentary filmmaking. We want to create opportunities for these films to have a longer life – to place Dublin firmly on the map as an international destination for documentary film. Each screening brings together unique stories from some of the most original voices working in documentary film today. We love non-traditional screening spaces & always strive to exhibit our films against the backdrop of Dublin’s most iconic & beloved spaces.

Doors 5.30pm, first programme 6.00pm

Tickets €12 -€15* via Eventbrite.ie here
*ticket prices not inclusive of VAT

Limited Early Bird tickets are on sale until 06/10/17 (or until sold out). All online ticket sales cease at 14:00pm on 11/11/17 where a limited number of cash door sales will be available at the event on the night. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!

Full Programme announced soon!

In my home country (Ireland), I grew up under a social pressure to laugh off sexist jokes, for fear of being deemed anything from ‘no craic’, to a bitch.  For a long time I followed suit, or buried my head in the sand, not wanting to have to have ‘those conversations’.  I didn’t want to waste my energy.  But I realised that by ignoring the problem, wouldn’t make it go away & that by calling out sexist behaviour & engaging with people about the topic simply felt right.  Sometimes, though, it doesn’t always feel safe.

Reflecting on the culture whereby comments & judgements about women’s bodies pervade not just social & professional spaces, but more intimate situations for women – I wanted to do something with that feeling – the feeling of disempowerment that comes from being judged or slighted or commented on inappropriately.  There still seems to be a pretty prevalent entitlement and freedom to openly judge women’s bodies or to take sexually explicit and aggressive talk as light-hearted.  I think this behaviour, even today with all our awareness, is still very normalised for women, which is really sad.  By handing these comments back – just some that I have personally received this passed year – I wanted to take control and hopefully open up a conversation.

Join me for my first ever performance -‘Things Men Have Said To Me This Year’ – on Sat 16th of September at 18:00pm in Alexanderplatz, Berlin.  

Photo: Artur Rabinski

#feminism #feminist #equality #art #performance #berlin #creativity

Finally finished my latest short documentary about Ireland’s only all boy contemporary dance group ‘Company B’ which objective is to create a unique space for self expression through dance and movement.  In Ireland, boys have long been a minority in dance.  In this short documentary, members reveal what it’s like for them to dance, how it feels and why they love it.

Directed, Edited & Produced by Tess Motherway
Camera: Jonathan Barton

#art #film #dance #dublin #ireland #creativity #equality #feminism #film #documentary