Kathy Garmezy, Associate Executive Director, Directors Guild of America;"SDGI has been the most forward-thinking and involved participant of all the IAESDO members. The films they select have been consistently superior and manage to exceed our expectations each year. Each selection has showcased the magnificent directorial talent and distinctly Irish points of view coming out of (this) dynamic film industry.”
The Directors Finders Series is supported by the Irish Film Board, the Directors Guild of America, Culture Ireland, American Airlines, Screen Training Ireland & The Morrison Hotel.
John Carney hosts Irish Film Awards & advises winning director on what to expect in L.A!
The word on the ground last night was that The Directors Finders Series is the 'New IFTA's!'
Speaking to a crowded Film & TV event run by The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, The Directors Finders Series,John Carney told how he found himself in the middle of a bidding war with 'Once' & actually heard the buzz about the film while sitting in a taxi & overhearing others sharing the taxi speaking about a 'great, quirkly little Irish Musical Film!'
He wished winning director, Tomm Moore & his feature animation 'The Secret of Kells' all the best when they head over to L.A in two weeks time for their industry screening on Sunset Boulevard, in an effort to get a U.S distribution deal for the film & hopes that he will find himself in the same 'great position of fielding call after call from the top guys in the top distribution houses.'
Also co-hosted by Michael Apted (The Chronicles of Narnia: Dawn Treader, Gorillas in the Mist, The World is Not Enough, etc), Michael
said that he believed there was a very good chance in Tomm & his
feature animation being very successful in the U.S.
In addition to the 350 high profile film & television industry
attendees, there were representatives from the Directors Guilds of
American, Canada, Britain, Australia & New Zealand in
attendance....including such names as Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Changing Lanes), Ciaran Donnelly (The Tudors Series 1, 2, 3, Robinhood), Declan Recks (Pure Mule, Eden), Paddy Breathnach (Man About Dog, Shrooms, I Went Down).
The new wave of Irish animation talent also supported the event
including Academy Award nominated Brown Bag Films (‘Give Up Yer Aul
Sins’).
Release Ends
For further information & pictures contact us on the below details.
Best regards,
Michelle Connolly
Production Manager
Directors Finders Series 2008
Mob: 087 814 0713
www.sdgi.ie
The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, in association with the Directors Guild of America, is delighted to announce that the winner of the
Directors Finders Series 2008is
Tomm Moore & his feature “The Secret of Kells”
As the winner of The Directors Finders Series, the animation feature “The Secret of Kells” will be showcased in the Director’s Guild of America Theatre, Sunset Boulevard, L.A, on 19th September 2008 to an audience of American distributors & industry personnel with a view to securing a U.S distribution deal for the film.
Selected by an international panel of experts “The Secret of Kells’” tells the animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells.
Twelve hundred years ago, an orphan named Brendan meets Brother Aidan, the keeper of an extraordinary, but unfinished book of illuminations. Aidan sets Brendan a great task, to complete the Book of Kells. With the threat of invading Vikings all around & with the help of Aisling, a mysterious young girl, Brendan faces his deepest fears to complete the task.
This year, SDGI will launch Tomm Moore & his film “The Secret of Kells” at a special Industry Awards Ceremony on 4th September in Dublin in The Morrison Hotel, to precede the L.A Screening Event.
This event will be will be officially opened by the Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism, Martin Cullen & will be co-hosted by internationally acclaimed directors Jim Sheridan & Michael Apted, (The Chronicles of Narnia, Gorillas in the Mist, The World is Not Enough, etc).
The Screen Directors Guild is very excited about the 2008 Directors Finders Series due to the overwhelming success of last years’ Dublin & L.A events, as well as last years winning director Tom Collins & his film ‘Kings’ successfully going on to get a U.S distribution deal, being Ireland’s official nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in the Academy Awards & winning 5 IFTA’s earlier this year.
For further information or photos contact the Production Manager, Michelle Connolly on michelle@sdgi.ie / 087 814 0713
This award is supported by The Irish Film Board, The DGA, The Arts Council, Culture Ireland and Screen Training Ireland.
Prominent conference delegates issue statement calling on urgent action
Brussels, June 2, 2008
A high-profile international conference held in Dublin this weekend attended by over 60 film and television directors from across Europe, has strongly criticised the lack of implementation of their rights throughout European countries, and has called on urgent establishment of strong, enforceable legislation to address the situation. Impacting on these rights are the issues of the illegal downloading of films from the internet, and the exploitation of authors' works without proper payment. Hosted by the Screen
Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI), the conference welcomed the General Assembly of the Federation of European Film and Television Directors (FERA) to Dublin for the first time ever.
"While the new digital era represents an exciting opportunity for European film directors to reach a larger audience, these are two serious challenges to the creative community, and will have a profound effect on the film industry in Ireland and right across Europe if not addressed immediately", commented Cécile Despringre Chief Executive Officer of FERA on the final day of the conference.
"Our vision in FERA is to represent directors in a very constructive way, not only for what we are and what we aspire to be, but also to enable us to embrace the new media, the new ways of expression and new ways for us to reach our audiences. European filmmaking is like being in a tiny vessel facing huge tankers in a stormy sea" said Liv Ullmann stepping down after five years serving FERA as President. To which, Neil Jordan added "that the
very kind of films that make cinema an art are harder to make and see than ever before."
This conference focused on important initiatives and common concerns for European directors such as creative and economic challenges that European directors face today, new technology and the impact this has on the creative process and European legislation and the regulation of films online.
The rapid progression of developments in new media and their potential impact on directors is cause for concern, and as such formed a key topic of discussion at the AGM. The implications of European legislation (existing and impending) on new technology are significant for the filmmaking community in all its variety, and ultimately for the public who engage with these artforms. The creative and artistic elements of the media industry will be impacted upon significantly by the legislation in question, and this topic was a focus of the AGM. SDGI hopes that this conference will highlight areas in which Irish institutions could respond better to this vital cultural debate at a European level, and raise awareness of areas where Ireland is not currently implementing existing European legislation.
Delegates and guests at this distinguished event included renowned director and actress Liv Ullmann, who introduced a special screening of her film Faithless on Friday evening. The screening was followed by a "director in dialogue" session where the director discussed her work with Academy Award winner Neil Jordan.
FERA (Fédération Européenne des Réalisateurs de l'Audiovisuel / Federation of European Film and Television Directors) was established in Venice in 1980 and now represents 33 national associations in European countries. FERA focuses on relaying the concerns of directors onto the European political scene in order to promote a European environment fostering creation and circulation of European works. FERA defends the art and craft, and the creative and economic rights of the director, as essential to the diversity of European audiovisual culture.
The FERA General Assembly elected István Szabó as its new President and renewed three members of the Executive Committee out of seven. The following final declaration was adopted:
"Meeting in Dublin, the city where James Joyce opened the first Irish cinema, European Directors reflect on the fragile nature of film distribution 104 years later. James Joyce's cinema went dark; we do not wantthe same thing to happen to European film culture.
"European filmmaking is like being in a tiny vessel facing huge tankers in a stormy sea" said Liv Ullmann stepping down after five years serving FERA as President. To which, Neil Jordan added, after screening "Faithless" her film based on Ingmar Bergman's script, "the very kind of films that make cinema an art are harder to make and see than ever before."
The new digital era represents an exciting opportunity for European film directors to reach a larger audience. However, there are two challenges to the creative community: illegal downloading of films and the exploitation of authors' works without proper payment.
"We need partners, not foes" as István Szabó said in his acceptance speech as new President.
We therefore call on EU and national authorities to establish a strong, enforceable level of protection of authors' rights throughout European countries. We encourage them to be as visionary, innovative and bold as James Joyce in embracing new technologies in the best interest of European film artists and their audience."
Contact : Cécile Despringre, CEO
Tel: +32 2 290 44 35
