We were delighted to see such a huge crowd for January’s Little Cinema, massive thanks to everyone who braved the nasty weather to help us make the night a great start to a new year of short film in Galway. It was particularly lovely to see a lot of new names on the list of submitters! We’re always happy to see new faces joining the Little Cinema community.

If you weren’t able to make it, or simply fancy revisiting the brilliant short films we’ve screened on the night, have a look at our recap below. If you’ve enjoyed a certain film, make sure to show your support by liking and sharing the film-makers’ work!

 1.

Our first film of the night was a Little Cinema production made to commemorate Michael D. Higgins’ visit to Galway for the first anniversary of Galway being named a UNESCO City of Film.

2.

Our second film of the night, submitted by Luca Melis and titled Silhouettes, was a beautiful observational documentary contrasting light and dark as night descends in a cemetery.

3.

Next up was a comedy sketch from Graham Patterson, who described it as “A film called Drugs… about drugs” which summed it up pretty well! The sketch got big laughs on the night for its off the wall humour, and is well worth a rewatch if you fancy a giggle!

4.

Next was a film called Callum, from a series called Tome, which focuses on various characters from Galway. The film allows us into the mind of a young man frustrated by his life and the people around him.

5.

Just before the break was a short sketch from Ian Donoghue called The Tea. Never before has boiling a kettle seemed so epic or hilarious! Ian’s film was a great end to the first half and had the crowd in stitches!

6.

First after the break was a film from Little Cinema regular Chris Tierney. Compiled from footage Chris as shot over the last few years, this compilation was up to Chris’ high standard – beautiful , creative camera work edited to perfection.

Galway Footage Compilation Jan 2016 from Christopher Tierney on Vimeo.

7.

Following Chris was Conor Ostheimer with his film Hand Rush, a fast paced short film book-ended by ominous shots of a gravestone, with nice editing and a great soundtrack.

8.

Next up was Karma, submitted by Brian O’Regan, which told the tale of a man going through hard times who may just have finally come across a bit of good luck.

9.

Our penultimate film of the night was Railway, submitted by Finian Robbins. Great writing, performed by two fantastic actors, in a gorgeously shot and edited short film. Finian Robbins is definitely one to watch!

10.

Closing out the night was a music video directed by Lakshika Serasinhe for Tracy Bruen and Band’s song Make Mama Proud. This is a great example of how to make a music video – the visuals suit the music perfectly complementing a great song from one of Galway’s great musicians.

So ended another great night of short film at Little Cinema, huge thanks to all our submitters and to everyone who came along to support! We’ll see you all again at the end of the month, have a great February!

Little Cinema

Written by Liam Doherty

Little Cinema’s November line-up had something for everyone, from hilarious comedy to in your face, gross out horror! Here’s a little review of the night’s films, with links to films where available.

1.

The night opened with the aptly titled “Sketches” submitted by Little Cinema’s very own Kenny Gaughan. “Sketches” consisted of, well, comedy sketches of course! Featuring nods to Monty Python as well as an obnoxious lad on a cold night out, our first film of the evening was a warm and welcome lighthearted start to a great night.

2.

Next up was a moody period drama from Mike McNamara, titled “Exposed Again.” This nicely shot and very well acted piece set in 1950’s USA was fraught with tension and featured some great dialogue. Exposed Again is a simple and well executed short, with great performances from Mike McNamara and Edel Quinn.

3.

Third film of the night was Chris Tierney’s typically astonishing and beautiful observational documentary on this years Macnas Parade. The film showcased all the hallmarks of Tierney’s work; beautiful camerawork, tight editing and an unfailing eye for the perfect shot Chris has an uncanny knack for capturing the beauty of Galway, both in its scenery and its spirit, and this film was no exception. Check out more of Chris’ work on Earthbound Films.

4.

Next up was a film all the way from the USA, submitted to us by Matt Myslinski. “All’s Fair” is a period drama set telling the story of doomed love against the backdrop of the American Civil War. Matt’s confident introduction set us up for an equally assured film, with great production values and solid performances all round. Donut Guy Productions are definitely a team to look out for!

5.

Bringing us closer to the half-time interval was Fintan Geraghty’s music video for Galway band The Jordans catchy song, “Evil Lady.” Geraghty showcased the song in superb fashion with a colourful and energetic promo. Both the band and the filmmakers are ones to watch!

6.

Last before the break was Nigel O’Brien’s long awaited sci-fi “The Last Man.” With scenic Connemara stepping in for a post-apocalyptic wasteland, “The Last Man” was introduced by Nigel as being inspired by The Twilight Zone, and this certainly seemed appropriate, with a moody and dark atmosphere and a narrative that offered some great twists. The film had a gorgeous look and should be doing the rounds at festivals in the near future!

7.

First up after the break was Light Interference, submitted by writer/director Patrick Fallon. Made in just 57 hours for the Offline Film Festival, “Light Interference” was a charming and funny short with a great soundtrack by Vincent Hughes and Ross Gavin.

8.

Next up was “1v1”  by Brian O’Brien, shot on the canal walkways of Galway City. This delightful short comedy depicted two friends (played by Joe Power and Chris Moran) as they faced up to the painful departure of one of the pair leaving the country by having pretend shoot-outs and swordfights.

9.

Our penultimate short of the evening was another music video, for Brian Russo Clancy’s excellent song “My Life,” submitted by Barry Fahy. Barry is another regular submitter at Little Cinema, and his films are always something to get excited about. This visually inventive video was subtly directed to let the song’s lyrics speak for themselves, definitely a clever approach when the source material was this good. The video for “My Life” is another huge success from director Barry Fahy.

10.

Our final submission of the night was from Matt Kavanagh, who had wowed the audience at this years Halloween screening with his short “Dark Days.” His incredible visual style was back in force with the sublime horror “The Sanctuary.” An eery and subdued intro gave way to wacky, over-the-top, tongue in cheek violence, which had the audience cheering along with the movie. The films visual effects deserve special mention for inventiveness, with heads looped off and disembodied legs comically shambling away after being sliced off with a chainsaw; “The Sanctuary” comes highly recommended to fans of horror cinema!

So ended another great night at Little Cinema. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for links to any of the above films which are online! Lastly, I don’t need to remind anyone that Christmas is just around the corner, so if you have any films you’d like to submit, be sure to get in contact with us ASAP, as spaces for our December 16th Christmas Special are being snapped up!

Email [email protected] to submit.

Written by Liam