ENGINE Short Film Scheme, an ambitious Mid West short film scheme for emerging talent in the region, has announced the judging panel for the third edition of the award-winning initiative.
The team at Film in Limerick announced a panel of distinguished film industry professionals who will be green lighting up to six short film projects. Producer and programmer Charlene Lydon, WildCard Distribution’s head of distribution, Gillian Cooper and renowned script and story editor Kate Leys.
Charlene Lydon is a film and television professional with over 20 years’ experience within the Irish and UK screen industry. She was head of programming for Light House in Dublin, Pálás in Galway, and Volta VOD platform for over a decade and has since worked with Element Pictures as a Development Executive.
Gillian Cooper worked with film marketing start-up company Usheru before joining Wildcard’s team in 2017, where she is now their head of distribution. She oversees Wildcard’s slate across distribution and production, including films such as Wolfwalkers, Double Blind and BAFTA-winning Kneecap, which Wildcard also co-produced.
Script and story editor Kate Leys is a former head of development at several leading companies including Film4, where she worked on iconic British films including Trainspotting, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Dreamers, and Tornado, the latest feature film from director John Maclean (Slow west).
Commenting on the panel announcement, Paul C Ryan, regional film manager at Film in Limerick said: “We’re incredibly grateful to have such a distinguished panel for the ENGINE Short Film Pitch. The selected teams have worked tirelessly to reach this stage, and we can’t wait to hear their ideas in July.”
“This initiative is an essential platform for emerging filmmakers, and it wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support from our funders. We’re excited to announce up to six winning teams, each of whom will receive €12,500 to bring their short film projects to life in the region.”
The live pitch weekend will take place on the 19th and 20th July, and an announcement on the winners shared after.
