TWO LIMERICK filmmaking teams have been awarded €25,000 in funding as part of the ENGINE Shorts Awards scheme.
This is the third edition of the short film training and production scheme for emerging film talent in the Mid West, with two films from Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary to be produced.
Drowning, a short drama written by Charlotte Wall, produced by Gill McNamara and directed by Darragh O’Flanagan, tells the story of a lifeguard who becomes a casualty in a rescue gone wrong.
When she has to face her PSTD to save a life, she redeems herself in her own eyes.
Charlotte said that Drowning is “a deeply emotional film that is ultimately about hope – the hope that we can find the strength to overcome our deepest struggles”.
“To make this film with a cast and crew that feel just as passionately about it as I do is a dream come true.”
Meanwhile, psychological horror Moloch dives into the story of Malachy Lambert, an artist and academic who suffers a psychotic break on the opening night of his new exhibition as a rumour of inappropriate behaviour with students takes on a life of its own.
Set in Limerick City, the short film written by Shane Vaughan, director Meghan O’Shaughnessy, and produced by Jamie Hooper.
Meghan said the film is “a psychological horror that dives into paranoia and rumour”, adding that “we can’t wait to bring something visually striking and emotionally intense to the screen”.
The Engine Shorts Awards is run by Innovate Limerick, through Film in Limerick, in partnership with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, the Local Authorities in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, and the three Local Enterprise Offices in the Mid West.
From a pool of nearly 100 applicants, six teams were commissioned
following a competitive pitch process judged by film industry experts including Charlene Lydon (producer and programmer), Gillian Cooper (head of distribution at WildCard Distribution), and acclaimed script and story editor Kate Leys.
Production of the six films is taking place over the coming months cross the Mid West, with the aim of being completed before the end of the year for submission to national and international film festivals.
Commenting on the winning projects, Film in Limerick regional manager Paul C Ryan said that “Engine Shorts continues to unlock incredible creative potential across the Mid West. Each edition strengthens the region’s reputation as a centre of excellence for filmmaking, and we’re proud to support the next generation of Irish storytellers.”
