.Olivia Colman, seen here as Queen Elizabeth II, The Crown.
HUNDREDS of extras are sought for a film being shot in Kerry this summer, featuring Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, star of ‘The Favourite’ and ‘The Crown’.
‘Joyride’, written by Tralee native Ailbhe Keoghan and directed by Emmy-award winning director Emer Reynolds, will be filmed in Tralee and other locations in the county in June and July.
They are looking for hundreds of extras of every age, gender and look. They are also looking for a mother to breastfeed on camera and newborn twins. Successful applicants will spend up to a couple of days on set with early starts and late finishes.
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Extras will also need to have their own transport and locations are a maximum of 40km from Tralee.
Applicants must include two current, good quality photos which include a passport style head shot and a long portrait shot showing their full body length in their application. Selfies are not acceptable and there must be no clutter in the background. Applications can be made by clicking here.
‘Joyride’ is described as a foul-mouthed feelgood fairytale, where Olivia Colman’s character, Joy, finds herself in a stolen car with a 13 year old boy racer and a new-born baby.
OSCAR-WINNING actress Olivia Colman will be in the Tralee area this June as she is starring in a film written by a local woman.
‘Joyride’ was written by Tralee native Ailbhe Keogan and will be filmed in Tralee and other parts of Kerry this summer. It’s described as a foul-mouthed feelgood fairytale, where Olivia Colman’s character, Joy, finds herself in a stolen car with a 13 year old boy racer and a new-born baby.
A casting call has also been issued for the young actor to play the 13 year old boy, who will be the co-lead in the movie, alongside the multi award-winning star of The Crown and The Favorite.
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The movie will be directed by Emmy-winning director Emer Reynolds and Elaine Grainger Casting is looking for a boy aged between 11 and 16 to apply for the role of the 13 year old. No previous acting experience is required for the role.
You can apply via email to egirishfilm@gmail.com with your name, where you are based, a recent photo, and any acting experience or just a little about yourself. Parents are requested to email on behalf of minors.
According to casting director Elaine Grainger, Olivia Colman was hugely impressed with the script by Ailbhe Keogan who is a board member of the Kerry International Film Festival and now lives in Castlegregory.
A TRALEE woman’s short film, which has been shown at film festivals all over the world, can now be viewed online.
Sarah Jane Drummey, originally from Oakpark, is an award-winning actor and filmmaker. Her film, ‘134’, which was shot in Tralee, is the story of an Irish couple struggling to cope with their child’s gender identity. It stars Mary Murray, Eric Lalor and Bill Cornally as Jack.
‘134’ has been chosen for FiveFilmsForFreedom, an online digital platform run in collaboration with BFI Flare. Five Films For Freedom is a global, online short film programme in support of LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) rights.
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Sarah Jane is currently in Madrid and is on day eight of quarantine. In a Facebook post yesterday she said; “Our thoughts are with you all as come together to conquer the coronavirus….134 will be available online for the next 10 days March 18th-29th.”
“So while we’re at home, finding ways to take our minds off things, let’s take a moment to think of those who forever live in fear. Love is a human right, as is the right to be who we truly are. There are so many incredible films that will not find their audience this year, due to COVID19. Let’s do what we can to support these five films at least. Please watch and share, and above all stay safe. We love you. Xx”. You can watch Sarah Jane’s film, which is available to view until March 29, by clicking here.
THE Kerry Short Film Bursary for 2019 is now open for submissions. A fund of €10,000 is available to the successful applicant towards the cost of their production of a 10-12min short film.
The Bursary is funded through Kerry County Council with support from the Arts Council and is intended to foster talent, creativity and activity in filmmaking within the county.
Filmmakers will also be supported through the Kerry ETB national digital skills centre based in Tralee.
This year, a new & separate Script Development fund of €2,000 in total will be available to mentor shortlisted scripts with the potential for further script development.
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Kerry ETB Film Development Officer, Siobhan O’Sullivan outlined “the importance of funds such as this to develop the industry within the county and to encourage a culture of filmmaking at local level” while Kerry County Council Arts Officer, Kate Kennelly, described these funds as “an important way to encourage & support filmmaking talent”.
Scripts for a drama shoot of 10-12 minutes will be accepted. Applicants should have some experience in filmmaking and be able to prove that a director and/or a producer has seen the script and has a sense of its suitability to go into production.
“Film in Kerry is a growing industry. This bursary, funded by Kerry County Council and the Arts Council, helps to support filmmakers whilst promoting Kerry as a location for film,” stated Moira Murrell, CE at Kerry County Council.
Application forms & guidleines for the Bursary can be found online at: http://www1.kerrycoco.ie/home3/kerry-film-bursary/
Applicants must shoot on location in Kerry but do not have to be from Kerry to apply. The Kerry Film Office, based in Kerry ETB Tralee, will offer location support and guidance as requested, especially in relation to accessing locations and local resources.
There is a two-stage selection process in the open competition. Stage one involves a shortlisting from applications received, while stage two requires an interview in Kerry. The closing date for receipt of applications is set at 5pm on Tuesday, April 30.
KERRY ETB in collaboration with Kerry County Council are delighted to announce that Siobhan O’Sullivan has been appointed to the newly created role of Film Development Officer for Kerry.
Listowel native Siobhan brings extensive experience to the job having worked in TV production for the last 12 years.
She has produced prime time TV shows such as “The Great House Revival” and “Life After the Rising” and has worked on many successful returning series such as “Ireland’s Fittest Family” and “The Secret Millionaire”.
Her plan is to increase the levels of Film and TV production within the county while continuing to ensure that Kerry is a great environment to film in, proactively addressing filmmakers needs.
The Film Development Office at Kerry ETB is a single point of contact for filmmakers interested in filming in Kerry and is supported by Kerry County Council. Contact filmkerry@kerryetb.ie
.The new steering group to promote the film industry in Kerry. Front left to right: Paul O’Connor – Film Gaffer, Brigid Crowley – Head of Media Development at ITT, Chief Executive of Kerry County Council – Moira Murrell, Kate Kennelly – Arts Officer & Creative Ireland Co-Ordinator, Mary Nash – Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, Mieke Vanmechelen – Kerry County Council’s Film-Maker in Residence. Back left to right: Maeve McGrath – Artistic Director of the Kerry Film Festival, Áine Moriarty – Chief Executive of Irish Film & Television Academy Awards, Bridget Fitzgerald – Kerry County Council Economic Development Officer, Mike Buckley – Kerry Convention Bureau, Daragh O’Malley – Kerry Film Studios, Grace O’Donnell – Kerry Film Festival, Pat Dawson – Manager of Killarney House & NPWS, Conor O’Carroll – OCS Productions, Sharon O’Keeffe – Arts Office & Creative Ireland Office.
A NEW steering group has been established by Kerry County Council to help to foster and promote film and the film industry in the county.
Led by Kerry County Council and chaired by council chief executive, Moira Murrell, the group brings together many agencies as well as experts from across the industry with a view to promoting Kerry as a film destination and helping to nurture the sector in the county.
The Council’s Strategic Policy Committee with responsibility for the arts, chaired by Cllr Sam Locke, asked that Kerry County Council consider a more proactive approach to attracting film to Kerry.
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In keeping with the stronger national focus on interdepartmental support for creativity which forms part of the Creative Ireland programme, the new expert advisory group was given the following remit
• To investigate the most effective ways to capitalise of the international interest in Kerry as a location for film
• To investigate the potential business case for a film studio in Kerry
They have been meeting in recent months to draw up a work programme, and co-ordinate activities and pool knowledge as well as exploring the viability of film studios in Kerry.
Kerry County Council identified each film group member based on their expertise and experience relevant to film development in Kerry.
Agencies that support film were invited to the group, as were individuals working in a professional capacity in the film sector.
The group is working with the Kerry Education and Training Board which offers one of the best film, TV and digital media training courses in the country.
Kerry County Council, working with the Irish Film Board, acts as the county contact for incoming film, TV and commercial productions.
The Council’s Arts Office, with support across the departments of Kerry County Council, has functioned as the Kerry Screen Commission since 2001.
This work has seen the local authority support many productions from commercials to The Lobster and Star Wars and it is hoped the new Film Steering Group will help to achieve more in this regard in the years ahead.
The group includes Colm McEvoy, CEO Kerry Education and Training Board, Owen O’Donnell and Brian Nolan of Kerry Education and Training Board, Mary Nash, Principal Officer at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Bríd McElligott and Brigid Crowley, Tralee Institute of Technology, Maeve McGrath, Director Kerry Film Festival, Grace O’Donnell, Chairperson, Kerry Film Festival, Áine Moriarty , Irish Film and Television Awards, Conor O’Carroll, Filmworks, Darragh O’Malley, Kerry Film Studios Project, Maurice Galway, Director Dingle Film Festival/Animation Dingle, Gerry Moloney Enterprise Ireland, Kate Kennelly, Arts Officer/Creative Ireland Coordinator/Kerry Screen Commission, Kerry County Council, Brigid Fitzgerald, Economic Development Officer, Kerry County Council, Tomás Hayes, Local Enterprise Office, Kerry County Council, Paul O’Connor, Film Gaffer/Kerry Film Crew Database Coordinator, Philip King, Producer, Pat Dawson, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sharon O’Keeffe, Arts Office/Creative Ireland Office.
.Filming taking place at the Tesco car park area in the town centre on Thursday.
IN case you’re wondering what all the cameras and film crew business is about in the town centre yesterday and today, a short film is being made in the town.
‘Abbeyleaks’ is produced by local actor/writer man Patrick McDonnell and he has a director at the helm, Philip Briggs, with previous experience on a number of top US TV shows.
Local actors taking part include Tim Landers and Jake Kelly, with students from the Kerry ETB Digital Media Centre also contributing their skills.
The crew has been filming at Mary Street (street between Bella Bia and the lower Tesco car park), Lower Abbey Street and down by Yummy Cafe.
The film itself is about two men — a veteran garda and a young man on the wrong track in life — on parallel journeys to make things right in their respective worlds.
‘Abbeyleaks’ is to be produced by local actor/writer man Patrick McDonnell and he has a director at the helm with previous experience on a number of top US TV shows.
Kerry County Council has advertised that there will be road closures in place for Thursday, February 1 from 5.30am to 7.30pm at Mary Street (street between Bella Bia and the lower Tesco car park) and and Lower Abbey Street.
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On Friday there will be filming at near The Abbey Inn and Yummy Cafe and also at Walpole Lane in Moyderwell.
The film itself is about two men — a veteran garda and a young man on the wrong track in life — on parallel journeys to make things right in their respective worlds.
.Bouleenshere NS pupils Céide Hussey & Jack O Halloran as Mrs. and Mr. Twit in the school’s short film.
FILMS made by pupils at a Ballyheigue school will be screened at four international film festivals in the coming weeks.
St. Joseph’s N.S., Bouleenshere pupils made “The Chase” a silent film in the Charlie Chaplin genre.
It has won many awards since children from 2nd, 3rd & 4th classes took the camera, formulated the scenes and with fellow student Sam Fitzgerald as director and produced the classic silent slapstick comedy which has delighted audiences wherever it has been shown.
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.T.J.O Halloran as Charlie Chaplin in The Chase.
“The Chase” has won numerous awards including First Prize at Ireland’s Junior Young Filmmaker of the year Awards 2016, first place in the Charlie Chaplin Film Festival in Waterville and has received a FÍS film award both in Dublin and Kerry.
Now the International stage beckons as it — along with their latest film “The Twits” based on the opening chapters of Roald Dahl’s famous book was completed in June last — will screen at the prestigious Boston International Film Festival.
It will also screen at International Film Festivals in the coming weeks in Chicago , New York and Mumbai India .
Principal, Mr . Dineen, wishes the pupils continued success and is grateful to the parents and the wider community for their continued support. You can watch both short movies below…
.Pictured earlier this year launching the Donal Walsh LiveLife Foundation Film Competition were John Long chairman Chapter 23 Credit Union and Elma Walsh Livelife Foundation. Back from left; John O’Regan PRO Chapter 23 , Padraig Flynn Listowel CU, Fionnbar Walsh Livelife, Mary Lucy Film Festival, Suzanne Ennis Tralee CU and Helen Courtney PRO Kilarney CU. Photon by Domnick Walsh
THE Donal Walsh LiveLife Live Life National Film Competition has been nominated for a national award.
The Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI) announced the shortlist of finalists for the inaugural National Project Awards in seven categories and the competition has been nominated in the Project Management for Social Good (sponsored by AIB) category with Dell EMC – Volunteer Project Management Programme; Team Limerick Clean-Up and Three – Charity partner e-mentoring system.
Over 700 people attended the annual Live Life Film Awards in the Brandon Hotel back in February.
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The theme for the event was ‘Make Every Second Count’ . The film competition is held in memory of Donal Walsh and was hosted by RTE’s Sinead Kennedy with special guests footballer Aidan O’Mahony, campaigner Nikki Bradley, filmmaker Gerard Barrett, Ian O’Reilly and David Rawle from the TV series ‘Moone Boy’.
The winners of the seven categories will be revealed at a gala dinner hosted by principal sponsor PwC on November 1 at Spencer Dock, Dublin 1, which will take place on the eve of International Project Management Day 2017. For full details on the National Project Awards see projectawards.ie.
OPEN auditions will take place in The Grand Hotel in Tralee (and not The Imperial Hotel as stated earlier) this weekend for a feature film shooting in Kerry in January.
Details on the film are being kept very much under the radar, as a number of high profile talent are attached.
The production company behind the film is looking for talent of all ages, from 18 years of age upwards to attend the audition and will be looking to cast supporting roles. All the roles will be paid.
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Speaking to us, an unnamed person from the film says; “we are looking for people of all ages, backgrounds, male and female and above the age of 18. We welcome everyone in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s 50’s, 60’s and so on. We just want to sit down and have a chat with them, and if they have a prepared piece, then they should bring that. Also, if you have no experience in acting, that is okay too. If you have experience, then that is a bonus. We are looking for raw fresh talent of all ages”.
The open auditions will take place from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, December 18 at the Grand Hotel in Tralee. All welcome.
AN OAKPARK man living and working in Vietnam has co-created a documentary that explores the lives of street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City and their experiences with western tourists.
Sean Lambe from Colliswood in Oakpark has been been teaching in the Vietnamese capital for the past years.
Traleetoday.ie have been chatting to Sean about Faces You Forget: Nights Out in Saigon documentary and how things are going in Vietnam.
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“It’s a really nice life here,” said Sean Lambe. “I miss my friends from home of course but the lifestyle is excellent and the people are really nice. This city has a lot of money it didn’t have until recently, and it is in the process of a big change. It is an interesting place to be,” he said.
“I intend to stay here for a while yet, a few more years at least,” he added.
The 26-year-old is a son of Jo and Pat Lambe and moved to Tralee from London when he was seven.
Sean is a former pupil of Blennerville National School and Mercy Mounthawk, before going on to study English and Politics at UCC.
Having got to know street vendors on the city’s main tourist drag of Bui Vien, Sean and a work colleague, William Snyder, from Austin, Texas decided to tell their story.
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“Bui Vien was an obvious choice due to its strangeness. It’s a far cry from having a few beers in Tralee town!” said Sean.
“When people newly arrive in Saigon they inevitably find themselves on that street because there’s so much going on there and it’s a lot of fun,” said Sean.
“Street workers would sit down for a bit and have a laugh with us, but we’d also see them treated quite coolly by tourists passing through.”
“It’s understandable in a way because those people go from hotspot to hotspot with groups of locals looking to capitalise on them everywhere they land. But it also struck me as a bit wrong, and we tried to make those different viewpoints shown.
“The two groups are very separate even though they exist in close quarters. As far as the lives of the sellers, I was impressed with their attitude, even though they are poor they see what has to be done and get on with it.”
The 27-minute-long documentary is available to watch on YouTube and has already attracted over 1,000 views since it was posted up yesterday.
A FILM that was shot in south Kerry has won a top award at the Cannes Film Festival.
‘The Lobster’, which was shot in Sneem and Kenmare last year and stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C Reilly won the Jury Prize at the French film festival.
The Jury Prize, is considered the third-most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d’Or and the Grand Prix. The award is chosen by the Jury from the official section of movies at the festival.
During filming of ‘The Lobster’, Colin Farrell was spotted visiting Trelee Omniplex to take enjoy movie.
The film, with a somewhat quirky plot centres around the need for single people to find a partner in 45 days, if they fail to find someone before that time they will face the consequence of being turned into an animal.
The Lobster is due for release on October 16. See trailer below…
A DOCUMENTARY about the life of the late Páidí Ó Sé which recently won an award at the Celtic Media Festival 2015 in Inverness, Scotland, is to be shown again this Friday at 7.30pm on TG4.
It coincides with the unveiling of his statue outside his pub in Ventry this Saturday.
‘Páidí Ó Sé – Rí an Pharóiste’ took the most coveted of all the Torc awards at the recent Celtic Media Festival 2015 in Inverness, the Spirit of the Festival Award, for the best programme in a Celtic language.
The documentary -shown originally in December 2013 – tells the story of the footballing legend, showman and the man considered by many to be the uncrowned king of his native parish of Ventry.
It’s a personal account and portrait of Páidí’s life story, as told from the perspective of his own rural Gaeltacht community and authored by one of his neighbours, Louise Ní Fhiannachta, as she embarks on a personal voyage of discovery to attempt to come to grips with her own hero while also exploring the importance we vest in receiving recognition from our own people.
In this creative documentary film, Páidí Ó Sé’s true nature will be revealed by those closest to him. This film also explores the concept of heroism and the importance of receiving recognition from our own tribe in the context of Páidí’s life and story – the pressure on the hero’s shoulders, the culture of weakness as a flaw, the soul searching that begins once the star of fame has fallen.
THE Kerry filmmaker, Gerard Barrett’s, new feature length film ‘Glassland’ has been nominated for six Irish Film and Television awards.
Gerard Barrett himself has received two nominations for Best Director and Best Script while ‘Glassland’ is also is up for the Best Film award.
The film’s two stars have received nominations, Jack Reynor for Best Actor and Toni Collette for Best International Actress.
‘Glassland’, which was filmed in Dublin, also received a nomination in the Best Cinematography category.
Gerard Barrett is a former student of Tralee IT. No stranger to the IFTA’s – he won the IFTA Rising Star Award for his debut feature ‘Pilgrim Hill’ which was widely acclaimed.
The IFTA nominations come on the back of ‘Glassland’ winning the Best Irish Film award at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival last month.
Earlier this month in an appearance on the Late Late Show, the Knockanure native announced that he will work with Leonardo Di Caprio on a future project and that he is currently working on a film which will star Oscar winner Charlize Theron.
Killarney’s Michael Fassbender was also nominated for Best Actor for his role in ‘Frank’ which received nine nominations.
Check out the trailer of ‘Grassland’, which is now in cinemas, below…
Presentation Secondary School students who were nominated ICTU’s Youth Connect Programme film competition were, from left: Lauren Kelly, Jade Diggins, Amy Doyle, Olivia Carmody and Bronwyn Hanafin. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
TWO short films created by Presentation Secondary School students have been shortlisted for an All-Ireland film competition.
The All-Ireland second level student video competition run by ICTU’s Youth Connect Programme, is now in its second year and Presentation have two entries out of the 25 shortlisted nationally.
The students involved are Shelley Howarth, Caitriona Horgan, Bronwyn Hanafin and Olivia Carmody who created the film ‘A Class On Income Inequality’.
Amy Doyle, Lauren Kelly, Jade Diggins are the other group with their film called ‘A Youth’s Perspective’.
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The aim of the awards is to celebrate student creativity and engagement with aspects of the Decent Work Agenda and Trade Union Movement’s ethos.
This year students were asked to research Income Inequality, its impact on society, and possible solutions. The interpretation of the theme will hope to highlight the concerns of young people on important issues such as income inequality and inspire others to take an interest.
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday February 26th, from 2-4pm at the Savoy Cinema, Dublin which the girls will be attending along with the other nominees nationwide.
You can watch the videos and vote for your favourite. Voting will remain open until 1pm on Monday February 23. Only one vote per email address will be accepted.
Watch the Presentation videos below and vote by clickingHERE
TY Students from Mercy Mounthawk who won first place in the ‘Live Life Love’ film competition Intermediate Category in Fels Point Hotel yesterday. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
‘LIVE Life Love Day 2015’ was held in Fels Point Hotel yesterday as hundreds gathered for the screening and presentation of the ‘Live Life’ winning films and awards.
The event, which celebrated the late Donal Walsh’s message, was presented by RTE’s Aidan Power and guests included RTE’s Paschal Sheehy and Kerry footballer Barry John Keane.
TraleeToday.ie was there to find out exactly what the day was about, what it meant for people and to see how Donal Walsh’s message of ‘#LiveLife’ is being spread.
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“Live Life Love Day’ is a culmination of a national film competition that the Institute Of Technology runs with the creative media department. It’s a competition we run with the theme of ‘LiveLife’ that involves primary schools, secondary schools and third level.” said Mary Lucey of the creative media department in the IT Tralee.
“They [the entrants] have to think about how they ‘LiveLife’ and what their meaning of living life is, and then capture that in a two-minute film. They then have to upload into onto YouTube and send it into us.
“It’s a fun and uplifting event really. We’ll be screening the shortlisted films and then presenting the awards to the winners.”
This writer can vouch for the feel-good nature of the day, there were smiles and laughs all around the building as the excitement built up amongst the many schools gathered, especially for the announcement of the winners.
There was plenty of entertainment on show as the burgeoning crowd was entertained throughout the day by such talents as singers Paulie O’Brien, Roel Villones, Eire Elvis and Q14.
Donal’s father, Fionnbar Walsh, gave his thoughts on the day and how he is especially proud of the positivity that is being spread through the message.
“One of the important things about this day is that people go out and do activities that they enjoy and that show how they enjoy life, and how they’re taking on the challenges of life,” he said.
“It’s a very positive message here today, it’s being driven by the young people. They’re getting behind it and they’ve bought into it immensely and that’s a really strong foundation really,” added Fionnbar.
Local schools were amongst the big winners at the event held here as part of fundraising by the ‘Donal Walsh #LiveLife Foundation’.
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Pupils from schools around the county had gathered, but there could be only one winner in each of the categories.
The Spa NS from outside town came a close second place with their film ‘Yerrah YOLO so GIYA’ (Yerra ‘You Only Live Once’ so Give It Your All’) to winners St Joseph’s NS in Ballyheigue in Primary School Category.
Mercy Mounthawk ran out big winners as they scooped first and second place in the Intermediate School Category. Ben Kavanagh took second place in this category, while the Transition Year 2015 group took first place.
At third level, Aidan Broletti came in second place while our very own ‘ITT TV and Film Society’ scooped first place.
This year was the first year of the ‘Other’ category, which opened up the theme of ‘LiveLife’ to those not in education but who still wanted to show their own interpretation of the theme.
Eamonn Norris finished in second place, as he was beaten to first place by the talents of Eimear O’Grady.
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At the ‘Live Life Love’ event were, from left: Bridget Crowley, Elma Walsh, Marty Boylan, Mary Lucey, Fionnbar Walsh and Brian Hurley. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.At the ‘Live Life Love’ event were, from left: Paschal Sheehy, Mary Mulvihill and Lisa Herlihy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.At the ‘Live Life Love’ event were, from left: Bernard O’Connor, Aidan Power, John O’Connor, Jay Dalligan and Edmund Harty. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk at the ‘Live Life Love’ event were, from left: Atlanta Kennedy, Brian Fox, Ben Kavanagh, Kelan Pierse, Diarmuid Barry, Jerri O’Brien and Dean Meehan. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.At the ‘Live Life Love’ event were, from left: Colm Gurnett, John O’Shea, Phil Ahern and Damian Ruddy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Eimear O’Grady, first prize in the ‘other category’ of the ‘Live Life Love film competition with, from left: Shane O’Connor, Aidan Power and Barry John Keane. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Eamon Norris, collects 2nd prize in the ‘other category’ with, from left: Shane O’Connor, Aidan Power and Barry John Keane. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.‘Eire Elvis’ entertains the crowd at the ‘Live Life Love Concert’ on in the Fels Point Hotel. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of the ITT accepting the first prize in third level category of the ‘Live Life Love’ Film Competition from left: Aidan Power, Ivan Hartley (ITT), Ciara Delaney (ITT), Barry John Keane, Micheal Doherty (ITT) and Maurice Galway. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorBen Kavanagh of Mercy Mounthawk won the 2nd prize in the intermediate category of the ‘Live Life Love’ Film Competition. With him, left to right: Aidan Power, Paschal Sheehy and Maurice Galwey Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Pupils from Bouleenshere National School, who won first prize in the primary category of the ‘Live Life Love’ Film Competition. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Bouleenshere National School pupil, Paige Drury talks to Aidan Power. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Pupils of Bouleenshere National School at the ‘Live Life Love Concert’ were, from left: Katie Godley, Niamh Dineen, Maggie Stack and Jayda Carmen. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Students of Causeway Comprehensive Secondary School at the ‘Live Life Love Concert’ were, from left, front: Eilish Harrington, Meagan Casey and Roisin Stack. Back: Brian Cahill, Sean O’Regan, Alban Stack. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the ‘Live Life Love Concert’ were, from left: Dervla Murphy, Kayleigh Donegan, Daniel Buckley, Martin Lynch and Bob Corkey. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.At the ‘Live Life Love Concert’ were, from left: Aidan Power, Barry John Keane, Paschal Sheehy and Alison Nulty. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Seth MacFarlane and friends in ‘A Million Ways To Die In The West’.‘A Million Ways To Die In The West’
By John Lyons
SETH MacFarlane is a busy man.
In the last 15 years he’s created three cartoons: Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. He’s done most of the voice-acting and directing on all of them, not to mention writing, animating and producing.
He co-wrote and directed 2012’s summer blockbuster Ted, and voiced the titular character. He released his own jazz album, hosted the Oscars, produced Cosmos. etc.
It’s not hard to see why MacFarlane is one of the comedy giants in Hollywood right now. It seems like he’s done everything except act in his own movie… wait, no — scratch that. His second comedic feature film, ‘A Million Ways To Die In The West’ just opened, and MacFarlane stars in the lead role!
Honestly, I really like it when a western comes out. Westerns are not a safe bet at the box office at all (see ‘The Lone Ranger’), so whenever someone does make a western it’s usually a labor of love, like ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘True Grit’.
It’s easy to tell from the opening title sequence that MacFarlane is indeed such a lover of westerns. The opening sequence is a giant homage to the sweeping western landscapes we’d see in classic John Ford and Sergio Leone films.
MacFarlane stars as Albert Stark, the straight man in a western frontier full of bandits, idiots, and everything in between. Since he is neither bandit nor idiot, but rather, a coward more than anything, he sticks out like a sore thumb.
Apart from his cowardice, what makes Albert stand out is his blissful self-awareness, which is actually where a lot of the humor comes from. As he says at one point in the film, he’s “not the hero, really more like the guy in the crowd who’s making fun of the hero’s shirt.”
Albert is a sheep farmer, and a very bad one at that. He hates the west, hates his town, and hates sheep farming. The only thing that brings him joy is his girlfriend Louise. And as per MacFarlane’s black sense of humor, Louise breaks up with Albert at the beginning of the film, leaving him heartbroken.
Then along comes Anna (played by Charlize Theron), a newcomer to the town who bonds with Albert and gives him a shoulder to cry on. As their friendship progresses she tries to coax him out of his shell, and get him to stand up for himself.
If Seth MacFarlane is interested in one thing, it’s not taking himself too seriously. The film takes it’s cues from the likes of the ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Naked Gun’ series and gives us ten jokes where other comedies would’ve given us just one.
The problem that I usually have with MacFarlane’s comedic sensibility is that he largely relies on outdated pop culture references for his jokes, meaning that more often than not a lot of the jokes fly straight over our heads.
However, since A Million Ways to Die in the West is set in 1882, there is no pop culture to speak of. The humor comes from the characters and the situation.
Having that said though, even though the film is mostly joke after joke, the comedy slows to a stop for the quieter, more intimate scenes between Albert and Anna. When Albert isn’t making wisecracks or feeling sorry for himself, we really get to see what a sweetheart he actually is.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true homage to classic American westerns if there wasn’t a villain at the center of the piece. And who better to play a villainous caricature of the Clint Eastwood-type than Liam Neeson. His character, Clinch Leatherwood, is the infamous outlaw who barges into the town to claim whatever he decides is his.
‘A Million Ways To Die In The West’ has non-stop laughs, impressive action sequences, more charm than anyone could’ve expected, and an incredible soundtrack that’s definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination. If there’s one comedy playing right now that I had to recommend, it’d be this one in a heartbeat.
8/10
• ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ is currently playing at Tralee Omniplex.
THE Kerry Short Film Bursary for 2019 is now open for submissions. A fund of €10,000 is available to the successful applicant towards the cost of their production of a 10-12min short film.
