Tralee Woman Awarded €10,000 Kerry Short Film Bursary

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Katie McNeice

The 2022 Kerry Short Film Bursary of €10,000 has been awarded to Tralee native, Katie McNeice, of Hardback Films and her collaborator Maggie Ryan of Escape Pod Media, for their short film “Focail Baile Croí”, (“Words Home Heart”).

It is a film that explores the depths of love and grief. In 2022 the focus remained on a strong creative connection with Kerry with at least one of the core creative team having to be from or living in Kerry.

The Bursary is funded by Kerry County Council & the Arts Council of Ireland, and is supported and co-administered by Screen Kerry, to support & encourage filmmaking within the county.

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The IV panel were impressed by the strength of this team’s application and the very affecting story the screenplay tells. Katie is an up and coming talent having previously won the Comortas Fisín Best Pitch competition.

She was a recent recipient of Kerry International Film Festival’s “Taking Flight” award, sponsored by Kerry Airport, in recognition of her co-writing role on the feature film “Who We Love”.

Maggie Ryan has in the last three years produced a number of narrative and documentary shorts. Focail Baile Croi will go into production in Kerry this summer with the involvement of local Kerry crew.

Siobhan O’Sullivan, Kerry ETB’s Film Development Officer, is “delighted to see this Irish language film receive funding in the county and is looking forward to seeing the film this team will deliver”.

The funders of the Bursary, Kerry County Council in conjunction with the Arts Council of Ireland, are clear about its impact. Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Jimmy Moloney, described how important it is “to showcase Kerry as a filmmaking location & to encourage emerging talent”.

Kate Kennelly, Arts Officer, agreed emphasising that the Bursary “gives filmmakers the opportunity to establish their filmmaking voice while shooting in Kerry.”

Kerry College Monavalley Campus, a centre of excellence for film skills training, will also provide support to the production. Con O’Sullivan, Manager, recognises that “achieving film bursary funding is a real opportunity for those setting out on their careers in the industry”.

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