Kerry International Film Festival

Kerry International Film Festival
LocationKillarney and other towns, County Kerry, Ireland
Founded2000
Festival dateOctober
LanguageEnglish, Irish and others
Websitekerryfilmfestival.com

The Kerry International Film Festival (Irish: Féile Scannán Idirnáisiúnta Chiarraí) is an annual film festival that takes place in County Kerry, Ireland, during October / November.[1] The Kerry Film Festival is funded by Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council as well as having corporate sponsorship.[2]

History

Kerry Film Festival was established in 2000 but remained a small regional festival throughout its first years, with 1,700 attendees at the 2006 festival. Then, in 2007, under new management the festival exploded becoming the fastest growing festival in all of Ireland, with audiences numbers increasing by nearly 600% over the coming years. In 2011 the audience topped 10,000 for the first time, with more than 20,000 attendees at various screenings and workshops throughout the year.[3]

Kerry Film Festival screens a comprehensive selection of short films (International, Irish, Kerry, Student, Animation).[4] The festival also screens carefully curated feature films, both narrative and documentary. Many of these screenings feature Q & A sessions afterwards.

Kerry Film Festival seeks to bring the film-making community together for workshops and industry days. One of the main events is the Irish Film and Television Awards hosted industry networking event which brings key industry personnel together.[5]

Short Film Competition

In 2007 the Kerry Film Festival pivoted to focus primarily on a number of short film competitions. To do so the festival lined up a number of A-List adjudicators.

Gabriel Byrne[6] headed up the adjudication panel in 2007, while Liam Neeson[7] headed up the panel in 2008. Other adjudicators in 2008 included John Carney, director of Once, and Kirsten Sheridan, director of Disco Pigs and Academy Award nominated writer for the semi-autobiographical film In America.

In 2010, the adjudication panel was headed up by Jeremy Irons,[8] and Michael Fassbender.[8] While Cillian Murphy and Paul Greengrass were members of the adjudication panel in 2011.[9]

Other adjudicators have included Jim Cummings and Benjamin Cleary. The festival also screens feature films.

Many films seen at Kerry Film Festival went on to garner international acclaim, including 2010 Academy Award short-listed Granny O’ Grimm's Sleeping Beauty and The Door; 2012 Oscar® short-listed Head Over Heels; 2014 Oscar® winner Mr. Hublot; 2016 Oscar® winner Stutterer and 2019 Oscar® nominees Mother and Detainment.

KFF has previously featured successful short films such as the Oscar short-listed animation Head over Heels in 2012, the 2014 Oscar winner Mr. Hublot and in 2015 the highly acclaimed Academy Award winner S t u t t e r e r by Ben Cleary. An Irish Goodbye screened at KIFF 2022 and won the Oscar for the Best Short Film in 2023.[citation needed]

The Maureen O'Hara Award

History

Kerry Film Festival was presented for the first time at the 2008 Kerry Film Festival.the creation of the award in October 2008. According to a spokesman, "The Maureen O'Hara Award acknowledges women that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective fields."[10]

Brenda Fricker was the inaugural recipient.[11] The award was presented to her by Jim Sheridan, who directed her in the Oscar-winning My Left Foot (1989).

The prize itself was specially commissioned piece of pottery of joined masks representing tragedy and comedy, made by master potter Louis Mulcahy. The award was "an honour, a privilege, a delight," she said, following the presentation.

Maureen O'Hara wanted to be at the ceremony but was not well enough to attend, chairman of the Kerry Film Festival John Kennedy said. She had been closely involved and sent a message to the ceremony: "Brenda has displayed courage and determination throughout her career and her Oscar Winning role as Mrs Brown in My Left Footis one of the great highlights in Irish acting. I'm absolutely delighted that Brenda will accept this award and I wish her the very best in her career, in film and, most importantly, in her life," O'Hara said.[12] The festival hosted a screening of the John Wayne film The Quiet Man that co-starred Maureen O'Hara.

Recipients

Secret Cine Club

In 2013, Kerry Film Festival launched the Secret Cine Club that screened "secret" movies in a "secret" location. The first screening took place on Little Samphire Island, off the coast of Fenit. The first film screened was Jaws.[27][better source needed]

Other screenings have included films shown in Dingle Court House, a school, an organic farm and screenings in Listowel, Dingle and Killarney as well as in Cahersiveen and various locations around Tralee.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Ómós ag Kíla do Mhicheál D., 'Mullach a' tSí' i gCois Fharraige, 'What the Focal?' le Ciara Ní É, 'Ag Lorg Hy-Brasil' ar TG4, Féile Scannán Chiarraí". 17 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Kerry Film Festival Announces Line-Up". Irish Film and Television Network. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2010. The 8th Annual Samhlaíocht Kerry Film Festival has announced its line-up for this year fest
  3. ^ "Screen Ireland". 19 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Full line-up announced for 20th Kerry International Film Festival | the Irish Film & Television Network".
  5. ^ "About". August 2025.
  6. ^ "Gabriel Byrne Tops Kerry Film Fest Jury Lineup | the Irish Film & Television Network".
  7. ^ "Liam Neeson Heads Kerry Festival Jury | the Irish Film & Television Network".
  8. ^ a b Brouder, Simon (14 October 2009). "Fassbender and Irons for Film Festival". independent.ie. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025.
  9. ^ "Murphy and Greengrass on Kerry Film Festival judging panel". 29 October 2011.
  10. ^ a b Lucey, Anne (28 October 2008). "Fricker to receive Maureen O'Hara award". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  11. ^ Lucey, Anne (28 October 2008). "Fricker to receive Maureen O'Hara award". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  12. ^ "Brenda Fricker receives film award". The Irish Times.
  13. ^ "Miller to be honoured at film festival". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  14. ^ "Oscar-winner's flying visit to collect award at Film Festival". 10 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Fionnula Flanagan Honoured at Kerry Festival | The Irish Film & Television Network". www.iftn.ie.
  16. ^ Hyland, Paul (12 September 2012). "Saoirse Ronan to be honoured at upcoming Kerry Film Festival". thejournal.ie. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Costume designer to get Maureen O'Hara award". Irish Examiner. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  18. ^ Murphy, Niall (6 October 2017). "#Festival: Kerry Film Festival presents 2017 Maureen O'Hara Award to director Emer Reynolds". scannain.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  19. ^ "IFTA Special Event Deirdre O'Kane In Conversation & Presentation of the Maureen O'Hara Award". ifta.ie. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  20. ^ Crean (21 May 2022). "Bronagh Gallagher Honoured By Kerry Film Festival In Tralee - Tralee Today". Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  21. ^ "Killarney actor says receiving Maureen O'Hara award means so much to her". RadioKerry.ie. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  22. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (19 October 2021). "Kerry International Film Festival honors legendary producer Kathleen Kennedy with the prestigious Maureen O'Hara Award". Cinema Femme. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  23. ^ O'Mahony, John (30 September 2022). "Actor and author to be honoured at festival". KillarneyToday.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  24. ^ Grainger, Laura (3 October 2023). "Irish actress Eileen Walsh wins this year's Maureen O'Hara Award". Irish Star. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  25. ^ O'Mahony, John (24 September 2024). "Smother producer Rebecca to receive top festival award". KillarneyToday.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  26. ^ Murphy, Niall (1 July 2025). "Kerry International Film Festival to honour Fiona Shaw with 2025 Maureen O'Hara Award". Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  27. ^ "Secret Cine Club Kerry, Tralee (2025)". www.findglocal.com.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Film_Festival