CIFF March Newsletter 2021
WELCOME
March is here already and Cork International Film Festival has an incredible line-up of events to look forward to this month. The CIFF Film Club season kicked off in February with the sold out award-winning Irish black comedy ‘Redemption of a Rogue’ and continues in March with the moving documentary, ‘Wake Up on Mars’ on Tuesday, March 23rd.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this year we will be screening a specially curated themed programme of Irish Shorts, (see below for more information).
We are thrilled to have been shortlisted in three categories for the 2021 Business to Arts Awards which take place on Wednesday, April 21st. We are also delighted to have been selected for the Arts Council’s flagship RAISE Accelerate 2021 programme. And we’re recruiting – read on for more information!
CIFF2021 Early Bird Submissions Deadline
Our Early Bird Submissions Deadline is fast approaching for the 66th Cork International Film Festival.Be sure to get your short and feature film submissions in by March 12th to avail of the discounted rate.
For more information on submitting, visit corkfilmfest.org/submissions
CIFF2021 Film Club – ‘Wake Up on Mars’
Our CIFF Film Club 2021 season continues this month with a screening of ‘Wake Up on Mars‘ on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7pm, our second film in this new season of five online screenings, presented on the third Tuesday of each month. Each event includes exclusive filmmaker introductions and Q&As. Join our Film Club for the latest and best Irish and international fiction and documentaries from the comfort of your homes.
Our second CIFF Film Club event on Tuesday, March 23rd, is ‘Wake Up on Mars‘ from director Dea Gjinovci. Following its World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, this debut feature-length documentary from Gjinovci follows Furkan, a Roma boy living in Sweden who dreams of building a spaceship to escape the reality of his family’s pending asylum request, and the mysterious coma-like illness that has befallen his siblings.
Furkan’s sisters, Ibadeta and Djeneta have been in a coma-like state for several years, victims of what has been named the ‘resignation syndrome’. Traumatised by the thought of being sent back to their homeland Kosovo, their minds and bodies have suddenly gone to sleep. In central Sweden, his family attempts to rebuild a normal life but so far their asylum applications have been refused one after the other. Furkan tries to escape his reality by building his own spaceship to fulfil his dream: to go live on Mars and save his two sisters. At the core of this film lies this one question: “What happens to human beings, and in particular children, when all hope is gone?”
Don’t miss your chance to see this magical and heart-breaking documentary.
(If you have already bought a Season Pass, please book in for the individual events in order to watch)
Tuesday, March 23rd, 7pm
Next Month – ‘Running to the Sky’
Tickets are now on sale for our April edition of the CIFF2021 Film Club, which will be a screening of Mirlan Abdykalykov’s ‘Running to the Sky‘ on Tuesday 20 April, 7pm.
Twelve-year-old Jekshen, an exceptional runner, lives in a beautiful mountain village in Kyrgyzstan. His parents are divorced, and life with his alcoholic father is difficult. Lonely Jekshen only has his girlfriend from school and his father’s friends for support. They encourage him to take part in a big race—a race that could change his life for the better.
“Abdykalykov’s portrait of childhood on the cusp of adolescence is marked by a generosity of spirit and a sharp understanding of human nature” Screen Daily
(If you have already bought a Season Pass, please book in for the individual events in order to watch)
Tuesday, April 20th, 7pm
Cork St Patrick’s Festival Programme
This year, to celebrate our national holiday, Cork International Film Festival is delighted to partner with Cork City Council to present a special St. Patrick’s Festival programme of Irish film shorts. There may be no parade again this year however fans of Irish culture can still enjoy a free selection of film treats from us as part of Cork City Council’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival, available to watch on our Digital Platform from Saturday 13th to Wednesday 17th March.
Capacity is limited, booking essential to view.
Celebrating International Women’s Day Year Round
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we spotlight some of our amazing CIFF Shorts directed by incredibly talented female directors, available all year-round on the CIFF Library platform for free to Cork City, Mallow and Midleton Library Card Holders.
‘Loving Ava‘, dir. Kate Daly
‘Fisherman‘, dir. Narae Kim, Lewis Barfoot
‘The Presence of Absence‘, dir. Laura Conlon
‘No Place‘, dir. Laura Kavanagh
‘Kelly‘, dir. Solène Guichard
There is no replacement for a mother’s love.
Awards
CIFF is thrilled to have been shortlisted in three categories for the 2021 Business to Arts Awards, which recognise outstanding examples of artists, arts organisations and businesses that work together in areas such as sponsorship, commissioning, staff training and events, CSR initiatives, philanthropy and community engagement.
ESB Energy for Generations Fund and Cork International Film Festival have been shortlisted in the Best Small Sponsorship and Best Use of Creativity in the Community, supported by Irish Life categories along with partners Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland and UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery for our Illuminate and Intinn film and mental health programmes.
CIFF has also been shortlisted for the Judges’ Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture for our partnerships with The Gate Cinemas, ESB Energy for Generations Fund, Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland and UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Our sincere thanks to Business To Arts and to our partners. The awards will be broadcast online at 5pm on Wednesday April 21st from the GPO. RSVP here to receive access details to watch this year’s ceremony.
Cork International Film Festival is delighted to have been selected for the flagship RAISE Accelerate programme 2021, having been a part of the RAISE Tier 2 programme in 2020.
The Arts Council’s RAISE programme is focused on growing private investment to the arts in Ireland by embedding a culture of sustainable philanthropy and private investment across participating organisations. As part of the RAISE Accelerate programme, CIFF will receive access to a range of supports, including bespoke workshops and one-to-one mentoring.
Thanks to this fantastic support from the Arts Council and the RAISE Accelerate programme, CIFF is now recruiting an experienced, dynamic Development Manager to join its team. Read on below for more information!
New Opportunity: Development Manager
Cork International Film Festival is now recruiting an experienced, dynamic Development Manager to join its team.
The Development Manager will be responsible for growing, broadening and sustaining revenue to support the strategic ambitions of Cork International Film Festival. They will be a confident communicator with excellent networking and relationship management skills and have experience delivering significant corporate partnerships and engaging with high value individual donors.
If you’re an ambitious, creative, forward-thinker with excellent relationship building skills, proven fundraising skills, a passion for film, and a flair for thinking outside the box, this could be the role for you!
HOW TO APPLY:
Please email recruitment@charitycareersireland.ie for the full job description, candidate information pack, and application details for this role. Please use the job title and name of the organisation you’re interested in as the subject of your email.
Closing Date: 3pm on Monday, 29th March
International Film Festivals
This month, our Festival Programmers were in Berlin – virtually, that is.
The 71st Berlin International Film Festival kicked off on Monday 1st March and continued until Friday 5th. Our programmers were busy attending Berlinale’s European Film Market, viewing some of Europe’s best and brightest international fictions and documentaries.
Our friends at Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival have kicked off their 2021 edition, taking place online with a packed schedule of screenings and events until Sunday March 14th. We wish them the best of luck!
Festival Team
We’re delighted to introduce new team member, Deirdre O’Reilly, who joins us as Marketing and Communications Manager. Deirdre is an experienced marketing and communications specialist, having held roles at the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, the Irish Film Institute, RTÉ, and The Business Post.
Deirdre will oversee all the Festival’s publicity and communications, digital marketing, audience engagement and media partnerships. Welcome Deirdre!
