Festivals, Screenings and Awards

Festivals, Screenings and Awards

Just a year and a half ago we began to shoot “…for peace comes dropping slow…” and since the release in September 2010 the film has received an extremely warm reception on both sides of the ocean. Our Irish Premiere at the Gaiety Cinema in Sligo was followed by a second screening due to popular demand.

We were honoured to be nominated Best Irish Short at the Oscar-affiliated 23rd Foyle International Film Festival in Derry, Northern Ireland. If you haven’t visited Derry, your missing a gem. The historic walls with breathtaking views, the warmth of the welcome and the incredible array of cultural activities make this a very deserving winner of the 2013 City of Culture.

We also had a very warm welcome at the Strule Arts Centre Cinema for a sneak preview in Omagh, NI, honouring the participation of Peace III in the making of this film. A sneak preview at Culture Night 2010,  honoured local participants and funders. As demand continued, we were happy to answer the invitation for a screening at IFI Shorts @ The Model Gallery, Sligo in May 2011.

The Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull, Cork, an international festival with a list of organisers and patrons representing the best of Irish and British cinema, awarded us Runner up Best Experimental Film. In addition to the film’s screening, “…for peace…” and many of the other high definition films, were uploaded to the festival’s innovative “Distributed Cinema” and available within the town, to view on all screens and hand held devices as well as on walls, in restaurants – everywhere, for the duration of the fest. It was a great success.

We toppped the Audience Buzz polls

On July 16th, 2011 we made our U.S. Premiere at the New Hope International Film Festival, (Stephen J. Buck Memorial Theatre), where we  received an Official Selection and a Nomination for Best Short. We topped the “audience buzz” and on-line ratings, and were 2nd in a field of 89 films for audience choice at the festival. Well done everyone! Thank you to the New Hope Jury and festival organisers for a great experience.  See this interview about the festival with Thom Michael Mulligan

On the Red Carpet with NHFF Director of Submissions, Thom Michael Mulligan, actor and producer.

Lisa Vandegrift Davala

LISA VANDEGRIFT DAVALA   DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, STORY, MUSICAL DIRECTOR

lvdstudio@gmail.com

http://www.lvandegriftdavala.com

+353 71 9165811  +353 86 3148565

LISA VANDEGRIFT DAVALA began her career as a mural painter, architectural restorer and sign writer,and has been a life-long musician. She was given the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Architecture and Design by Irish President Patrick Hillery. As a visual artist, she exhibited in galleries and museums in the US and Europe including Gimpel Fils London, Ducal Palace Leningrad, and The Berman Museum of Art (12-year retrospective exhibition). Since the 1980’s the major part of her attention has been given to the relationship between the marks we make and their ability to be containers of our human spirit. She has referred to this phenomenon as “The Calligraphy of the Spirit”. Her film “…for peace comes dropping slow…” is a celebration of this idea, bringing a human presence to a meaningful space, and inscribing it with the line and mark of poetic light.

During 2009 she completed a 50 minute documentary film entitled “The Ballinagare Initiative, A Design Thinking Challenge”. Over the last decade her work has moved closer to film, moving image and light art. The work increased in both scale and technological breadth to include a projected, larger-than-life, movable book room and a work designed for the iPod. She just completed the second “SLIGLOW”, a live, filmed, public light event; and is presently working on a free-form holographic projection, a new film (working title: (Oracle de l’Amour), a new documentary and a projected film installation (Procession).

Lisa was the recipient of the Vira Heinz Award, Pittsburgh; First Prize, Fenderesky Open Exhibition, Belfast Northern Ireland; and The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Award, New York. Her works are in the permanent collection of MoMA, The Crayola Museum, The Berman Museum of Art, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The National Library of Ireland and The Boyle Civic Collection, Ireland. Her film “…for peace comes dropping slow…” was nominated for “Best Irish Short” at the 23rd Foyle International Film Festival, 2010, was awarded “Runner Up, Best Experimental film”, Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival, 2011 and has received an “Official Selection” at the New Hope International Film Festival in the U.S., 2011.

PRINCIPAL SOLO/FEATURED ARTIST EXHIBITIONS

2011 “…for peace comes dropping slow…” IFI Shorts @ The Model, May 7, Sligo, Ireland, The Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival, May 29, Schull, Ireland, and the New Hope Film Festival, July 16, PA, USA

2010 “…for peace comes dropping slow…” Screened in competition: Best Irish Short, 23rd Foyle International Film Festival, Derry, NI, November 26, 2010

2010 “…for peace comes dropping slow…” Premiere, Gaiety Cinema, Sligo, Ireland 22 October, additional screening November 6, 2010.

2010 “…for peace comes dropping slow…” Sneak preview Culture Night Sligo, 24, September
and Strule Arts Centre Cinema, Omagh, NI, September 11, 2010.

2010 “SLIGLOW2, Glasshouse, Culture Night Ireland, Site-specific (filmed and photographed) installation Co-Created with Darren Carr, Justin Knecht, Tara Lewis and 800-1000 participants, Sligo, Ireland.

2009      “SLIGLOW, Glasshouse, Culture Night Ireland, Site-specific installation (filmed and photographed) assisted by Tinka Bechert, Vanya Lambrecht Ward and co-created with 800-1000 participants, Sligo, Ireland.

2003    Celestial Circus The Crayola Factory Museum, Easton, PA, USA, Permanent Installation

1996    Shaking The Tree: L. Vandegrift Davala and Studio, Berman Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA

1993-94    Tuatha Dé Danann, Lords of Light, Frank Martin Gallery, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, USA

1993-94    Sculpting the Bloom, Back-a-the-Altar Gallery, Egner Memorial Chapel, Allentown, PA, USA

1991-92    L. Vandegrift Davala, Alleluias of Love: Selected Works 1979-1991, 12-year retrospective, Berman Museum of Art, Philadelphia, touring to Rathbone Gallery, Albany, NY, Lycoming College Gallery, PA,

1979/80    L. Vandegrift Davala, Cork Arts Society Gallery, Cork, Ireland

PRINCIPAL GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2009-10    New Wave, Canon of the 21st Century, Artist’s Illustrated Books, (    invited) UWE, UK

2009    Boyle Arts Festival Exhibition, (invited) King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Ireland

2007    HEAL, Naughton Gallery, Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland

2006-09    Sitting Room, touring to Alsager Gallery, MMU Manchester, Permanent Gallery, Brighton, Winchester Gallery, Winchester, UWE Bristol, Enschede Academy of Visual Arts, The Netherlands, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge, K Gallery, Almeida, CA, Universidad Autonoma Metropolotana, Mexico City, Martha Hellion Artist Book Center, Mexico City

2003    Manifestations/Form & Function, Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC, NY,

2002    Figurative Works 2002, Montgomery Armory Center, W. Palm Beach, FL, US, juror, Olga Viso

2002    AONE USA Silvermine, New Canaan, CT, USA, juror Ann Temkin, (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

2001-02    7th Wexford International Artist’s Book Exhibition, Wexford Arts Centre, touring Cork and Derry, Ireland

1998        Agart World Print Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia, (three works)

1992    2UP, First Annual Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA, USA

1993    Harmonious Markings, Calligraphy and the Book, Kamin Gallery, U of P, Philadelphia, PA, USA

1993    Art In Residence III & IV, Historic Landmarks, Philadelphia, PA, USA, guest artist, curator

1992    Eat, Benefit for New York Food Cupboard, (invited), Schacht Fine Arts Center, Troy, NY, USA,

1991        Gimpel Fils, London, UK

1990    Flower, exhibition to benefit persons with AIDS, (invited), Schacht Fine Arts Center, Troy, NY, USA,

1989        Oireachtas, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland

1989    12th Claremorris Exhibition, Claremorris Art Gallery, Co. Mayo, Ireland, selected by Brian Fallon

1988        Oireachtas, Bank of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

1987        S.A.D.E., Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland

1987    Fenderesky Art Gallery Open Exhibition Competition, Belfast, Northern Ireland

1987    10th Claremorris  St. Coleman’s College, Co. Mayo, selector Henry Meyric Hughes (British Council)

1987    Self Portraits Exhibition, Irish Visual Arts Foundation, (invited), Project Arts Center, Dublin

1986        Independent Artists Exhibition, Guinness Hop Store, Dublin, Ireland

1984-87Contemporary American Prints, (invited), Ducal Palace, Leningrad, USSR

1984        Gimpel Fils, London, UK, (nine works)

PUBLIC, CORPORATE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

MoMA, Franklin Furnace Collection, NYC, USA

The Crayola Factory Museum, Easton, PA, USA

National Library of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Boyle Civic Art Collection, King House Gallery & Museum, Roscommon, Ireland

Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Private collections in England, Greece, Ireland, Belgium, Malaysia, Spain, and USA

AWARDS AND HONORS

2010     Public Art Commission Sligo Arts Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Per Cent For Art Scheme.

2009        Artist’s Grant, Sligo County Council Arts Office, Sligo, Ireland

2008/09     Artist-in-Residency, Roscommon, Ireland

2003    Commission, The Crayola Factory Museum at Three Rivers Landing, Easton, PA, USA

1991        Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Grant, NYC, USA

1987    First Prize, Fenderesky Art Gallery Open Exhibition, Belfast, Northern Ireland

1984    Outstanding Contribution to Architecture and Design, presented by Irish President Dr. Patrick Hillery

1972    Vira I. Heinz Award for travel and Study

EDUCATION

Tyler School of Art of Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Hons.), Painting

Apprenticed to American painter Richard Callner, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Attended École de Mime Potash, Montpellier, France

Attended the Aegean School of Fine Arts, Paros, Cyclades, Greece

MEMBERSHIPS

Visual Artists Ireland, IVARO, IAA U.N.E.S.C.O., Tax Exemption for Artists, Ireland; Archives on Women Artists, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Was

Cian de Buitléar

Cian de Buitléar, Director of Photography

http://www.ciandebuitlear.com/showreel.html

Twenty years experience as director of photography (D.O.P)
Started film making with his father Eamon making natural history films for BBC, National Geographic, RTE, TG4.Worked on series such as “Wildlife on One” and “The Natural World” with  David Attenborough. In recent years have worked mainly on feature films, commercials and documentaries.

CREDITS INCLUDE

Director of Photography (D.O.P) on all underwater sequences on ” Saving Private Ryan” Camera Operator on main unit
Director – Steven Spielberg.
Academy Award Winner – Oscar Best Photography.
Director of Photography (D.O.P) – “Man about Dog”
Director Paddy Breathnach 2003/2004
(Highest grossing Irish Film 2004)
Nominated Best Photography IFTA.
Director of Photography (D.O.P) – “I Went Down”
Director Paddy Breathnach
Winner of Best Cinematography Irish Film and Television Academy 2000.
Director of Photography (D.O.P) – “Blowdry” Miramax
Producer Sydney Pollack 2001.
2nd Unit + Aerial Director of Photography – “The Boxer”
Director Jim Sheridan.
2nd Unit Director of Photography – ” Dancing at Lughnasa”
Director Pat O’ Connor
Hundreds of Commercial credits including
Coca Cola, Toyota, Vodafone, Tennants, Guinness, Heineken, Hennessey, Ballygowan, National Lottery, Eircom, ESAT, Meteor, VHI, Carolans, Baileys etc.
TV DRAMA 2005
Killnaskully 2 with Pat Shortt
Filmed the successful series “Seven Ages” for Seán Ó Mórdha/RTÉ
DOCUMENTARIES
Luke Kelly, Brian Friel, Ferndale, Dan Dan Dad and Me, (General Risteard Mulcahy), True Lives /RTÉ
Wild Islands ITV/Channel 4
A life in the Wild Éamon de Buitléar/RTÉ
Freedom Highway, Sruth Na Maoile, Sé mo laoch, Caipíní, Hummingbird/RTÉ/TG4
The Islandman – feature length documentary on the last sailing skipper in Connemara.
“Na Saora Bád” – 3 X DVD’s and Handbooks including construction plans
TG4, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeige, National Museum of Ireland. Published 2005

Tony Kearns

TONY KEARNS   Editor
+353 86 381 7551
thecolonel@tonykearns.com
Show reels: http://www.tonykearns.com/

1984 to 1989     Assistant online editor at Visions Ltd and 625 Ltd, London.

1989 to present Freelance offline editor working in Ireland and abroad.

SHORT FILMS
Wet Work (UK: 1999)         Director:     John Hardwick
Producer:     Derrin Schlesinger for Activate

Screwback (Ireland: 2005)        Director:     Brian O’Malley
Producer:     Paul Holmes for Red Rage Films
BAFTA/LA Award (Honourable Mention), Aspen Film Shortsfest 2005

Last Night (Ireland: 2006)        Director:    Conor Morrissey
Producer:     Jackie Larkin for Newgrange Pictures
One of 12 finalists out of 500 entries from 39 countries, Manhattan Short Film Festival 2006

Archaeology (UK: 2010)        Directors:     Phil Sansom & Olly Williams
Producers:    Phil Tidy & Claire Neate-James
For HSI Productions London
Commissioned by UK Film Council

Crossing Salween    (Ireland: 2010)    Director:     Brian O’Malley
Producer:     Gary Moore for Red Rage Films
Commissioned by Irish Film Board: in post production July August 2010

FEATURE LENGTH FILM
Charlie Casanova    (Ireland: 2010)    Director & producer: Terry McMahon
In post production July & August 2010

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

MUSIC VIDEOS
Music Week Creative And Design Awards (CADS) Best Editor
Winner     1997 ‘Breathe’ Artist: Prodigy. Director: Walter Stern
Nominated     1998     Orbital ‘The Saint’ Director: John Hardwick
2000     Apollo 440 ‘Stop The Rock’ Director David Slade
2006     The Chemical Brothers ‘Believe’ Directors: Dom & Nic
Best Video, Best Special Effects, Best Electronica Video
Also D&AD Global Awards 2006 awarded in-book status

MTV US Awards:
2003 Best Video Viewer’s Choice
Coldplay ‘The Scientist’
Director: Jamie Thraves

1996 Best Group & Best Breakthrough Video
Prodigy ‘Breathe’
Director: Walter Stern Prodigy

MTV Europe Awards:
2005 Best Video
The Chemical Brothers ‘Believe’
Directors: Dom & Nic

2001 Best Video
The Avalanches ‘Since I Left You’
Directors: Blue Source

1996 Best Video US MVPA Awards
Radiohead ‘Just’
Director: Jamie Thrave

COMMERCIALS

Florida Anti Tobacco Project  ‘Focus On The Positive’
Gold Lion Cannes 2002
Director: Pedro Romhanyi at Outsider   Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami.

IKEA ‘Freedom’
Silver Lion Cannes 2006 Bronze Sharks Awards Kinsale 2006 Bronze Eurobest 2005
Director: Sebastian Strasser @radical.media London
Agency: Robert/Boisen & Like Minded, Copenhagen.

BT ‘Burst Pipe’
Bronze Clio 2003 for Technique: Animation-Computer
Winner British Television Craft Awards 2003, Best Live Action Special Effects
Bronze IPA Advertising Effectiveness Awards 2004
Director: Garth Jennings at Hammer & Tongs   Agency: St. Luke’s

Playstation ‘Mental Wealth’
Silver D+AD awards for special effects 2000
Director: Chris Cunningham at Black Dog/RSA   Agency: TBWA

Darren Carr

Darren Carr: Stills and Documentary Stills Photographer
+353-874129408
dakar@ireland.com
http://pix.ie/dakar

Darren Carr’s photographs are often created in technically challenging conditions, using available light and unusual approaches with surprising results. He was the lead photographer for the Culture Night Ireland event: SLIGLOW, in 2009 (http://www.lvandegriftdavala.com/2009/12/sliglow-pics/), and will again be behind both the still and video cameras at SLIGLOW 2, Culture Night, 2010. Darren has exhibited extensively in Ireland including the Dublin Camera Club, 2009 and the Volvo Ocean Race/Lookwest.ie Photography Exhibition, Galway and Dublin, 2009. He is the author and photogragher of Fortyfest: The book, 2009.

Seamie O’Dowd

Seamie O’Dowd: Vocal and fiddle composition and performance
Seamie is steeped in the musical traditions of South County Sligo, Ireland. His mother Shiela is a highly respected musician and teacher, and his father Joe, was renowned as a fiddle player among musicians and music lovers worldwide.

Immersing himself in the extremely vibrant local rock and alternative music scene that existed in Sligo in the mid to late 1980s as an electric guitarist, Seamie’s first rock band, “Peel The Grape” gained national airplay and local notoriety before breaking up in the late ‘80s.

After a spell playing mainly around the northwest of Ireland, a few friends who had established a band called “Dervish” which had become one of Ireland’s major musical exports approached him. They asked him to join and toured worldwide playing to some of the biggest audiences that any band of any genre has ever played to. Seamie devised a new tuning for guitar and, along with Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes, created a three-way rhythm section that became a hallmark of the band’s sound for the next six years. The line-up recorded two award-winning albums “Midsummer’s Night” and “Spirit”

While still with Dervish, Seamie was introduced to Mairtin O’Connor, arguably Ireland’s most innovative accordion player to date, for what was initially planned as a one off performance, but out of this grew a working relationship that has lasted for nearly a decade. He was actively involved in the making of two of Mairtin’s albums,” The Road West” and “Rain of Light”, both of which received critical acclaim. The response to Seamie’s playing on these albums (in particular,” The Road West”) coupled with numerous performances with various line ups of Mairtin’s band (most recently, the pared down, extremely popular line up of Mairtin, Cathal Hayden and Seamie) have served as confirmation that he can musically hold his own with the very best.

He was also enlisted by Leitrim born, Galway based traditional singer Mary Mac Partlan to work as musical director/arranger for the P.J. Curtis produced “Holland Handkerchief” album. This album received hugely positive reviewing by the music press, including being selected as “Mojo Magazine” album of the month. Mary was also nominated for Best Folk Act award at Ireland’s “Meteor” music awards gathering.

The album also attracted interest in Seamie’s arrangements from other bands and musicians and resulted in a move into album production. Seamie’s by now considerable experience of studio work coupled with his approach of bringing a project as far as he can without divorcing it from the musician/band’s core vision or basic musical instincts have proved to contribute to a positive working environment for those he works with, and to date, any album produced by him has been positively received by both critics and music lovers.

His first solo CD, “Headful Of Echoes” has received critical acclaim and airplay in Ireland, The U.K, mainland Europe and the U.S. and he has been asked frequently about the follow up album, which he is currently gathering and writing material for.

The last while has also seen Seamie working with a number of other renowned musicians including renowned flute player Matt Molloy, piping legend Liam O’Flynn, Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham, song writing legend Thom Moore and many others, including a significant contribution to two tracks on the latest Dervish album,”Travelling Show.” He is also involved in an Irish/American music exploration project with Dervish singer Cathy Jordan and Sligo based American harmonica virtuoso Rick Epping. Rick and Seamie have also worked with bodhran (Irish drum) pioneer, Johnnie “Ringo” Mc Donagh on the reformation of his renowned traditional group “Arcady”.

“…for peace comes dropping slow…”

At Parkes Castle, Lough Gill and The Lake Isle of Innisfree

In 1888 the young William Butler Yeats wrote ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, a yearning incantation of his youth spent in County Sligo near the Atlantic coast in the northwest of Ireland and perhaps his best known work. Artist and Director Lisa Vandegrift Davala, lives near this island. In this film, the words “…for peace comes dropping slow…” from Yeats’ poem have been re-enacted across the landscape of this region of Ireland.

During two fine summer days in 2010, people from all over Ireland (including members of the Yeatsian Legacy and Peace III Programme of Northern Ireland and a team of young actors and performers) were invited by Director Lisa Vandegrift Davala to County Sligo. They gathered at Carrane Hill Bog, Culleenamore Strand near Knocknarea and Parke’s Castle on Lough Gill overlooking Innisfree; to inscribe this ‘Land of Heart’s Desire’ with the line and mark of W. B. Yeats’ poetic light.

At Carrane Hill Bog

At Carrane Hill Bog Natural Heritage site, light writing against a dark landscape begins the film.  With the dawn approaching, light writers chase each other, playfully making their way to the hilltop, and experimenting with the first two words. As the morning brightens, they arrive at the crest of the hill and perform a beautifully choreographed ‘for peace’. The writers leave only the trail of their light as they leave the site, and the camera plays with many of the undulating features of this landscape – including a distant shot, through the morning veil, of Knocknarea. Legendary Irish musician Seamie O’Dowd’s vocals have begun the incantation of ‘Peace’ and ‘Bright Light’ sung in Irish.

The Lightwriters

Laura Brennan has acted from a young age and has trained in acting and directing. She appeared in the Irish Television (TG4) documentary ‘An Diabhal ag an Damhsa’, 2009.

Sinead Hawkins has been involved in drama from the age of five and was part of numerous performances with the Wexford Pantomime Society. She was an extra for both the TV3 2009 series ‘The Tudors’, and the RTÉ television docudrama ‘Stardust’ 2006. Sinead is also an accomplished singer and member of the Wexford Light Opera Society.

Noelle Kielty began her career acting in a number of productions for Roscommon Youth Theatre, and the Breffni Players. She appeared in a number of short film sketches including Macbeth with The Galway Film Company and The Quinapulus Players.  Noelle also featured in ‘Siblings Squabbles’ the radio drama on ROS Radio FM.

Avril Lahiff has been a member of Leitrim-based street theatre group Drumshambles, for the last six years. She has co-written and performed puppet shows with Aón Sceal Puppet Theatre since 2008. Avril has won awards for her stagecraft and design of The Breffni Players 2009 production, ‘By The Bog Of Cats’, and is currently designing and stage-managing for Andy Crook’s upcoming show ‘Wish I Were’, for the Absolute Fringe festival in Dublin.

Tara Lewis has directed and choreographed carnivals and events including St Patrick’s Festival Dublin. As a Latin Percussionist she specialized in Cuban music with One Voice Music, Manchester. She was the director of the Sligo, Ireland-based percussion ensemble Samboeire for two years and drum technician for the Buena Vista Social Club, Irish tour 2008. During the 2009 production of Tom Murphy’s ‘The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant’ at The Abbey Theatre, Dublin, she was costume assistant to Joan O’Clery.

Arlo Liddy was involved with The Breffni Players in 2010, as a stage op and is currently a member of Drumshambles, a street performance group, performing in a wide range of venues including the up-coming Electric Picnic 2010.

Aodan O’Connor has had 16 years of stage acting experience, and continues his training in performing arts at IT Sligo.

Kathryn Reynolds has acting and directing credits for a number of college theatre and Sligo Drama Society productions. She has a chorus role in Andrew Flynn’s ‘Tarry Flynn’ at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, 2010 and a small role in Stephen P. Kenny’s upcoming feature film ‘Blood, Sweat and Wars’. She will play Lady Capulet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in Galway’s NUIG Theatre and Blue in ‘Yellow Square’ at the Electric Picnic

Lorcan Strain has a background in voice, acting and movement theatre, with 11 years dance training. He has appeared in numerous dance productions and drama workshops, and has had lead roles in many productions including with The Letterkenny Musical Society. In 2007 he performed as part of the production ‘One Last Petal, One Last Flame’ with the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

Production Stills

Photo Credit: Darren Carr