What a weekend it was as the Boyne Valley International Film Festival lit up the town with creative energy.
From Friday through to Sunday, the event was a huge success, with a fantastic mix of films, workshops, and panels that had the town buzzing.
The festival began with a powerful display of local pride: the Made in the Boyne Valley programme.
The Droichead Arts Centre was completely full as the best of our local filmmakers were celebrated.
The brilliant atmosphere carried on all weekend with a smashing variety of Irish, international, and documentary shorts. Filmmakers from all over the world joined, and they were brilliant, chatting with the audiences during the Q&As.
Beyond the films, the workshops were also a great success with big names from the industry lending their expertise.
Luci Lenox, the casting director for Game of Thrones, was there, along with local legend Baz Black, who ran an excellent workshop on acting for the camera.
The casting panel was a top-class event, with industry heavyweights like Louise Kiely (Normal People, The Banshees of Inisherin) sharing valuable insights into the business.
The weekend’s main event was the Gala screening of Darren Thornton’s film Four Mothers.
The venue was absolutely packed, and the audience gave Darren a well-deserved standing ovation at the end. It was a fantastic reaction to a brilliant film.
A huge congratulations to all the winners, including the recipients of the Short Film Bursary. Gillian Grattan & Maura Foley took home the main prize for their script Faking Fungi.
Here’s a quick look at the other award winners:
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Short Film Made in the Boyne Valley: Beyond the System by Fergus Mulligan
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Documentary Short Film: Boobs by Nicola Leddy
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International Short Film: The Steak by Kiarash Dadgar
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Irish Narrative Short Film: The Fear by Eoin Ó hAnnracháin
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Animated Short Film: The God Man by Andrew Foerster
The Boyne Valley International Film Festival is made possible thanks to the generous support of its funders and partners. The BVIFF will like to thank the Arts Council, the Louth County Council Festival Fund, and Meath County Council, Love Drogheda Bids, The Clinch Family, Boann Distillery, Dan Kelly Ciders, Anglo Printers, and the Marcy.
A special mention goes to the BVIFF’s new patrons, casting director Louise Kiely and award-winning actress Helen Behan, for their invaluable support.