Curtain closes on another fantastic Kerry Film Festival

The cast and crew of The Crest the opening feature of The 18th Kerry Film Festival - photo by Rob Allen

A Captain Unafraid on Sunday 22nd October brought to an end four days of quality film at the 18th Kerry Film Festival. From Le Voyage de Fanny on Thursday morning right through the four days of the festival the standard of short and feature films on show was extremely high. Add in the T.A.L.K Industry event on the Saturday and the Awards Night later that evening and you have paramount to a festival that depsite being in it's 18th year is only going from strength to strength.
From Thursday morning with a selection of short film in series that included Unforeseen, Documentary and Discovery Features is was quite clear that this was no ordinary festival and audiences and visitors to Killarney over the four days were not going to be disappointed. This view was strengthened by the screening of the opening feature The Crest and the short that preceded it Men of Straw that night. A Q&A held by Artistic Director Maeve McGrath with cast and crew of both films only added to the experience for the audience and day one of the festival was indeed a memorable one!

The cast and crew of Men of Straw at the opening night of KFF17 - photo by Rob Allen

Maureen O'Hara award recipient Emer Reynolds The Farthest got proceedings underway on day two which also saw a rich selection of shorts in series that included Communicate, Recall and Orchestreateand also saw the addition of St Marys Church as a venue for the screening of a Youth Programme selection of short film as well as the screening of the magnificent Score with both being free of charge to the public. Meanwhile in Cinema Killarney Irelands submission in the Foreign Language Category for the Acadmey Awards Song of Granite was being screened to an eager audience.

Artistic Director introduces The Crest on the opening night of KFF17 - photo by Rob Allen

Day three saw more quality shorts in series that included Animation and Irish narrative , whilst the Methodist Chruch in Killarney Rath and the Beat Goes On with both films again free of charge.
A Free Industry event T.A.L.K was also held in the Killarney Plaza on Saturday afternoon lots of interesting film related topics up for discussion with a very knowedlgeable panel.
Then came the Irish premiere of Gabriel Byrnes latest vehicle Lies We Tell a compelling drama set in North England and directed by Mitu Misra.
Saturday night concluded with the Awards Night in the Gleneagle Ballroom with the following films victorious on the night:

KFF:Storystock Competition: Ciaran
Best International Narrative: Noro
Best Documentary: Blood and Ink
Best Animation: Second to None
Best Student: Raha
Best Score: Wrongheaded
Best Irish Narrative: Wave
Best Kerry Short: A Conversation

The final day of the festival saw another selection of wuality shorts in series such as The Returned, International and Kerry Made with the festival coming to a close with the screening of Kevin Roche - The Quiet Architect and A Capatin Unafraid at Cinema Killarney.
Overall, judging by the crowds, atmosphere and buzz generated by this award winning film festival now in it;s 18th year a very successful weekend was had by all and credit must go in no small part to Artistic Director Maeve McGrath and her crew for another fantastic festival!
Roll on 2018!!