Dundalk IT celebrates 20 years of film success

The School of Informatics and Creative Arts at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently celebrated 20 years of the Film Programme within the Institute.

The BA (Hons) in Film & Television Production welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2014, replacing the former Level 7 and Level 8 BA and BA (Hons) in Video and Film Production programmes. The programme built on an already strong national reputation established by the success of its predecessor courses, which had been running since 2005 and 2008 respectively.

The aim of this programme is to produce Film & Television Production professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to work within the Film and Television sectors in Ireland and abroad and to meet the ever-changing needs of these industries.  It consistently places high in the Institute’s ranking of most popular courses in terms of student demand and number of applications.

Over the last number of years, work created by students from the programme has been screened and won awards at festivals both in Ireland and abroad, including the following: Royal Television Society Student Awards, Fastnet Film Festival, Richard Harris Film Festival, Celtic Media Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Dublin International Film Festival, Louth International Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, Cinemagic Film Festival, Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival, Kerry Film Festival and Clones Film Festival, amongst many others.  

The opening event kicked off with speeches from President Dr Diarmuid O’Callaghan and Head of Department Dr Adele Commins, followed by the launch of the Martha O'Neill Best Short Creative Documentary Prize.

This Prize was named in honour of Martha O’Neill, an esteemed Film & TV producer who passed away last year, and who was a great friend of the programme, having a profound impact on its development over the years.

The prize was awarded to the documentary, ‘Dear Dad’ by award-winning documentary director Adrian McCarthy, who was Martha's partner in Wildfire Films for many years.  It will be awarded annually to the Best Short Creative Documentary made on the Creative Documentary module in 3rd year on the programme.

Many industry professionals were in attendance at the opening event including Garry Hynes, Druid Theatre Company; Teresa McGrane, Wild Atlantic Pictures; Adrian McCarthy, Curious Dog Films, Marian Quinn, Janey Pictures; Declan McGrath, Aisling Productions; Helen Thompson: Big Mountain Productions, Scott Smith, Telegael; and Ian Hunt-Duffy, Film Director, amongst others.   

Attendees were then treated to a number of inspiring talks and screenings throughout the day from graduates who are now leading film and media professionals, including Brian Cashin, an offline editor whose credits include Gogglebox Ireland, Britain’s Got Talent and The Traitors; freelance camera assistant Karl Walsh; Denise Fogarty, Head of Production at Big Mountain Productions; Samantha Corr, producer and Higher Executive Officer in the Media Landscape; Alannah Uí Geargáin, an upcoming barrister and disability advocate; award-winning editor Stephen Staunton; film and TV editor Stephen King; commercial video and photo producer Jack Daniel-Dempsey; Emmy Award-winning EVS operator Andy Power; and Dr Terry Creagh, film researcher and writer.

Sarah McCann, Lecturer in the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music at DkIT said: "The anniversary event of the Film & TV/Video & Film programme was a day filled with warm celebrations of our graduates and all they have achieved in their professional careers.  We had graduates travelling from all across Ireland to be with us, with one even flying in from Spain for the day!  We are also extremely honoured to have been joined by Martha O’Neill’s wife Garry, friend Teresa and long-term partner in Wildfire Films, Adrian, in the launching of the annual award in her honour."

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To round of the event, a plaque was erected outside the DkIT TV studio to recognise Veteran TV Director Theo O'Grady's contribution to the industry and his invaluable work with DKIT over the years.

Speaking after the event, Theo said: "Having worked and trained in studio facilities all over the country for nearly 50 years, it is my firm belief that Dundalk Institute of Technology offers exceptional opportunities. The state-of-the-art technical infrastructure, coupled with the culture and ethos of the Institute, is unrivalled. I am deeply humbled and sincerely grateful to DkIT for naming the television studio in my honour. It is something I am immensely proud of, as it represents the Institute’s unwavering commitment to real-world, industry-focused training that students benefit from, every single day."