22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
'Cork is on the cusp of something': Local film professionals launch new collective
Cork is ready for its close-up. Amid an upturn in film and TV production in the region, a filmmaking collective is launching Screen Cork to boost opportunities for established and aspiring filmmakers.
Officially launched at Fastnet Film Festival in Schull this weekend, Screen Cork brings together a dynamic mix of filmmakers, industry professionals, and organisers, with the goal of fostering connection, collaboration, and growth across all areas of Cork's screen industry.
Screen Cork's many aims, its founder members say, could transform TV and film in Cork, bolstering and building on a notable uptick in production in recent times. A recent meeting held by organisers in Cork drew a huge turnout, with an electric energy in the room, according to film producer, actor and board member Sinéad O'Riordan.
'I just feel that Cork is on the cusp of something right now,' says O'Riordan. 'The dream is to see all of this come together and become that film hub in Cork. That people know about Screen Cork, and they know about the productions that are coming in and the excitement - because it is exciting and it would be brilliant to attract some major talent to the area.
'I think that last meeting we had really solidified it for us. The energy was absolutely fantastic, the amount of people that said this is so badly needed. We need the funding now, we need the bodies to get behind us, to help bolster us so that we can be that central film hub.'
Sinead O'Riordan, film director and one of the main people behind Screen Cork.
O'Riordan, an established stage and screen actor, recently filmed the hit boxing drama Swing Bout on location in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The drama thriller set in the world of female boxing was written and directed by Maurice O'Carroll. Other board members include co-chairs and filmmakers Benjamin Rupprecht and Jamie Hooper, filmmaker Cian Desmond and producer Steve Broekhuizen.
Working with local and national authorities, Screen Cork's goals include supporting and connecting local filmmakers, promoting Cork as a dynamic region for screen production and providing training and upskilling opportunities.
There are plans to introduce a new short film bursary scheme and the organisation will act as a central point of contact for industry professionals and creatives. Screen Cork will also work with the National Talent Academies and others to host and provide training opportunities to upskill the workforce in the region.
'We have this opportunity in Cork,' says Hooper. 'It is the second largest city. It's got amazing transport links. It's got loads of hospitality options. It is a very, very attractive place for productions.'
Hooper is a shorts filmmaker who founded the People's Picturehouse in Cork, a monthly short filmmaking showcase that takes place in the Pavilion and has become a popular hub for filmmakers.
'It was through these kinds of events, a lot of this community started to meet and to talk. One of the things that came up is the fact that we don't have a film commissioner, we don't have a short film scheme. A lot of the people that come to Picturehouse would be at the level where their next step should be going to get a funded short.
'The other major thing that a film office can do is attract and attain more consistent and sustainable work in the region. It could be something as simple as having a full crew database list of people in the region that we know are working in the region and available. It does become a self-sustaining thing, and it would be beneficial for the region as a whole. I know that the people in Film in Limerick are hugely supportive of what we're doing, and they see what we're attempting to do as being something that would bolster the industry in the region.'
The Young Offenders being filmed in Kinsale.
Following the establishment of West Cork Studios and a number of recent high-profile movies and TV shows filming in the country, there is a can-do attitude which is fostering interest in expanding the industry in Cork.
TV series Bodkin brought Cork as a location to the world last summer when the high-profile show aired on Netflix. The Young Offenders continues to build audiences after the hit movie was developed into a TV series, and a fifth season was recently confirmed. Directed by Brendan Canty, forthcoming movie release Christy tells the story of two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods. It will be released in cinemas later this year after winning the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival.
Bantry-based filmmaker Damian McCarthy enjoyed international success with his horror Oddity, filmed on location in Bantry House and released worldwide last summer. The story of a blind psychic determined to uncover the truth about her twin sister's murder was a hit with audiences and critics alike.
McCarthy recently wrapped his next movie, Hokum, which was partly-filmed at West Cork Studios. US star Adam Scott ( Severance)has a lead role in Hokum, a supernatural horror about a horror novelist who visits a remote Irish inn to spread his parents' ashes, unaware of rumours it is haunted by a witch. The film is being backed by Screen Ireland.
Other films shooting in Cork this year include director Vicky Wight's The Body is Water, a drama filming in West Cork this summer, and Everybody Digs Bill Evans, a drama about the legendary jazz pianist starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Bill Pullman and Barry Ward, directed by Grant Gee from a screenplay by Mark O'Halloran. Recently completed shorts include Mamó & Mise, a story in the Irish language supported by TG4 and filmed in the Ballingeary-Macroom area.
Screen Cork board: Steve Broekhuizen, Cian Desmond, Benjamin Rupprecht, Jamie Hooper, and Sinéad O'Riordan.
'There is a groundswell, and we've been feeling it,' says Hooper. 'That's why we decided to get together, send out invitations to lots of relevant people, people in industry, in the commercial world, all the relevant department heads in universities, and all the heads of the local festivals.
"We came together for a couple of meetings to determine what we're doing and what it is that is needed, and what we could do conceivably. I think there's a sense of optimism. I think there's a definite want - if there's a momentum happening, we need to get on board with that.
'My hopes would be twofold. One is to create a sustainable industry here in Cork. The second is with our short film scheme, we want Cork filmmakers to be given the tools and the ability to tell their own stories.
"For up and coming and emerging filmmakers to get those opportunities, and the massive cultural benefit that it could bring.'
