Local success at film festival in Ballina
Pictured at the Divipassion Short Film Festival in Ballina Arts Centre were children from Behy NS with their principal Patrick Cunnane. Picture: John O'Grady
On Saturday, October 12, local film-maker Declan Loftus scooped Best Film at the International DiViPassion Short Festival for his stunning film , much of it shot in Attymass.
Ballina hosted the DiViPassion festival, now in its 15th edition, for the first time in a day-long event at Ballina Arts Centre as part of Ballina Fringe Festival. The event resulted from an intense collaboration between DiViPassion, an amateur film association based in Athis-Mons on the outskirts of Paris, Ballina’s twin town in France, and Ballina Fringe Festival.
Michael O’Boyle, Ballina Fringe Festival, said: “I am proud of this collaboration that had its roots last November 11 in Athis-Mons.
"Christian Fages (chairperson of the Athis-Mons/Ballina twin town association in the French town) and I decided we’d do all we could to bring the DiViPassion Short Festival to Ballina. I wanted it to be part of Ballina Fringe Festival.”
The festival celebrates short films by amateur independent film-makers. Two-thirds of the films in the day’s programme were in competition (22 of 33), shortlisted from 188 entries submitted from all over the world through an online platform.
Some 13 awards were presented at the close of the festival in addition to six honourable mentions. Four local films won prizes, by directors Declan Loftus, Andy Farrell, Orlagh Heverin and Vova Kompotik.
Ann-Marie Kilgallon, Ballina Fringe Festival, said: “In addition to local and Irish productions, films were screened from ten other countries, as far away as Chile, Turkey, America and South Korea. As well as Irish directors present, filmmakers travelled from France, Luxembourg and Romania to attend.”
Students from Behy National School, Ballina, known as Behy Film Club, premièred two short films shot locally and there was a Mayo première for Topher Neville’s . The Behy students collected an 'Honorable Mention for Encouragement' and prize sponsored by the DiVIPassion association.
Catherine Gagneux, Consul of France in Connacht, in attendance in the afternoon and evening, commended the collaboration and hoped that the event had set the seeds for a series of repeat festivals in the future.
Indeed, the event may well have significance in other ways, as evoked by the winner of the Best Film Award, Declan Loftus:
“One of the more revelatory things that this film festival highlighted specifically was showing just how uniquely cinematic Mayo and, indeed, Ballina are. We have grown up in and acclimatised to a landscape of predominantly American films and thus American sensibilities, so it was great to see so many Mayo-centric films showcased and celebrated throughout this festival.”
Ballina and North Mayo appeared on screen in by Declan Loftus (Attymass locations), by Behy Film Club, (Belleek Woods, Ballina), by Topher Neville (Harrison’s Pub, Ballina), by Andy Farrell (North Mayo wild boglands), and by Orlagh Heverin (Foxford locations).
Declan was not alone in talking about North Mayo landscape and place in a cinematic way.
Double prize-winners Christophe Beudet and Clément Loro ( travelled from Paris on the day of the festival to view their film in Ballina Arts Centre. Later, they said: “On our first trip to Ireland, we were touched by the warm welcome we received and by the unique atmosphere of Ballina. The experience affected Christophe so much that he already wants to make a feature-length thriller inspired by the area.”
Filmmakers Suzy Sommer and Guido Haesen, from Luxembourg, also attended the festival, staying for several days to discover the region.
Suzy said: “We discovered not only the DiViPassion festival in Ballina but also a very lovely area of Ireland. Ireland has always been the stuff of dreams for us, its countryside, myths, people, hospitality and beer. In its light, the countryside had a softness and the sea was beautiful.
"We know Ireland quite well, but it was our first time in Ballina and surrounding area. The road from Ballina towards Downpatrick Head with its monastic ruins fascinated us."
Ballina Fringe Festival sincerely thanks DiViPassion whose team took the lead on the day to run and host their festival in situ. The 16th International DiViPassion Short film festival is scheduled to be held in Sinaia, Romania in 2025. Stephen Kennedy, Ballina solider, will be commemorated with all those who died in the First World War in Athis Mons, France on November 11th, 2024.
Both Ballina Fringe Festival and DiVPassion would like to thank festival supporters in North Mayo, Athis-Mons and Sinaia (Romania) with particular appreciation to local sponsors FOXFORD, Enniscoe House and Connacht Distillery who sponsored Best Film, second prize and third prize at the festival.
