Tipperary Film Festival
Organisers delighted with local support
By Anna Powell
It was a case of lights, camera and action as the inaugural Tipperary Film Festival took place over the weekend in Nenagh Arts Centre.
Nenagh natives and cousins, Jake Mitchell and Seanpaul Fitzpatrick, collaborated with Nancy O’Donoghue, to create a film festival in the county that invited aspiring film-makers to submit their work in various categories.
The event, which was well supported and had in its attendance, the well-known Irish actor, Patrick Bergin, was officially opened by Tipp TD, Ryan O’Meara, last Friday evening.
O’Meara lauds the festival
Speaking at the launch night of the event, Deputy O’Meara said: “The inaugural Tipperary Film Festival is a celebration of film, of creativity, and of storytelling. The three-day festival has created an accessible platform for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience and explore the world of film-making.”
During his opening remarks at the official launch, Deputy O’Meara praised the founders of the event for organising a film festival in the county.
“To our founders, Nancy O’Donoghue, Jake Mitchell and Seanpaul Fitzpatrick, thank you very much for creating this space, this event and this opportunity for our local film-makers so that they can present their untold stories that they will share with us over the course of this weekend,” expressed Deputy O’Meara.
Pointing out how the festival was an opportunity for some film-makers to present their work for the first time, and for others to have their work celebrated by fellow film makers, Deputy O’Meara praised the opportunity that this event brought to film makers in the county.
“At the heart of this festival, is a simple belief that everyone has a story to tell. The festival has given these stories a platform, an audience and the opportunity to be celebrated on the big screen,” he said.
A hotspot for filmmaking in Tipperary
“There wasn’t really a hotspot in Tipperary for film-making,” expressed Seanpaul Fitzpatrick to the Nenagh Guardian at the opening night of the film festival as to how they came up with an idea to run a film festival in the Premier County.
“We have been in film for a good few years now, and we took it upon ourselves, to really create that thing for film-makers around. There are so many talented people and they don’t get appreciated enough in their own home county, so that’s why we took the idea and ran with it,” he said.
It is their hope that the festival will continue to grow and evolve year on year.
“We want to make Nenagh a central place for acting, film-making, for shopping, for everything you can think of. It could grow to be the Hollywood of Ireland,” stated organiser Jake, who hopes the festival will grow and evolve in the county year on year.
“We are so thankful to everyone who came here tonight. A particular thank you to Patrick Bergin and Ryan O’Meara, we really appreciated it,” expressed Jake Mitchell.
Speaking at the launch of the festival, Mr Bergin said: “It was an honour to be invited to the launch of the Tipperary Film Festival. The people who launched this event, I think are extraordinary people. Nancy, Jake, Seanpaul, I think ye are doing a great job and a very important job.”
The three-day festival continued on Saturday and Sunday, with Siobhan MacGowan in attendance on Sunday evening to close the festival.