The Annual Film Showcase of work from 3rd & 4th-year students on the BA (Hons) in Film & Television Production in the Department of Creative Arts, Media & Music took place a little later than usual on Friday, October 22nd in the IMC Dundalk.

The evening began with the delayed presentation of the John Moore Film Awards for 2019 & 2020. The John Moore Film Award is awarded annually to the best short film produced by a group of third or fourth-year students on the BA (Hons) Film and Television Production. John Moore is a film director based in Hollywood and known for his work on movies such as Flight of the Phoenix, Behind Enemy Lines, The Omen and A Good Day to Die Hard. Given John’s roots in Dundalk, it is a great honour for Dundalk Institute of Technology to present the award and we are delighted with the continued support from John in the development of our BA (Hons) in Film and Television Production degree.

The winners for 2019 were Sky's the Limit. Sky's the Limit was shot in locations across Co. Louth in 2019 and is a period drama, set in 1969, when Francie, an imaginative 11-year-old boy, embarks on a quest to fulfil his dream of venturing to the Moon. The crew behind the film were Evan Kelly, Andrew Nolan, David Burns, Sam Parkinson & Luke Malone.

The winners for 2020 were 'You & I'.

Set in 1980's Ireland in a small town in Monaghan, Erin Conway, a young local girl finds out the shocking news that she is pregnant. Facing a backlash from the town, Mary Conway turns her daughter away putting a strain on their relationship. Erin faces a difficult realisation that she might be alone during this troubling time without the support of her family. Erin turns to the one person that will help her this most, her boyfriend John Kerrigan. The couple decide to start their life together, earlier than expected and run away to Dublin. Mary is faced with the difficult decision to save her relationship with her daughter or stay innocent in the public eye. The crew behind the film were Karla Farrell, Chloe O'Reilly, Aoife Ward, James Flanagan, Adam Daly and Philip Clarke.

Following a video screening of Director John Moore announcing the awards from his home in LA, Deirdre McCarthy, Managing Editor, Radio News Programmes & Regions from RTE presented the awards to the students. 

Deirdre McCarthy said:

The films were really impressive - so well made and put together and a real credit to both the students and the team. They reflected some real creativity and flair and I hope each and every one of the students gets a chance to develop their skills and talents into the future.

The 2021 John Moore Film Award will be presented at the next Film Showcase in May 2022.