Cork is Indie zone!
Whether your popcorn came from the concessions counter at the cinema, or from your microwave at home, the IndieCork 2020 festival is sure to keep you munching from start to finish.
This year’s festival will take place both on the big screen and online, and as always, will champion emerging, independent and innovative filmmakers from across Cork and beyond.
Running from 4-11 October, the festival’s physical screenings will take place at the Gate Cinema on North Main Street. The online portion of the festival was made possible with the support of Carlow-based web hosting company Blacknight Solutions.
Cinema lovers are in for a treat right from the get-go, with award-winning Cork director Damian McCarthy’s feature debut ‘Caveat’ confirmed as the opening night film.
The 90-minute horror, which is set on a remote island, was mostly shot in county Cork and features a host of local filmmaking talent, both in front of and behind the camera.
Speaking about his latest film, Damian says it was largely due to curiosity that he ventured into the realm of feature-length film.
“I’d made a number of short horror films that had done well on the festival circuit, so I was curious to see if I could make something that would hold an audience's attention for 90 minutes, but remain in the same vein as my short films; stories told with little to no dialogue, that relied more on suspense than violence and gore.
“A great reward for any horror filmmaker is the sound of nervous laughter from an audience watching their film. It’s something I had experienced many times at film festivals with my short films, so I wanted to see if I could get that response with a feature.”
Commenting on the festival’s programme, Co-Director Úna Feely said: “We’re really thrilled to open the festival with the premiere of such a strong feature film. Damian McCarthy has been a talent to watch for years, and his feature debut fulfils all the promise of his early short films.
“IndieCork has always been strong on supporting local and Irish talent, but this year it’s really important that we fly that flag. Right throughout our programme, we’re showcasing Irish directors who deserve the IndieCork platform.”
Festival chairperson Dr Eileen Hogan added: “We have a particularly strong programme and look forward to welcoming the public back for some much-needed entertainment.”
The IndieCork 2020 festival opens at the Gate Cinema with Damian McCarthy’s ‘Caveat’ on 4 October at 8.30pm. Tickets are now on sale at corkcinemas.com.