Every year DU Film presents the Dublin University Film Festival. This festival is specially designed and curated for student and amateur filmmakers to offer a stepping stone into the hectic world of independent film exhibition and the ever-expanding maze that is the international film festival circuit. In much the same way that one has to walk before they can run, any aspiring filmmaker needs an outlet much like the Dublin University Film Festival before reaching for the glittering heights of Cannes, Berlin or Sundance.
Th Trinity festival acts like a microcosm of the festival circuit, intending to introduce budding first-time filmmakers to the ins and outs of this aspect of the industry on a smaller and more accessible level. On top of the expected selection of film screenings, there will also be a selection of helpful workshops and networking events organised to enlighten attendees eager to expand their film festival knowledge and meet other like-minded student filmmakers. Consider this your chance to meet the Ed Guiney to your Lenny Abrahamson.
This year’s festival will be short but sweet, taking place over the final weekend of February, from Friday 23rd to Sunday the 25th. From the wide range of entries received the cream of the crop will be selected and screened in the Generator Hostel in Smithfield. The workshop series mentioned earlier will be entitled “Festival 101” and is set to take place on Saturday afternoon. This exciting educational and professional opportunity will feature speakers from the Fastnet Film Festival, the Dingle Film Festival, and the Galway Film Fleadh to name but a few. The weekend will be rounded off with a dazzling awards ceremony in Wynns Hotel on Abbey St, a venue familiar to any guests who also attended the Film Network Event in January of this year. Awards will be presented to films for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture.
Any interested parties are encouraged to invest in a Weekend Pass. This ticket ensures all-round entry into all the festival has to offer, from screenings to networking events to workshops. And at merely €10 it is a student-friendly steal. Alternatively, single day passes are also on offer to those who only wish to attend the events running on one particular day of the festival, but with only €3 in the difference, it would be a shame not to treat yourself.
