The Four Competition Categories Are:

- Best Irish Short

- Best International Short

- Best Animation

- Best Documentary

Since 1999, the Foyle Film Festival has been an Oscar® affiliated festival – one of only a handful of festivals to enjoy this honour. As a result, recipients of the LIM Award qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules. Previous winners and competitors who have proceeded to win the Oscar®, include: Martin McDonagh (Six Shooter), Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet), and Eric Armstrong (Chubbchubbs). Other festival award winners received Oscar® nominations in 2010 - including Juanita Wilson, Director of The Door who received a LIM Award for Best International Short at the Foyle Film Festival in 2008. While the winner, also in 2008, of Best Animation French Roast - directed by Fabrice O. Joubert - also received an Oscar® nod at this year's Academy Awards®.

Remembering her success at the Foyle Film Festival in 2008, the Director of ‘The Door’ Juanita Wilson commented “Winning the Foyle Film Festival was one of the highlights of my career. Firstly, I had a real sense of commitment to the craft of film from all the people involved and was delighted to have a chance to interact with Moving Image Arts film students and enthusiasts through a question and answer session. It was very interesting for me to hear comments and get direct feedback from an audience. We were all treated with such respect and kindness and the hospitality will always be appreciated. The standard of films being shown was very high and I was surprised and very honoured to discover that ‘The Door’ had won. It was an amazing night and winning such a prestigious award gave me more confidence about the film.  And of course winning the LIM award at Foyle offered us the opportunity to enter our film to the Oscars® - it's a great bonus for film-makers to be selected by the Foyle Film Festival in the knowledge that as an affiliated festival, it could lead all the way to the Oscars®. We were very proud to be nominated for an Oscar® in the Short Film category this year. I would hold the Foyle Film Festival in very high regard and feel it is both intimate and ambitious as a festival and the serious commitment, warmth and hard work of the all the people involved make it very special.” Juanita is currently working on her debut feature film ‘As If I’m Not There’.

In 2009 the Foyle Film Festival changed the rules for films screening in competition - enabling filmmakers to showcase their work on dvd format for the first time. Festival Director Bernie McLaughlin comments "As a result - there was a huge increase in films submitted into the competition in 2009. This year the festival is hoping to increase submission numbers even further by abandoning the rule that all short films, and documentaries, screening in competition have to be premiere screenings. We hope that this will encourage even more filmmakers to submit their work into competition this year. There really is no reason now for any filmmaker - local or otherwise - not to put their best work forward for public exhibition and scrutiny. This is a very exciting time for the festival as we look forward to a further increase in competition submissions. Which provides an even greater chance of discovering a new filmmaker, and giving them their first steps towards international recognition."

In 2009 the Foyle Film Festival joined the list of BAFTA-recognised festivals. Consequently, Short Films and Short Animations which either screen or are accepted to screen as part of the Light In Motion (LIM) Film Awards at Foyle Film Festival can be submitted for consideration to the Short Film Awards at BAFTA. For further details please visit www.bafta.org

While independently funded British feature films (fiction and documentary) screening at Foyle Film Festival qualify for consideration in the British Independent Film Awards. For further details please log on to www.bifa.org.uk

The 23rd Foyle Film Festival will take place from Friday 19-Saturday 27 November 2010, with the programme launch on Friday 22 October in the Nerve Centre, 7-8 Magazine Street, BT48 6HJ, Derry/Londonderry.

For further Information on rules, regulations, cost, and how to apply to the LIM Film Awards please log onto the festival website www.foylefilmfestival.org, or go directly to www.withoutabox.com from Tuesday 1 June 2010. The festival does not accept unsolicited entries outside of this official process.

www.foylefilmfestival.org

Guth Gafa On Tripmi

Archive

Partners

Guth Gafa Newsletter