Brian Mulholland
Belfast Metropolitan College
What I Want to Talk About
I’ve been a fan of film for as long as I can remember. I left school and started work at 16 but something inside of me always wanted to write and make movies. When I decided to go back to college it made sense it would be film studies. I started making short films with friends, we would take turns to write or direct then edit together so we were learning the different roles. We would make short films, throw them up online but they wouldn’t get many views. Friends who were in bands would have showcase nights, we needed the same for those of us making film. This is when Film Devour, Belfast’s Independent Short Film Festival was born.
The first one was in at art gallery, we set out 30 chairs and 60 people turned up. That’s when we realised we were on to something. It is about providing a platform for local filmmakers, writers and actors to screen their films, network and co-ordinate ideas. A real community has built up around it. The Blackbox Belfast became our home and we packed it out 3-4 times a year, partnering with Belfast Film Festival and Belfast Comedy Festival. Covid has of course changed things, we have had one virtual festival since but it’s just not the same. Seeing your film in front of a live audience is an important part of the journey for everyone involved. Let’s hope we can do it again.
Books, People, Ideas, Podcasts
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