Graduate filmmaker Robert Manson from IADT won the Ardmore Sound Best Short Film award for his two films Silver Bow and Time Passing . They were selected from a short-list of ten films from film schools around the country. Second place in the competition went to the animation Friend by Rob O'Halloran of St John's College, Cork, and third place went to Growing Up Counties Apart by Nicola Leddy, a second year student of communication studies in Dublin City University.

Robert Manson graduated from IADT in 2008 and set up Anville Films in Dublin with three other classmates. He is currently working on a film called Coffee which is in post production.

As winner he received an award designed by Shane Holland and a one-day professional sound mix in Ardmore Sound, worth €2,000.

ITALY

8 pm Opening Film Event

Uncle Bill's Barrel (10 mins)

A short film, based on the story by Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing) and shot by Award-Winning DP, Robbie Ryan is directed by Skerries filmmaker Eoin Ryan.

Main feature
My Brother is an Only Child - a lively, witty, funny and intelligent drama from Italy. (Cert 15)

MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD (105 mins)

An award-winning Italian drama by Daniele Luchetti telling the story of two brothers torn apart by their opposing political views and shared love of the same woman. trailer

Admission: 10€

2 pm Ardmore Sound Short Film Competition
The day will kick off with the Ardmore Sound short film competition for students. Ten shortlisted films from colleges nationwide will be screened with a chance of winning €2000 worth of professional sound mix facilites in Ardmore Sound as well as claiming the annual best student short award by designer Shane Holland. more

Admission: Free

4 pm Master Class in Editing with Fergal McGrath
We are delighted to have Fergal McGrath, an independent film editor with us this year. Fergal has worked on numerous TV programmes for the BBC, RTÉ, ITV as well as on feature films, commercial and title sequences. This workshop will focus on the 'big picture' of the editor's role, rather than the technicalities of the job. Editors are both creatives and technicians but also politicians! In the edit suite ultimately they are the advocate of the audience but also a partner of the director and producers. more

Workshop is open to all. Admission: 5€

6 pm Documentary
As part of our documentary programme we will be showing an award-winning, moving documentary about an orphanage for African children with HIV/AIDS. Local curator Cleo Fagan who is working with the issues in the film will introuduce it. more

ANGELS IN THE DUST (95 mins)
ANGELS IN THE DUST won the 2007 Emerging Pictures/Full Frame Audience Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the 2007 Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival. trailer

Admission: 5€

8 pm Main Feature Film
Waltz with Bashir - an Oscar-nominated feature-length animation from Israel. (Cert 16)

Winning Short Award Ceremony and screening of the winning film

WALTZ WITH BASHIR (90 mins)
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images. trailer

Admission: 10€

3 pm Children's Film at Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul
This year's children's film is a "visually astonishing" animation in which two childhood friends travel through a semi-mythical land on a quest to find the Djinn fairy. In English.

AZUR AND ASMAR (99 mins)
Azur is a blond boy with blue eyes, Asmar has dark hair and dark eyes. As children, they fought and loved each other as brothers do. As grown ups, they mercilessly become rivals in the quest for the "djinn's fairy", in a medieval Maghreb, full of dangers, magic spells and wonders. trailer

Admission: 5€ (includes a drink and popcorn)

7 pm Closing Film Event:
Pedro Almodovar - double bill

7 pm TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! (100 mins / Cert 18)
Antonio Banderas caught the world's attention with his portrayal of Ricky, an orphaned mental patient who stalks and kidnaps Marina (Victoria Abril), a porn actress and junkie, in order to make her fall in love with him. trailer

Call for students to submit their work to SOLAS Film Festival with a chance of winning 2000 euro worth of professional sound mix in Ardmore Sound and to bring home an aspiring trophy designed by prominent designer Shane Holland.

Deadline for submitting the shorts is Monday, 18th of May, 2009.

Ten films will be shortlisted and shown during the festival shorts programme, with the winning film screened again during the main programme. Further info and entry forms can be found on our SHORTS pages.

We are presenting a full programme of captivating films, practical workshops, a short film competition, a family film and great fun.

In order to ensure the success of this event we need your support. And you can show your support by joining our Friends' Scheme. By becoming a friend you will secure your seat to see all our fine films and you will be invited to all our events.

Through supporting the festival in this way you are ensuring that it becomes an annual event in Skerries social events calendar.

Looking forward seeing you again.

SOLAS Film Festival Team