Volkswagen Joe motors its way to Palm Springs

Seamus Enright


The award winning 30-minute short film, Volkswagen Joe, written by border playwright Brendan McCann, has been accepted to screen at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival in California later this year.
Produced by Technowolfe Films, in conjunction with Belturbet Dramatic Society, the news comes shortly after the film, which depicts the struggle facing a border mechanic faced with a tough decision, received a hugely positive response at the recent Fastnet Film Festival.
The film, which was shot in the west of the county, in Swanlinbar and along the border with Fermanagh in summer 2013 was also screened in Columbia, at the Salón Internacional de La Luz where cinematographer, Paddy Jordan received a special mention.
However, the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival marks an exciting moment for the producers and cast, which involved the likes of Stuart Graham, Matthew O’Brien, Janet Moran, John Delaney, as the event is considered one of the most prestigious worldwide.
Volkswagen Joe will screen at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs on June 21.

Last Days
Meanwhile, ‘The Last Days of Peter Bergmann’ a documentary written and producer by local documentary maker Ciaran Cassidy is to be show as part of the sixth annual Irish Film Festival to take place in Baton Rouge next month.
The film follows the final hours of a man who visited Sligo and went about disposing of any trace of his identity prior to his body washing up on a beach. This welcome festival slot comes after it won the Grand Jury Prize at Nashville Film Festival, and now qualifies for Oscar nomination next year.
The Keadue man’s documentary was also recently shown at the internationally acclaimed Sundance Film Festival, and was also selected to screen in Paris at the Panorama of the Golden Nights, organised by the French Academy of Cinema – Académie des César.