One of the founders of a new short film festival in Cork, Mick Hannigan has expressed astonishment at the positive response both in Ireland and internationally to the new festival which has received over 3,500 entries in its inaugural year.

Mr Hannigan, the former Director of the Cork Film Festival, said the Indie Cork Film Festival has attracted entries from some 75 countries including from filmmakers as far away as Cameroon, Surinam and the Solomon Islands.

"I'm astonished, flabbergasted at the response from filmmakers – my own target would have been around 600 – I would have been happy with that in the first year and then they started to come in so it's very heartening to be able to establish the festival so quickly," he said.

Shortlist
According to Mr Hannigan, a team of around 30 volunteers, including people involved in film studies and film making, have begun viewing the 3,500 films with a viewing to drawing up a shortlist of around 300 films from which the final list of around 80 will be drawn.

“We hope to show around 80 films over the five days of the festival which runs from October 16th to October 20th inclusive and those films will be spread across three categories, local Cork films, Irish films and international films,” he explained.

Screenings will take place over the five days at the Gate Cinema and the Triskel Christchurch while the former Kino cinema, now operating as a music venue, will also be used to show films along with a number of what Mr Hannigan described as “pop-up venues”.

Anyone seeking any further information on the Independent Cork Film Festival, please visit indiecork.com