Having received its international premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film and TV festival this spring, Redbreast welcomed Unhidden home with cocktails on hand such as the Robin Orchard Highball served with Redbreast 12yo and a Silken Robin Old Fashioned with Redbreast Lustau. Attendees were treated to Scott’s hand-chosen selection of global short films. The occasion also afforded an opportunity to mingle and share their own passion for film.
Andy Ascough, MC on the night, shared his beginnings in film and passion for the project. He recollected starting off using his dad’s camcorder around the age of six before progressing to his own rig in his teens. Now, Ascough marries content creation across social media and commercials while also remaining keen to develop narrative strands with others.
“Redbreast sent me off to Texas to watch the showcase there. I got to sit down with the team and talk about what film-makers need in Ireland right now. First, and foremost, you could say funding but community is really high on that list too. Irish filmmakers need to be brought together, to be inspired, and film festivals across Ireland do that but for Redbreast to back films and give us more of a reason to hero new avenues of story-telling is exciting. These stories have a unique angle and heart to them.”
On the challenges of crafting considered narrative-driven work in the face of dwindling attention spans, Ascough added: “I think there is a big conflict of interest with the social media drive towards grabbing views and clicks and attention. It can be disheartening for people who want to tell a narrative long-form, or short-form, story because getting someone’s attention for more than ten minutes is hard now. Filmmakers need to be supported and backed now, more than ever.”
A selection of global short films brought to the big screen by actor, Andrew Scott and Redbreast Irish Whiskey
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Also in attendance, Redbreast cocktail and popcorn in hand, was producer Jonathan Loughran who has a rich and storied personal tale of his engagement with the industry. Starting with an Enterprise Ireland graduate scheme which brought him to Los Angeles at the start of the century, Loughran moved on to opening Screen Ireland’s first office over there in 2006 before becoming a producer in 2012. He recently returned to Ireland to set up Pioneertown Productions, a full service animation and live action production company, with Irish comic books and Marvel artist Will Sliney.
“Redbreast Unhidden is very smart by Redbreast. In terms of the pool of Irish talent, Andrew is the absolute bullseye, he is known for his taste, he’s always involved in outstanding projects and he is known to work with the best of the best, and that aligns perfectly with Redbreast.”
“It’s unbelievable being home. I’ve been waxing lyrical about how amazing it is here. Coming back with a fresh pair of eyes, I realise it is one of the best places to live and the supports are unbelievable. There’s a mature confidence in the industry here…I made Black 47 a few years ago, the first film set during the famine - the supports were phenomenal.”
Fiona Clark, director and CEO of Cork International Film Festival, also lauded the association. “It’s great to see a prestigious premium brand like Redbreast authentically supporting film.
Irish film is in its ascendancy is the received wisdom but the truth is it has been strong and nurtured for a long time and been doing it quite quietly. Organisations like our film festival which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year and is the longest running and oldest film festival in Ireland has been championing short films for seven decades. It has been part of our DNA since its inception.
“I think the Redbreast Unhidden campaign is a really great concept…We’re about bringing people together to discover film but, also, to reimagine the world through the discovery of film - it is all about diverse stories. It’s a communal experience and we sit at the epicentre of that, we offer a crucible through curated and thoughtful programming, just like Andrew Scott has done. Without being too dramatic, sometimes lives are changed.”
The Audience Choice on the night went to One Day This Kid by Alexander Farah. The short depicts a deftly-composed array of small yet pivotal moments that depict Hamed, a first-generation Afghan-Canadian man, as he takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father’s shadow. The film is inspired by the late David Wojnarowicz’ prolific queer text “Untitled (One Day This Kid…)”, a photo-collage from 1990 that shares the tragic story of a young boy growing up in a society that rejects him at all costs.
To discover more about Redbreast Whiskey’s Unhidden visit redbreastwhiskey.com
