Birr students make star appearance at Californian film festival

Students from the Birr centre of Laois Offaly Enterprise Training Board (LOETB) recently returned from a star appearance at the Healdsburg International Short Film Festival in California.

The Offaly students were selected to attend the festival for a film they starred in while completing work experience with the Offline Film Festival last October. The film, entitled ‘Known to the Gardai’, was directed by Gareth Stack, and starred in by Callum Foy, Jack Concannon and Kane Shortt (Music Industry & Event Management students).

The film was selected and showcased among film makers from around the world. The festival received 398 film submissions from 17 countries.

The film's director statement described the film as follows: “This film was created in 48 hours as part of a film challenge at the Offline Film Festival, with an entirely local cast, some of whom were first-time actors. I was inspired to develop the story after meeting Kane and Jack, who were volunteering at the festival. Their energy, humour and natural chemistry made them a perfect fit, and they helped devise many of this films funniest beats. These guys have a big future together as a nefarious comic duo.”

LOETB Birr said it was extremely proud of the film's nomination for the festival, as its 'Irish humour' was also praised in the local Healdsburg Tribune newspaper.