Presents: YIFM at Cannes & Talking TITE with founder James Hudson & filmmaker Theda Hammel

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

Gary McHugh's Young Irish Filmmakers are nominated at Cannes, while Theda Hammel's debut closes a trans film festival.

The episode begins with an introduction to the guests: James Hudson, founder of the TITE Film Festival; Theda Hammel, filmmaker; and Gary McHugh, director of Young Irish Filmmakers. Hudson explains how the TITE festival started from a monthly film club after he noticed a gap in trans film screenings in Ireland while programming at Gaze LGBTQIA Film Festival. He details the festival's team, including programmers from Outburst Arts and Queer Spectrum Film Festival. The program features 11 screenings, such as the documentary 'Tops', which he praises for its mockumentary style that avoids exploitative tropes. Hudson also discusses an archival screening, 'Sex Change Shock Horror Probe', from 1988, which is a fundraiser for a legal challenge against a UK Supreme Court ruling. Theda Hammel then talks about her film 'Stress Positions', set in 2020, which blends comedy with melancholy. She describes her unconventional entry into filmmaking through sound work, leading to a green light from Neon. Hammel shares the chaotic editing process, including rewriting monologues and working with actors like John Early. She reflects on the film's themes of generational sadness and provisional living situations. Gary McHugh discusses Young Irish Filmmakers, founded in 1991, which works with 2,500 young people annually through programs like the National Youth Film School. He mentions alumni who started Cartoon Saloon. McHugh reveals the organization is a finalist at the Global Production Awards in Cannes for social impact, highlighting its role in skill development and community building. He plans to attend Cannes for networking and screenings. The episode concludes with thanks to the guests.

As heard by us

Festival logistics meet Cannes anticipation and the careful craft of finding a film's voice.

Film Ireland Podcast keeps festival organising and filmmaking craft close together, moving from James Hudson's account of the busy run-up to the Trans Image Trans Experience Film Festival at the Lighthouse Cinema to Gary McHugh's anticipation around Young Irish Filmmakers…

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Why you'd press play

Step into a hectic run-up at the Trans Image Trans Experience Film Festival, then stay for voiceover shaped around an actor's face.

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