Needle Exchange and Home Turf to screen at AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) short films Needle
Exchange and Home Turf will both play in competition this week at the AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival in Washington. The Festival is dedicated to showcasing the best in documentary film and will take place from the 18th to the 24th of June.
Colm Quinn's Needle Exchange tells the story of Spencer and Glen, two best
friends who helped each other swap their heroin habits with a passion for tattoos. Ink is their link, but their bond is tested when a new romantic relationship threatens the friendship. Produced by Andrew Freedman for Venom Films Needle Exchange has enjoyed a successful festival run with screenings at Sheffield DocFest, Worldwide Short Film Festival, Encounters Bristol Festival, Seattle Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival and it picked up the award for best short documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh 2011. Needle Exchange was funded under the Reality Bites short film scheme.
Also funded under the Reality Bites scheme Home Turf is a visual celebration of the dying craft of turf cutting. While the old men carry out their simple tradition with good humour and determination, the film explores the battle between man and machine, the inevitability of progress and the rich benefits of old-fashioned community life. Ross Whitaker's film has previously been screened worldwide at festivals including the Krakow Film festival, the Hot Docs section of the Canadian International Documentary film Festival, the Dingle Film Festival and the Jameson International Film Festival. Home Turf was produced by Aideen O'Sullivan for True Films.