The Cork Film Festival is not just about the big stars and is looking to showcase new cinema talent.
The third Cork Film Festival was officially opened by Lord Mayor of Cork Alderman Sean McCarthy who paid homage to the enthusiasm of cinema goers in making the event a success. There was a packed audience at the Savoy Cinema each night of the festival.
The Cork Film Festival, now only three years old, is a resounding and well established success.
This year the festival, according to Cork Film Festival Director Dermot Breen, is a paired back affair with a focus on a week of good films.
Documentary filmmaker John Grierson, is chairman of the festival jury responsible for handing out the awards. He spoke about the opportunities the festival provides to young filmmakers.
The festival opened with a showing of the American film 'The Old Man and the Sea' directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy.
Every night, crowds thronged the entrance to the cinema to greet the visiting personalities arriving to make their personal appearances.
Among the stars in attendance at the festival was German actress Eva Ingeborg Scholz, who talks of her joy at being in Cork and the great welcome she has received.
British film producer Sir Arthur Elton praised the simple nature of the Cork Film Festival. While the festival can not compete with Cannes or Venice, the Cork festival is an opportunity to find new and young filmmakers, directors and producers. Sir Arthur Elton believes the reputation of the festival will grow over time. He also has much praise for the enthusiasm of the festival organisers.
This gives Cork a quality quite unlike anywhere else.
Dermot Breen says that while there is a need for a certain amount of ballyhoo, film stars will be welcomed to Cork and treated with respect. The festival will not tolerate any nonsense from visiting stars. He would like to see Cork have a permanent centre point, like a festival club, where everybody can congregate.
One of the biggest personalities at the festival is Italian director and actor Vittorio De Sica. Apart from a half-hour press conference, there was little or no other access. This is something that Dermot Breen acknowledges and needs to be addressed in future festivals.
The Cork Film Festival is most certainly here to stay.
'Provincial News Round Up' was broadcast on 28 September 1958. The reporter is Kevin O'Kelly.
'Provincial News Round Up' was a weekly review of events in the 32 counties.
From the RTÉ Archives Acetate Disc Collection which has been digitised with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Archiving Scheme.
