Director Frank Berry’s documentary about bringing music to Ballymun, Lullaby, has been selected to be screened to influential Hollywood movie executives.
The showcase is the prize for winning the Finder Series competition run by the Screen Director’s Guild of Ireland in conjunction with the Director’s Guild of America.
The competition was developed by the Director’s Guild of America following the success of their own US Finder Series. The guild has also developed similar competitions for other nations such as Australia and New Zealand.
Berry’s documentary impressed a panel of international judges enough for them to pick it over 9 other hopefuls.
The documentary follows Ron Cooney who has spent the last fifteen years teaching music to Ballymun children. Cooney is a professional music teacher but brought music to the notorious Dublin towers for free. Over the years he has seen remarkable change in the community.
During a time when Ballymun has been transformed from a North Dublin ghetto into a modern and vibrant community, Cooney has gone from giving free recorder lessons in one school to recording a full orchestral album for nationwide release with the local kids.
Berry has said that he is “delighted to be given this incredible opportunity and to be presenting Ballymun Lullaby at the Director’s Guild of America”.
Previous winners of the Irish Finder Series include Tomm Moore’s The Secret of Kells which went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 2010, only losing out to Pixar’s Up.
