john morton - Ken McGuire

Kilkenny Arts Festival Launches

ONE OF the highlights of my calendar year (and that of Kilkenny) is the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Now in its 36th year, this year’s festival runs from August 6th to 15th and is packed to the hilt with the best in music, theatre and dance, visual arts, literature, children’s events and more. A long time spectator, last year was the first year I’ve volunteered on the festival and I’m back (along with John Morton) in the same role last year in producing the online content for the festival duration (and blogging the festival via the KAF blog).

That started yesterday with the launch in Dublin where Fergus Shiel put a group of professional singers through their paces to announce the KAF programme for 2010 through a choral performance. The same will be repeated in Kilkenny on August 14th where Fergus will lead a group of around 200 singers through a performance in St. Canice’s Catherdral where works will include Rossini’s Sabat Mater and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.

Check out the video above, or watch the Qik clip of the launch yesterday as it happened.

Short Film: Attic

I mentioned earlier in the week that I’d been along to the premiere of The Suitors, the latest feature to be released under the Young Irish Film Makers banner (note: I’m on the board of directors). Prior to showing The Suitors on Monday night, two other short films made an appearance. First up was Sclever, winner of Caffeine, a recently-held 24 hour online film festival co-ordinated by the YIFM gang. Following Sclever was Attic, writting by David Galster and directed by Peter O’Connor.

If we’re the older generation (not the oldest generation) of YIFMers, then these guys are part of the creme of the current generation when it comes to short film making in Kilkenny. The movie features faces familiar to fans of the Vultures series and was filmed on location in Kilkenny earlier this year. Check out the video above or watch it here on Vimeo (in HD).