Ireland’s relationship with alcohol is explored in nine short films and three multimedia projects which have been shortlisted in a competition for third-level students.
The dare2bedrinkaware.ie event is organised by the drinks industry-sponsored body drinkaware.ie with the support of the Digital Hub. The theme for this year's competition – now in its fifth year - was drinking in a home environment.
The shortlisted projects include a film in which the characters try to piece together a night on the tiles the morning after. Another entry depicting how alcohol consumption has come to be viewed as ‘the norm’ in the home, shows a young child adding alcohol to the family’s shopping trolley at the supermarket.
Four of the entries are from students at the Cavan Institute and three are from the Limerick Institute of Technology. Entries from the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin City University, the Institute of Technology Tallaght are also on the shortlist.
Fionnuala Sheehan, chief executive of drinkaware.ie said the entries highlighted “the side of Ireland’s drinking culture that reality TV shows forgot to mention: the cost of heavy drinking for your health, your family and your future”.
Ms Sheehan said they also demonstrated how people could be more sensible in their approach to alcohol, for example by drinking water in between alcoholic drinks, or by using smartphone technology to keep track of how much they had to drink and when they had reached their limit.
Ms Sheehan said she feared viewers were becoming desensitised because of the prevalence of excessive drinking and drunkenness on reality TV programme.
“Reality TV can leave young people with the mistaken impression that excessive alcohol consumption in the home is normal, is without negative consequences, and can even lead to rewards,” she said.
“The stars of reality TV often go on to become well known and publicly recognised, but if they have been depicted on television drinking to excess, then what sort of message does this send out? Are people being rewarded with fame even though they are engaging in damaging behaviour?”
Ms Sheehan said most Irish people were "capable of enjoying a few drinks in their homes without going overboard".
The shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of representatives from the film and multimedia industries.
Prizes of €1,000 and €500 will be awarded respectively to the winners and runners up in each category.
One film and one multimedia entry will win special public vote prizes, with voting open on the dare2bdrinkaware.ie website.