All the young bloods of the film world turned up when David Caffrey premiered his latest short, Bolt, on Wednesday night. The sweet smell of success has been lingering around David ever since news of his big budget feature, Divorcing Jack, was announced. Seemingly bound for cult film status, being a Trainspotting for the North, the adaptation of Colin Bateman's novel is a co-production between Frank Mannion of Scala Pictures and Robert Cooper of BBC Northern Ireland.
The lead will be taken by Paul Thewlis, who some may remember from Naked and who is soon to hit the big time after starring alongside Brad Pitt in a film about the Dalai Lama.
Other Scorcese-wannabes there at the post-show party in Columbia nightclub included director Paul Duane, who recently finished filming Lunch With Oswald, a Short Cuts film about Lee Harvey Oswald. He chatted with sculptor Vivian Hansbury about her forthcoming exhibition in the Temple Bar Gallery and also with old friend, producer Paul Fitzgerald of Clingfilms, the team responsible for the very popular film 35 Aside.
Producer and director Naoise Barry, who came to the notice of many a festival-goer with his short, Pips, also came along and chatted enthusiastically about his next project - co-producing John Carney's next film. Carney, whose funky black-and-white film No- vember Afternoon won much critical and popular approval, is to direct his own screen play, Just in Time, for RTE's Reel Time. Actor Michael McElhatton, who could be seen on the TV earlier in the evening in Jean Pasley's short, Serial Numbers, will also appear in Carney's film, which will start shooting in September.