TEN TEAMS of third-level students who have documented their ideas on the attitudes of young Irish people towards alcohol are competing for a €5,000 film-making prize.
Groups from Athlone Institute of Technology, Cavan Institute of Technology, NUI Maynooth and a number of Dublin colleges were shortlisted from over 100 entries in the dare2bdrinkaware competition. Eight are pictured above.
The competition is organised by the Digital Hub and drinkaware, a drinks industry-sponsored organisation promoting the “respectful consumption of alcohol”.
The three-minute long films deal with health issues associated with drinking, preview the exploits of someone who drinks too much, and document the differences between the alcohol consumption of an affluent young man and a homeless person.
“We had over 100 applications from around the country, which means that at least 500 young people have researched this, spoken to their friends and reflected on the topic of alcohol in society,” said Fionnuala Sheehan of drinkaware.
The shortlisted films will battle for €5,000 in prizemoney and the winners will be unveiled at an awards ceremony in the Digital Hub in Dublin next Thursday, which Lenny Abrahamson, the director of Prosperityand Garage, is to address.
The best editing, cinematography, narrative, creative interpretations of the competition brief and best overall film will be judged by RTÉ presenter John Kelly, Ãine Moriarty of the Irish Film and Television Academy among others.
Visitors to a designated website will be also be able to vote for their favourite film.
"Our film aims to raise awareness about the trauma associated with alcohol," said UCD student Liam Francis Ward, whose film The Curemade the shortlist.
“It’s a three-minute story about a guy who wakes up in the middle of the day with a hangover and feels very sick before he goes out to try make himself feel better. He gets more and more drunk throws up and then goes home and back to sleep.”
Mr Ward said the competition was a good opportunity, but that he was unsure as to how young people might react to the film. “I’d be very cynical about it myself. I don’t drink myself, so I approach things from a different kettle of fish. Alcohol and Irish culture are quite entwined, so it’s very hard to separate people from it.”
The 10 shortlisted entries can be seen at www.dare2bdrinkaware.com
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