pogoism

From QUB:

A short film by a Queen’s University graduate is to be the first ever from Northern Ireland shown at the Sundance Film Festival. 

Connor Clements from Scarva, Co. Down, wrote and directed ‘James’ as part of his Master’s degree course. The film follows a teenage boy as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality. 

‘James’ is one of just 22 shorts selected for the International Dramatic Competition, from an overall Festival entry of 6,000 films. It has also been selected for the Sundance 10/10 – an exclusive selection of ten short films available to download from iTunes during the Festival (15-25 January). 

Connor, who will be in Utah to present his film at the Festival, said: “Sundance is one of the world’s largest, most influential and prestigious independent film festivals, and I am thrilled that my debut film, made while studying my Master’s at Queen’s, has been chosen for the International Dramatic Competition. 

“Being shown at Sundance is one of the highest accolades available for a short film and it’s a real honour for any aspiring filmmaker to be part of this high-profile event. I hope it won’t be the last time one of my films is shown on such a prominent stage.” 

This is the latest in a string of awards and accolades for ‘James’. It was chosen for the famous Short Film Corner at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and won a series of awards in 2008, including Best Northern Irish Short at the Belfast Film Festival, The Iris Prize for Best UK Short, and Best International Short at the St Louis International Film Festival. 

‘James’ will also feature at film festivals around the world in the coming months, with screenings planned in San Francisco, San Jose, Honolulu, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Sydney and Miami in the coming months. Connor said: “‘James’ has been popular with festival programmers, and I hope it continues to captivate audiences for a long time.” 

‘James’ will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival from 15-25 January. For more information on the project and to follow Connor’s Sundance Blog, visit www.connorclements.tv For more information on Film Studies at Queen’s visit www.qub.ac.uk/film

You can download this film, and others at iTunes until January 25th.