Evening Echo, Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Life 25

The opening film at IndieCork this weekend is a new crime caper produced by Cork womanSinead O’Riordan. COLETTE SHERIDAN talks to her about ‘Dead Along the Way’, where cast andcrew worked for no payment, and their hopes of bringing it to every cinema in the country.

Ken Loach, prolific director and winner ofthe Palme d’Or for both The Wind That Shakesthe Barley and the forthcoming I, Daniel Blake,is Honorary Patron of IndieCork, citing theirvision as one he is immensely proud to support.

To view the full programme see: http://indie-cork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Indie-Cork-2016-Programme.pdf

It is difficult for people but we’re all on boardon the same journey.”

Maurice is currently adapting the charactersof Wacker and Tony for TV and has also writtena six-part TV series.

“Being in the arts in Ireland is hard. But ifyou find the right people to work with, thatmakes it a lot easier. It is tough, but you knowwhat? It’s probably tough everywhere. If you goover to LA, it’s just a larger pond.”■ Indie Cork runs from October 9 to 16 at thefollowing venues: The Gate Cinema, The CorkSchool of Music, The Crawford College of Art&Design and the Kino Cinema in associationwith Blacknight Solutions.

Founded in 2013, IndieCork is a cooperativeorganisation. The organisation is owned by itsmembers, who are all shareholders in the com-pany, making IndieCork Ireland’s only arts or-ganisation co-operative. IndieCork welcomesall expressions of interest in becoming activelyinvolved with the organisation.

It sets itself apart from other festivals by it’scommitment to development and collabor-ation. The festival is proud of it’s collaborativeapproach and has partnerships with severalcreative promoters, artists, filmmakers, musi-cians and producers.

“I got the part and from there, myself, Maur-ice and Elaine became very tight and went on toproduce more short films with the intention ofmaking a feature film.

“Indie Cork told us that within a few hours ofbooking opening for Dead Along The Way, itsold out and has been moved to a bigger screenat the Gate Cinema. It is kind of taking on a lifeof its own. We’re aiming high. We want to getthe film to cinemas (around the country) andwe’re f inalising our festival plan at themoment. It will go abroad after Indie Cork.”

Having served their apprenticeships makingshort films, Sinead, Maurice and Elaine are“taking the long view. It goes back to thatelement of respect. We know people are givingtheir goodwill. We’re not taking it for granted.

ALTHOUGH primarily an actor, Corknative Sinead O’Riordan is one of theco-producers of the opening film atIndie Cork on October 9.

Dead Along The Way, made on a budget ofjust €10,000, had its world premiere at theGalway Film Fleadh in July and won the ‘bestindependent feature film’ award at the Under-ground Film Festival in Dublin recently.

The film, directed by Kerry man, MauriceO’Carroll, sees Sinead play a supporting role asa Garda in this crime caper. It stars Cork actor,Ciaran Bermingham (The Young Offenders andGame Of Thrones), Ben Condron (A Date ForMad Mary) and Cora Fenton (Fred & Alice).

The film, shot in Dublin and Laois, is about apair of down-on-their luck videographerscalled Wacker and Tony. They are about tovideo a wedding and think their lives can’t getany worse. Wacker’s wife has thrown him out.He has been beaten up over money she bor-rowed for fertility treatment. A drink-fuelledincident the night before has put his friendshipwith Tony under huge strain.

But their problems are only beginning. BigJim, a loan shark who learns of his 16-year-olddaughter’s pregnancy, visits the church anddies after a scuf fle with Tony. The vi -deographers decide to try and conceal theircrime before the wedding guests arrive.

Sinead, who lives in Enniskerry with herhusband and two young sons, has worked infilm, theatre and radio and set up her produc-tion company, Orion Productions, in 2013.

Growing up in Friar’s Walk, she studieddrama from the age of six and has a diplomafrom LAMDA (London Academy of Music andDramatic Arts). Her theatre productions in-clude The Woolgatherer and Breathless (whichwon an Irish Times award).

“Acting is my baby,” she says. “I only pro-duce so that I can act. The acting industry is ahard slog. The roles aren’t always there so inorder for me to get the roles I want, I producemy own work. For Dead Along The Way, thereare three of us involved in the production sideof things. It’s Maurice’s debut feature and aswell as directing it, he’s the writer and editor.His wife, Elaine and myself were very much in-volved in the pre-production logistical stuff likelocations, organising where the cast and crewwere accommodated, the scheduling of theshoot and feeding the cast and crew.”

Rather than go through a lengthy and poss-ibly futile application for funding from theIrish Film Board, Maurice financed the filmfrom the proceeds of a promotional video hemade. Sinead also put some money into theventure.

“We put our own energy and money intomaking the film rather than go down the paperwork route. Our goal with Dead Along The Waywas to produce as high a calibre production aspossible.”

Sinead would love if the film had the kind ofsuccess that The Young Offenders is currentlyenjoying. Like the making of that hit film, DeadAlong The Way was made thanks to the good-will of the cast and crew who worked for nopayment. Most of the budget went on feedingpeople.

“We try to foster a film-making family whereeveryone respects each other. There are noegos. Everyone involved was very positive.What shines through from the film is thepassion of those involved. Our slogan is ‘madewith our own blood.’ I’m a big figure in the filmbut it’s very much Maurice’s baby. He isdefinitely going to go places.”

Sinead is pleased that she got Ciaran Ber-mingham on board, playing Tony. He plays achocolate-guzzling Garda in The Young Of-fenders. Niall Murphy from Drogheda playsWacker.

“The two leads make a very good pair.They’re like chalk and cheese, appearance-wise. Ciaran’s role is very comic and Niall hashis own comic ways in his role. There’s a greatdynamic between the two of them.”

Cora Fenton plays a sacristan. “She’s hilari-ous in the film.”

But it’s not all a barrel of laughs. Sinead saysthere’s violence in the film “but it’s not graphicor gratuitous. Maurice is influenced byTarantino and the Coen brothers”.

Sinead met Maurice after he viewed her self-made audition tape which she submitted forthe first short film he made a few years ago.

ON SCREEN: Sinead O’Riordan, co-producer of ‘Dead Along the Way’, which opens the IndieCork festival on October 9, pictured with Ciaran Bermingham.

€10k budget filmis causing a stir

PRODUCER: Sinead O’Riordan, who runs OrionProductions.“IndieCork told us that within a few hours of

booking opening for ‘Dead Along the Way’, it sold outand has been moved to a bigger screen at the GateCinema. It is kind of taking on a life of its own.