Screen8: Filmmaking for Older People from Dublin 8 At DIFF, we believe that cinema is for everyone. Since moving to Dublin 8, the Festival has been eager to explore ways of working with the local community, inspiring more people to get involved in film. The Digital Hub and the Dublin International Film Festival piloted Screen8 in May 2018 as an intensive but fun introduction to the possibilities of working in the film industry. The Screen8 programme is kindly sponsored by The Digital Hub 2022-2023 This year, we ran Screen8 for older people in the community – those aged 60+. This cohort of people experienced a taste of filmmaking and worked with a professional filmmaker to create their own short film. Laura O’ Shea, an Oscar and BAFTA qualifying director, writer and actor, is leading this year’s Screen8 programme. In 2021, Laura was selected by Element Pictures and Screen Ireland for a Shadow Director placement alongside Paddy Breathnach on the TV series ‘The Dry’, streaming on BritBox UK and more recently, she was chosen as the Winner of the ‘Taking Flight Award’ at Kerry International Film Festival 2022. Laura is drawn to work that looks closely at human connection and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. _ 2018-2019 Award-winning director Mia Mullarkey mentored our inaugural group of Screen8 participants in 2018-2019. On Friday 21 February 2019, the Screen8 filmmakers screened a premiere of their short documentary 'No Place Like Home' at the 2019 Dublin International Film Festival. In this short documentary, young Dublin 8 film students are on a quest to find out why there’s a homeless crisis in their country, and what can be done. The film includes moving testimonies from people who are homeless and captures a sense of the anger of a nation. It asked the question: how can four thousand children be in emergency accommodation when Ireland is the 14th richest country in the world? In the coming years we plan to expand the programme to reach and inspire disadvantaged communities across Ireland. Support us in our mission to grow the project by donating to DIFF! Please select a donation amount (required) €5 €10 €20 Other Set up a regular payment Donate For further information about Screen8 and to get involved, contact [email protected]