Screen8 Opens Their Film-Making Introduction Programme for Seniors By Orla O’Connor

by Orla O’Connor

The Digital Hub and the Dublin Film Festival announce the fifth edition of Screen8, a film production programme intent on introducing the Dublin 8 community seniors to the film industry and encouraging them to get creative.

Screen8, a film-making programme hosted by The Digital Hub, has been announced for the fifth edition in 2022, but for the first time this programme is open to older people in the Dublin 8 community. Paul Farren, award winning producer, director, writer and editor who has been in the industry for 20 years, will head this year’s group and help navigate them through the world of film making and even assists the students in producing their very own short film in six months.

The Digital Hub and the Dublin Film Festival first partnered up in 2018. This programme began as an “out of school” programme for 14-16 year olds, offering young students an eye-opening experience to the film industry whilst also giving them a chance to be creative and gain experience in all different aspects of film-making: scriptwriting, shooting, directing producing and movie editing and more.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with our partner, the Dublin International Film Festival, in running the Screen8 for young people in Dublin 8 for the last four years,“ said Fiach Mac Conghail, CEO of The Digital Hub. ”We know the programme has inspired local young people to be creative and confident and inspire them to consider the Irish film industry as a career path. This year we decided to offer older people in our community a chance to experience a taste of film making.”

A film in production. Photo provided by Pixabay

The Digital Hub is a campus, located in The Liberties of Dublin 8, made up of restored townhouses and former Guinness brewery buildings, that hosts and becomes a home for new and leading technology and digital media companies to grow and build. The building is designed to encourage collaboration between the varying technology companies and create a sense of community, “Our unique buildings are designed to encourage a collaborative community, and sharing a physical space with other technology companies means help and inspiration is never far away,” said Fialch Mac Conghail.

The Digital Hub not only creates community but is intent on playing a greater role in the Dublin 8 community that surrounds it. It offers a platform to initiatives and projects that use digital and technological advances to help improve the lives of local people. The programmes range from digital art, digital learning, healthcare innovation, community development and many more.

Fiach Mac Conghail said he is “delighted to see the response from the local community; working with award winning producer, director, writer and editor, Paul Farren to create their own short film. It’s early days in the programme, but I’m excited to see what they will gain from this experience and to create something they are proud of.”