Irish short film Ancient Lights has been selected for the 21st Shanghai Film Festival, which will be held this June in the Chinese city.
Ancient Lights is Made Image Film’s latest fantasy short directed by Cashell Horgan and was adapted from the short story Ancient Lights by Algernon Blackwood, one of the most prolific writers of ghost stories in the history of the genre.
The film is a light comedy terror, with an ‘old school’ feel like the early Hammer films, It tells the story of a surveyor clerk who comes under attack from supernatural forces for trespassing an ancient wood.
Ancient Lights stars Declan Rooney (The Savage Eye, Bridget and Eamon) as the surveyor, supported by Joe Mullins (Pilgrim Hill, The Clockmaker’s Dream). Director of Photography was Russell Gleeson with additional cinematography Paul Shannon, with Makeup by Linda Mooney & Susan Kenny. Louise Stanton provided costume design. The film was post-produced with VFX from Egg Post Production, with animation from Graham Isherwood. Gorilla Post production provided the sound mix, SFX and Foley. Musical Score was composed by Eoghan Horgan and Chris Mcdonald. The 11min film was supported with completion funding from Limerick Arts Office. The film’s poster was created by Limerick artist Ken Coleman.
The team are very excited that it’s going to screen in China and feel it’s a great opportunity for the short to reach a large audience.
Ancient Lights will also be screening at the 10th The Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull, Cork, 23rd -27th May, 2018.
The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia. Last year a total number of 1,532 public screenings were organised and over 42 million people watched the films with 127 community film screenings held in 16 districts.