TWO Southside students have been shortlisted in a prestigious national student film and multimedia competition.
DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie – now in its fifth year – is a competition that challenges students to explore the relationship between Irish culture and drinking through a film or multimedia project.
The theme for the 2012 competition was
‘drinking in a home environment’.
Eleven projects produced by students from throughout Ireland have been shortlisted for the 2012 competition, including
‘The Waiting Room’, by 22-year-old Robyn Lakes, from Dundrum, and 23-year-old Grace Mulvey, from Rathfarnham, who are both Creative Digital Media students at Tallaght IT.
Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie congratulated Robyn and Grace on their success, and spoke about how the shortlisted entries show a more realistic side to drinking than that portrayed on so-called
‘reality’ TV.
“Reality TV can leave young people with the mistaken impression that excessive alcohol consumption in the home is normal, is without negative consequences, and can even lead to rewards,
? she said.
“My fear is that because of the prevalence of scenes of excessive drinking and drunkenness on reality TV programmes viewers are becoming desensitised. Such programmes sometimes glorify and normalise excessive levels of home drinking, rather than portraying a truly realistic stance. The reality is that most Irish people are capable of enjoying a few drinks in their homes without going overboard.
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She added:
“This year’s shortlisted entries highlight the side of Ireland’s drinking culture that reality TV shows forget to mention: the cost of heavy drinking for your health, your family and your future.
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The shortlisted entries will now go forward for judging by a panel of prestigious film and multimedia industry insiders, including Miriam Allen, Managing Director of the Galway Film Fleadh; blogger Darragh Doyle; Gavin Burke, presenter of
‘Cinerama’ on Phantom 105.2; Ciarán Norris, Head of Digital with Mindshare; and Scott Ahearn, Welfare Officer with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
The judges will award
?¬1,000 prizes to the best film and multimedia entries, and e500 prizes to the runners-up in each category. As well as the prizes awarded by the judging panel, one film and one multimedia entry will win special
‘public vote’ prizes.
All shortlisted entries are available to view online. For further information log on to: www.DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie