Irish Flicks at NY Film Fest

In the film Tom is a security guard who spends the majority of his time watching the vast array of CCTV's within his workplace. Tom, however, also spends his time recording unsuspecting members of the public whom he believes are doing "immoral things," before he blackmails them.

But the tables are turned on him when he suddenly receives a mysterious videotape that shows him meeting with his last victim. With the camera now turned in the opposite direction, Tom must ask himself some questions, like who could be blackmailing him? Could it be the last victim who appears on the mystery tape? And how will he pay his blackmailer? It's fascinating stuff and this interesting new Irish director deftly handles it.

"I believe the Irish are the most competent and gifted at making short genre films in the industry," says McGarrity. "Probably because budgets have always been limited. But scripts have always been king in any film and the Irish are great at writing them. Our short films are hands down some of the best you'll ever see."

Also highly anticipated at this year's festival is The Flight of the Earls/Imeacht na n-Iarla, the celebrated drama documentary about the collapse of the old Gaelic Order starring Stephen Rea as Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.

An emotional landmark and a crucial turning point in Irish history, the exile of so many Northern Gaelic families to Europe in 1607 enabled the Plantation of Ulster, whereby two million acres of the Northern Earls lands were confiscated and planted with foreign settlers. The consequences of the Flight were only recently resolved in Northern Ireland, with the establishment of the Assembly in 2007.

"It was very moving to be filming Stephen Rea as Hugh O'Neill in the church where he is buried in Rome 400 years after O'Neill arrived in Rome," director Paul Larkin said.

The film is in Irish, English and Spanish and has English language subtitles. It was first broadcast on the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls in September 2007 and sold out in Dublin when it was first screened.

The New York International Independent Film and Video festival runs from February 28-March 6. For tickets call visit www.nyfilmvideo.com.

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Nster.com