Cork County Secondary Schools Shine Bright at Film Festival Awards

students from Terence MacSwiney Community College, De La Salle Macroom, St Angela’s College, Schull Community School, Kinsale Community College.

Secondary schools from all over County Cork gathered at Fota Wildlife Park’s newly established Education, Conservation and Research Centre on 10th April 2024 for the regional ‘Rubbish Film Festival Awards’, an event dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and sustainability through the powerful medium of film.

First launched in Cork the during the 2023/2024 academic year, ‘The Rubbish Film Festival’ is renowned for showcasing compelling stories and innovative filmmaking that highlights global and local environmental issues. The festival offers an extraordinary platform for young filmmakers, environmentalists, and school communities to come together to explore and discuss the pressing environmental challenges of our time, including climate change, pollution, and conservation efforts.

The one-minute films and posters, developed and produced by students of 14 participating schools, were of an extremely high standard and students were commended for their hard work and dedication to the programme. The ‘Best Film Award’ went to Schull Community School for their film, ‘Fish out of Water’ and St Angela’s College from Cork City for their film, ‘Through the Straw’. Awards were also presented to Terence MacSwiney Community College and Kinsale Community College for runner up film and to De La Salle Macroom for the poster competition.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn said 

The Rubbish Film Festival strongly aligns with our mission to foster a more sustainable and environmentally conscious community. We are excited to support this programme that not only entertains but educates and inspires action for a more sustainable planet

Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Kieran McCarthy expressed further enthusiasm for the festival by saying “We are delighted to collaborate with the festival organisers to bring this important event to Cork, furthering our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable living. We encourage everyone to view the films which promise to enlighten and empower individuals to make a positive impact on our environment”.

As part of the programme, Transition Year students in participating schools received a two-day workshop in their school facilitated by Createschool, which will be fully funded by Cork County Council and Cork City Council. The workshops provided insights into sustainable practices and the power of storytelling through video to drive change.  The winners from each category will go on to represent Cork at the national final which takes place online on the 10th of May.

For more information about ‘The Rubbish Film Festival’ and participation in Cork, please visit www.RubbishFilmFestival.com, All films will be available online at https://youtube.com/@rubbishfilmfestival.