Pictured with current students, Matthew McGuigan, celebrates coming first in A Level MIA Filmmaking, with his masterpiece, “Ardelinis”. Also in the photograph are former St Malachy’s students, Ronan Cooper and Adam Cooper, who are also studying Film and Television Production at the National Film School.
Brendan Kerr and Gerard Armstrong celebrate the achievement of their A Level colleague, in being awarded 1st place at A Level film in the CCEA Showcase. Also in the picture are Ingrid Arthurs from CCEA, Bernard McCloskey from Northern Ireland Screen and Sean Boyle from Cinemagic.
For an unequaled sixth year in a row, a Moving Image Arts student from the College has lifted top honors in Filmmaking at the 2016 CCEA Showcase.
For an incredible sixth year in a row St Malachy’s have been winners at the CCEA Showcase of the best film work from Moving Image Arts students in 2016.
Matthew McGuigan was CCEA’s top A Level filmmaker, coming first in the UK with his moving and evocative drama, “Ardelinis” at the event at Queen’s Film Theatre, on 26 November.
Matthew, who is currently studying for a degree in Film and TV Producation at the Nation Film School, IADT at Dun Laoghaire, followed his impressive first, second and third place awards for his three films at GCSE in the 2014 CCEA Showcase and Cinemagic’s Young Filmmaker competition, by achieving the top place in 2016 with his outstanding A2 masterpiece. The film, which is set in a fictional village in the Glens of Antrim, explores childhood challenges, family bonds, adult isolation and reconciliation, in a manner that combines the poignancy of Ingmar Bergman with the realism of Ken Loach and the metaphysical beauty of a Tourist Board promotion.
Matthew’s masterpiece left audiences amazed and almost stunned with disbelief that an A Level student could produce such a piece of visual poetry.
The awards ceremony was officially opened by leading animator, Joel Simons from Flickerpix, Bernard McCloskey from Northern Ireland Screen and Ingrid Arthurs from the examination board, CCEA who all spoke with awe about the imagination, skill and creative, endeavour and achievement of all of those shortlisted.
“Matthew is a credit to the college and has produced truly outstanding and superlative work during his studies in Moving Image Arts at GCSE and A Level and is a very worthy winner of the award.” said Joe Gallagher, Head of Visual Arts at St Malachy’s College. “As well as making a number of very creative short films, Matthew has also been Director of Photography on the locally made feature film, Braxton. Matthew is surely destined to win many more awards in his future professional career as a filmmaker.”
The winning films as well as a selection of other work from St Malachy's Moving Image Arts students can be viewed on Youtube on the miamalachy channel at: