Movers and Shapers to feature at the 2023 Richard Harris Film Festival

Shaper, Philippe gluing at Tonn Surfboards as part of the ‘Movers and Shapers’ documentary which will be shown at the 2023 Richard Harris Film Festival

Award-winning documentary, ‘Movers and Shapers’, comes to the 2023 Richard Harris Film Festival in what has been an incredibly successful year for Limerick directors Ciara Kelleher and Alanna MacNamee

‘Movers and Shapers’, a documentary looking at surfers along the western coast of Ireland who are making shapes in the fight for sustainability will be screened at this year’s Richard Harris Film Festival.

The film is led by two Limerick female directors; Ciara Kelleher, director and actor; and Alanna MacNamee, director, writer, and producer. The pair have been giving Q&As and recently travelled to Luxembourg to give a Director’s Q&A at a festival and both will also hold a Q&A for the West Coast of Ireland Surfrider Association to raise money for a ‘Take Action for our Ocean’ project taking place on October 21 at Hotel Doolin.

The documentary will be shown at the International Rugby Experience as part of the Sports Documentary Day of the 2023 Richard Harris Film Festival on October 29.

advertisement

While they love the wind and the waves, and they love nature, the tool surfers use for their sport and expression, surfboards are a threat to the ecosystems around them.

“Every piece of kit” the average surfer owns is petrol-based and “really, really toxic.” Now that all looks set to change in one small pocket of the west coast of Ireland. ‘Movers and Shapers’ meets the Irish surfers and shapers using everything from wine corks to wood as they try to find new and innovative ways to make their boards more sustainable.

Describing the process of making the film, Ciara said, “I became engrossed in surfboard shaping after learning about the process from Michael. After the past couple of years, I felt so lucky to get to focus on something creative and work with not only a passionate team; but a friend of over 10 years!” 

Co-directors Alanna MacNamee and Ciara Kelleher have a strong connection to the Irish coast and are keen to showcase its beauty. The pair are working with an incredibly talented local team including producer Rob Gill, cinematographer Shane Joyce and sound designer and editor David Martin Ryan.

As well as this year’s Richard Harris Film Festival, ‘Movers and Shapers’ has been included in Newport Beach Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Portuguese Surf Film Festival, Docs Ireland, Kerry International Film Festival, The Other Venice Film Festival, Inheritance Film Festival, the British and Irish Film Festival of Luxembourg, and has won Best Director at the Vesuvius International Film Festival.

More about the Richard Harris Film Festival here.
Find out more here.