Conor English receives 2023 Westmeath Film Award
Filmmaker Conor English has been announced as the 2023 winner of the Westmeath Film Award.
The annual award is a bursary of €10,000 granted to a local filmmaker to be used towards the production of a short (10-15 minute) film or documentary in the county.
The 2023 Film Award will enable Conor to create his short documentary Roma – A Story of Chips and Wonder.
The film will document the history of the popular Mullingar chipper Roma and its owners, exploring a story of immigration and the meeting of Italian and Irish cultures, featuring insights from the patrons.
It is a story rooted in Mullingar that Conor hopes will prompt viewers into a “deeper understanding and connection to our shared histories”.
He will be joined by producer Ethan Scally, and the Roma film will follow their collaboration, Millie’s Maxol Magic, which followed a day in the life of Millie Walsh, who runs the filling station at the Dublin Bridge in Mullingar.
The Film Award aligns with Westmeath Art Office plans to support and promote filmmaking activity in the county, and to promote Westmeath as a county steeped in a rich local culture and history.
The Westmeath Arts Office made the selection with guest judges Vanessa Gildea and Aoife Barry.
Vanessa Gildea, who is dead of the Department of Film and Media at The National Film School IADT, said: “The quality of the screenwriting and storytelling talent on the shortlist for the Westmeath Film Award was enormously impressive.
“It’s especially encouraging to see a short documentary emerge as the winning project in only the second year of this important scheme for emerging Westmeath filmmakers. The proposal for the winning film Roma – A Story of Chips and Wonder was beautifully presented by talented filmmaker Conor English.
“It is a story full of heart that celebrates a culturally rich community in Westmeath. I personally can’t wait to see the finished film.”
Conor English said: “It’s important to document and celebrate the great people, places, and stories we have in not only in Mullingar but Westmeath. I love Mullingar and I love the people, I love the oddities and the everyday things that we pass by without a thought – I’m very grateful to be supported in making such things that both interest me and the community.”
Judge Aoife Barry added: “It was exciting to see the talent and fresh ideas coming from Westmeath creatives who entered this year’s competition. It was tough to pick a winner, but this documentary stood out as it demonstrated a keen interest in the people who make the county what it is – showing that it’s the stories of individuals that give us insight into what makes a community tick.”
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About Conor English
Conor English is a lens-based artist practising in the Midlands of Ireland. His work consists of filmmaking, photography, visual art, and experimental film. He is interested in stories, people, and places.
The everyday, the often-overlooked characters and the spaces they inhabit, his work attempts to present the familiarity of the everyday through a view of curiosity, wonder and humour.
He now lives in Mullingar with his family. He is currently working from his studio space in Cúige Artist Studios in Mullingar town.