Tango Classes in Castlemaine

Tralee's very own resident Tango master, Cristina Aguilera, will teach classes at The Phoenix Restaurant in Castlemaine on Saturday, 7 August. The 90 minute class will cost 10 euro, which is quite a deal when you think about it, and begins at 4:00pm.

Saturday 7th August:
Tango Argentino: 4PM -5.30PM €10

THE PHOENIX
GARDENS CAFÉ B&B
066 9766284 - 0879054334
Find us: Castlemaine & Inch on the R561

2010 Photo Competition

Hanging Out by Michael Gannon 2009 Samhlaiocht Photo Competition Winner

Samhlaiocht is issuing a call for photographs for the Samhlaiocht Photo Competition.

"The Samhlaiocht Photo Competition is always a huge success," said Mike Foley, Samhlaiocht Photo Competition co-ordinator. "In previous years the quality and variety of photographs has been simply astonishing. In fact this year we've decided to have two separate heats because of the number of entries we've had in the past."

The closing date for the first heat is Friday, 28 May and entries are asked to bear the theme, "Landscape or Nature", in mind. The closing date for the second heat will be Friday, 6 August and photographs with a theme of "Portrait or Still Life" are requested.

"This year we've chosen Andre Corvin of Andre Corvin Photography to adjudicate the competition. Andre has a stellar reputation and has judged national photo competitions in the past. He's a consummate professional and his portfolio is full of fantastic shots of everything from wedding photography to fine art pieces, so he's a perfect choice for adjudicator," added Mike.

This year's Samhlaiocht Photo Competition is being run in association with Bank of Ireland. "We're delighted that the Samhlaiocht Photo Competition is being run in association with Bank of Ireland. The winning shots and a selection of other photographs will tour Bank of Ireland branches throughout Kerry," said Mike. "It's a way to expand the reach of the competition and, even at this early stage, feed back has been extremely positive. We're hoping that next year the Samhlaiocht Photo Competition will have a national dimension."

As part of the prize this year all winning entries will be professionally mounted and framed and will remain the property of the artist after the exhibition. The Framing Prize is kindly sponsored by O' Meara Fast Framing Service in Tralee Shopping Centre. Selected photographs will be displayed in the Bank of Ireland branch on Castle Street in the heart of Tralee from 16 September to 8 October 2010.

The photographers are asked to bear the themes in mind when submitting work. A liberal interpretation of the theme is encouraged, however, and the organisers look forward to receiving a wide diversity of styles and subject matter.

"With two distinct themes this year, 'Landscape or Nature' for the 28 May deadline and 'Portrait or Still Life' for the 6 August deadline, the sky is really the limit and we're all very excited to see the entries this year," said Mike.

When asked about digital manipulation, Mike said, "With digital cameras in everyone's arsenal and this year's broad themes, we can't rule out digital manipulation, nor would we want to. Digital photography is an exciting medium and we encourage people to play around and to be as creative and artistic as they like!"

Photographs may be black and white or colour and must measure 8"X 10".

Contestants must submit a hard copy of the picture to Mike Foley at Samhlaiocht, Unit 1, The Windmill Complex, Blennerville, Tralee. For those submitting photographs taken with a digital camera please also email a copy to mike@samhlaiocht.com citing 'Samhlaiocht Photo Competition' in the subject line.

Interested parties should fill out an application form, which are available online, or in the Samhlaiocht office in The Windmill Complex in Blennerville. Application forms ask for name; address; contact phone number; email and the title of each photograph submitted. Hard and soft copies of each photograph are also requested.

The closing date for entries in the first heat, 'Landscape or Nature' is Friday, 28 May and the closing date for entries to the second heat, 'Portrait or Still Life', is Friday, 6 August.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com or call 066 712 9934.

KFF Announces German Lsanguage Screening

THE COUNTERFEITERS


Kerry Film Festival (KFF), which is this year celebrating eleven years of bringing films to the people of Kerry, is delighted to announce a screening of the 2008 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, DIE FALSCHER (THE COUNTERFEITERS) as part of its Education Screenings for 2010. Working in close collaboration with the Irish Film Institute (IFI), Kerry County Council and various schools throughout the county the film will screen in Tralee Omniplex on Monday 26 April at 10:30 am.

"We're thrilled to be in a position to screen a film for German students and it's an amazing film," said Kerry Film Festival Director, Jason O' Mahony. "The education screenings that take place during the Kerry Film Festival are always a success and we're delighted to be able to extend those screenings throughout the year. We're also indebted to the support we receive from the IFI and Kerry County Council, which makes the screening possible."

The winner of the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Stefan Ruzowitzky's THE COUNTERFEITERS is the first film from Austria to ever receive that prestigious honor. Based on the memoir by Adolf Burger, the film tells the inspiring story of a pre-World War II criminal whose cunning and fiery spirit enable him to overcome deadly odds and survive life in Germany's Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Before the war, Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) was one of the world's most ingenious counterfeiters, until he was finally caught and arrested by Friedrich Herzog (Devid Striesow). Years later, as the Nazi movement is in full swing, the nefariously charming Herzog, now a Nazi leader, recruits Sorowitsch to lead an enormous counterfeiting project called Operation Bernhard. Placed in a horrific position of moral corruption, Sorowitsch is forced to decide whether or not to save his own life or prevent the Nazis from causing further damage on an even grander scale. His fellow prisoner Adolf Burger (August Diehl) is determined to sabotage the operation, but Sorowitsch understands how dangerous a proposition this is.

While THE COUNTERFEITERS is based on real-life tragedy, it never loses its primary objective as a work of dramatic entertainment. This deft balancing act is what keeps Ruzowitzky's moving tale from becoming too bleak and depressing. The result is a deeply impressive work that addresses a topic not often explored in Holocaust cinema, the dilemma of victims who were forced to act immorally and illegally for the betterment of their captors. Powerfully acted by Markovics, THE COUNTERFEITERS is the type of film that the Oscars were made for.

Interested teachers are encouraged to contact Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 to book places for students. Tickets are available at 5 euro per student or for 4 euro if paid in advance.

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Granparents & Grandchildren Active Retired Screening

Kerry Film Festival (KFF) screens classic films on the first Wednesday of every month in Siamsa Tire for active retired groups and individuals but the April screening is a little different. Because most children have Easter holidays for the week the organisers thought it would be a nice idea to encourage all audience members to bring their grandchildren with them.

"We have active retired screenings in Siamsa every month," said Jason O' Mahony, KFF Director, "and we thought it would be a wonderful idea to do something a little different for our April screening. Because most kids are on Easter holidays for the week, we're encouraging our audience to bring younger people with them for the screening of John Huston's ANNIE."

The screening will take place in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 7 April. "Siamsa Tire is a wonderful venue, the screen and sound system are top class, and the members of staff are always so accommodating," added Jason.

ANNIE is the final film in a series of John Huston films, which began with the screening of his debut, THE MALTESE FALCON, on Wednesday, 3 February. That film was one of the most assured debuts of all time and the undoubted Hamlet of Film Noir. Starring Humphrey Bogart as a detective who takes on a case that involves him with eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and a quest for a priceless statuette, the film also stared Mary Astor and Peter Lorre. It was nominated for three Oscars and is consistently included in lists as one of the best movies of all time. It was followed by Huston's THE MISFITS, with Clark Gable and Marylyn Monroe, a little seen film nowadays but one with megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller.

"Huston is such a versatile director and we wanted to show a selection of films from his oeuvre as part of the active retired programme and the third and final film in the series, is crowd-pleasing musical, ANNIE," added Jason. "It was nominated for a couple of Oscars and stars Albert Finney and Aileen Quinn as Annie, but more than that, it is a perfect film for grandparents to share with their grandchildren"

The film is an all singing look at the life of orphan Annie in 1930's America and proves the breadth of Huston's directorial talents which saw him succeed in every genre of film imaginable from Noir to Musicals.

"All films cost just 2euro to anyone over the age of 65 and Kerry Film Festival serves teas and coffees before the films to all attendees," added Jason. "And this month we're going to let all grandchildren come for free - provided they come with their grandparents! The active retired screenings are always nice, social occasions, and give attendees the opportunity to see some fantastic films on the big screen. We're hoping that by encouraging our regular audience to share the film with their grandchildren that the April screening will be even more special for everyone involved!"

The film will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 7 April. For more information please contact Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934

National Concert Hall Workshops

Samhlaiocht has programmed a number of music workshops for young families and Children. The workshops will take place on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday in Siamsa Tire and promise to be an absolute treat for the whole family, young and old alike.

"The National Concert Hall is an amazing resource and we're delighted that they're coming to Kerry," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht. "The NCH workshops have been a highlight of Easter weekend festivities for the past number of years and we're delighted to be able to continue with the workshops. While cutbacks have significantly reduced the Easter weekend festivities this year, it's great to be able to still put on the National Concert Hall workshops."

The workshops are geared towards younger children and their parents. Four classically trained musicians from the National Concert Hall lead the workshops and the participants in a wonderfully entertaining musical journey as children experience the magic of music.

The workshops are themed by age group with workshops aimed at the under 3's and their parents and at the 3-year-old to 8-year-old age group and their parents. Participants will create magical sounds and rhythms under the expert guidance of National Concert Hall musicians.

All workshops are child friendly and the facilitators are famous for bonding brilliantly with both children and parents! Workshops not to be missed!

The workshops take place in the Rehearsal room of Siamsa Tire in the Tralee Town Park. Booking is with Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934.

Samhlaiocht Workshops, Easter Saturday and Sunday, April 3rd and 4th, 2010

Saturday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8 yr olds

Sunday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8yr olds
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm - Family session with U3's

Pricing:
Family session with U3's - one parent obligatory - 5 euro per child - one parent free
Family session with 3 to 8yr olds 5 euro per child and 5 euro per adult

Interested parties should call Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934 to book places. Places are limited and have booked out quickly in past years.

Rock for Experience

Trench at Rock For Experience 2009

When Sympathy for the Devil first played way back in 1968 it caused a media furore with concerned citizens worried that The Rolling Stones were a corrupt influence on youth!

Nowadays with The Stones music being used to sell insurance on TV, Led Zepplin's music used as the score to a Car commercial and even the iconic image of Jimi Hendrix being used to sell a new health drink called 'Liquid Experience', it's becoming increasingly difficult to find an unsullied rock gig.

Step forward Samhlaiocht's 'Rock for Experience' which will bring a host of unsigned amateur and semi-professional Rock artists from all areas of Kerry together for one night over Easter, for a rock experience as pure as driven snow.

"We're really looking forward to this year's gig," said Mike Foley, organizer of Rock for Experience. "We're anticipating a fantastic buzz and an atmosphere that's even more electric than ever before."

Rock for Experience provides an opportunity for budding musicians to perform in front of an audience using a professional PA system which is provided free of charge by Samhlaiocht. The organizers will also supply a drum kit but bands are encouraged to bring their own instruments and snare drum. It's an alcohol-free event for all ages and will be taking place in The Big Tent, located next to The Carlton Hotel on Dan Spring Road, on Monday, April 5th.

"This is the first year the gig is taking place in the Big Tent," said Mike. "It's an amazing venue, and a fantastic opportunity for young musicians. It's a huge plus for young bands and a fantastic experience for younger musicians to play in a venue like this. We'll have a fantastic turnout this year with 10 bands and more than 500 screaming fans in the audience. We have CO2, one of the hottest up and coming acts in Ireland, headlining the gig so it's bound to be a wonderful night!"