WINNER OF THE COUNT BASIE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD 2023:

GHOSTED

WRITTEN BY: SARAH-JANE SCOTT & DIRECTED BY: JEDA DE BRÍ

THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE PRESENTED THIS PRIZE!

THE COUNT BASIE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD IS TO CHOOSE A FILM THAT WE THINK REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AND FLY 2 FILMMAKERS FROM THAT FILM TO NEW JERSEY, USA TO SEE THEIR FILM BEING SCREENED AT THE FAMOUS COUNT BASIE THEATRE IN MARCH 2024! aLL EXPENSES PAID FOR.

HOW DID THE COUNT BASIE AWARD COME TO BE?

A FELLOW FILMMAKER HAS BEEN SUBMITTING HIS FILMS SINCE WE SET UP IN 2020. HIS NAME IS MIKE FARRAGHER A LOVELY IRISH AMERICAN BASED IN NEW JERSEY.

HE WAS SO INSPIRED BY DICFF THAT HE WANTED TO SET UP A SISTER FESTIVAL OF SORTS IN NEW JERSEY, USA, HIS HOMETOWN. SO, WE ASKED OUR IRISH FILMMAKERS OF 2022 IF THEY WANTED THEIR FILMS SCREENED AT THE COUNT BASIE THEATRE IN NEW JERSEY, LAST MARCH 2022. THEY WERE DELIGHTED AND SO A SISTER FESTIVAL BEGAN THERE!

BY WAY OF 'THANKS' TO DICFF, THEY NOW SPONSOR THIS COUNT BASIE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD!

​MIKE FARRAGHER EVEN CAME TO VISIT US AT THIS YEAR'S DICFF!

Below is Mike Farragher with Jéda de Brí, Sarah-Jane Scott (director & writer/lead of "Ghosted" & Erin Marsz, winner of Best Intl Short: "Daddy Issues")