Declan Cassidy

Declan Cassidy is a multi-award winning Irish television and film director. A founding member of the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA Awards), he began his film career in the documentary genre where his work includes War on Waste (2003), a documentary looking at vermiculture as a waste disposal alternative to landfill and The Crew Cut (2006), a documentary charting the voyage of the Irish Naval flagship L.E. Eithne on its voyage to South America. His move into drama came in 2006 when he was commissioned by Amnesty International to create a five-minute human rights film "Make It Stop".

In 2005 Cassidy teamed up with three-time ESB Media Award winning journalist Bill Tyson of the Irish Independent to establish Timesnap, a film production company. Cassidy directed the company's first film, Mrs Friendly, in 2007 starring Sara James (Boy Eats Girl). In 2008 Cassidy directed a five-part television series entitled "Dancing Dublin" which was funded by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and screened on Irish television. In July 2008 his short film "Whatever Turns You On" premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh. Written and directed by Cassidy, it went on to receive official selections at over 60 festivals around the world, winning eight awards. These included Best Short Short at Aspen Shortsfest USA 2009, Best Short Film at Florence International Film Festival Italy 2009, the award for Best Irish Short Film at the Kerry Film Festival 2008 and the Audience Award at Filmstock International Film Festival 2008 in Britain. It sold to six television stations around the world and received a theatrical release in Germany and Ireland. The win at Aspen qualified "Whatever Turns You On" for Oscar consideration - one of approximately 60 short films to do so.

In July 2008 Cassidy received a commission from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to write and direct a four hour television series for Irish television. "The House" went into production in September 2008 with a cast which included Irish journalist and politician Senator Eoghan Harris. It screened in 2009 on Dublin's community channel, DCTV .

2009 also saw Cassidy commissioned to direct the Irish Film Board funded short film 'Veronique'.

Associations

Cassidy is the founder of a philanthropic organisation, Community Media Associates (CMA), aimed at building media capacity for charitable groups in Ireland. In 2010 CMA sponsored a pilot digital film course, designed by Cassidy, for 16 young adults in Drogheda, County Louth in conjunction with FÁS and Drogheda Youth Development. Elements of this course are now being introduced to other FÁS funded courses.

2008 saw Cassidy found Timesnap.net, a private online social network service for professional members of the film and television industry. Unlike many such online communities, Timesnap.net is open only to those who are invited by existing members. Its membership consists mainly of film industry professionals from Ireland, UK, Germany, Japan, Canada, USA, Norway and Italy.

Cassidy is a member of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, Screen Producers Ireland and Irish Film and Television Academy.

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