Magherafelt filmmaker Conor Kelly is premiering his short film, A Song for Strays, as part of Belfast Film Festival’s brand new Long Short Weekend on Sunday November 5 at the Strand Arts Centre.
Set in a dark fantasy world, showband singer, Deborah, joins a travelling group of ‘strays’, misfits who don’t belong anywhere else. Though initially frightened, she finds an unexpected connection.
Despite there being little dialogue, the 11-minute short still says a lot about the human condition and is filled with offbeat, melancholic charm.
“I wanted to tell a story about a lonely person finding kinship in an unlikely place and I knew I wanted music to play a major role, but I just couldn’t get the pieces to fit together,” Conor explains.
“Time passed and I fell in love with two records by Tom Waits, Alice and The Black Rider. I wanted to try and write something as homage to them. That provided us with our early century, uncanny setting.
“I meshed this setting with the story of the lonely person and melancholic music, and the pieces finally clicked together.”
As both the writer and director of A Song for Strays, the short was the first time Conor had full creative control over all areas of production, a responsibility he did not take lightly.
“There was definitely pressure. NI Screen had selected our script as part of their Short Film Call, so we felt a responsibility to deliver the film we had pitched to them.
“In relation to the film’s execution, I certainly felt overwhelmed once we got the green light. We had a script, which is a great starting point, but we weren’t too sure how to get what was on the page in front of a camera.
“That’s where a great crew came in. I am so thankful to our producer Paul Moran for gathering what really was a dream team."
“I shared with the crew a collage of visual influences I had been using and a Spotify playlist of how I wanted the film to sound,” he recalled.
“This allowed everyone onboard to share an understanding of the look and feel of the film. Once we were all on the same page, each department brought along their imagination, experience and insight which went a long way to chipping away at that original sense of pressure.”
Given that the film was shot in just one day it is evident how invaluable that the cast and crew working on this project were.
“It’s not unheard of for short films to be shot in one day, but it takes a lot of prep and effort especially for a period film which puts strain on all departments to make it feasible.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the effort and hard work of all the heads of department and crew involved,” says Conor.
With the premiere mere days away, Conor is looking forward to showing the film he is so proud of to an audience.
“My goal was above all else tell the story of our protagonist Deborah and help get her to her happy ending.
“Creative and logistical challenges always crop up; and when they did our approach was, okay, what do we need to do to articulate how Deborah is feeling at this moment in the story?"
“It seemed to be a good compass to fall back on as it meant we never lost sight of the story we were hoping to tell,” he reflects.
However, his ultimate goal is for audiences to connect with the story.
“The heart of the story is about a lone soul who creates a connection with another lost soul through their shared love of music. If audiences respond to that or are able to take their own meaning away, then I’ll be very happy.”
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It is the inaugural year of BFF’s Long Short Weekend, which is dedicated to celebrating local talent, aiming to bring audiences and filmmakers together over three days of short film screenings.
“It’s a genuine privilege to be part of the Belfast Film Festival. They have real pedigree among the festival circuit, so we really do feel honoured. It’s a testament to the work of the entire cast and crew.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the other shorts we’ll be playing alongside. Belfast is our home, we’ve been working in the film and TV scene here for a few years now, so yes, we’re deeply appreciative of the selection” said Conor.
Belfast Film Festival continues to November 11. More information at belfastfilmfestival.org.
