Damien's screenplay wins major US award

Kilcullen screenwriter Damien Aulsberry has won the prestigious Neo-Noir Screenplay Award at the 2017 Bogart Film Noir Shorts competition in Florida, writes Brian Byrne.

The screenplay for 'Sons & Broken Noses' had previously won in the Wexford Film Festival, and is currently in pre-production stage for filming before the end of this year.

The Florida competition was held at locations in Miami and Key Largo, and Damien's entry was up against well-established screenwriters from the US.

"It's great news," he told the Diary last night. "I didn't really expect to win, as the other contestants were of seriously good calibre, and I wasn't even at the event. Out of the four competitions I entered it for this year, this was the one I really wanted to win."

'Sons & Broken Noses' is an Irish based, contemporary western and will be co-directed by Colin Fleming and Nigel O'Brien.

Eric Lalor and Jason Byrne play Jake and Sean, two down on their luck bank robbers whose day is about to get a whole lot worse.

This dark comedic tale includes Frank O'Sullivan as underworld kingpin Mick Ronan, and his son Gabriel played by Emmet Byrne.

NOTE: Voting for the Kilcullen Market Square Project in the Kildare Business Awards ends tomorrow. If you haven't already voted, click the image below to get to the voting site.