FILM-MAKERS MIGHT BE interested in this generous-looking prize being offered by the Dingle International Film Festival this March. The festival – which is heading into its fifth year – is offering a €5,000 cash prize to the winner of a competition for short film proposals in the Irish language.

The festival organisers, headed by artistic director Maurice Galway, say that they want to encourage script-writing in our native language – an appropriate aim for a festival based in the heart of the Daingean Gaeltacht.

Applications for the competition are available to download from DingleFilmFestival.com - the closing date is 17 February 2012. Five proposals will be chosen from the applications and the writers/film-makers will be invited to travel to the Dingle International Film Festival from 15 to 18 March. The five will be treated as special guests of the festival and will each pitch their proposal before a panel which includes writers Louise Ní Fhiannachta and Marina Ní Dhubháin and director Cathal Watters.

The winning proposal will then win the €5,000 cash and also €1,000 worth of light equipment rental and have their film shown at the 2013 Dingle International Film Festival.

The festival launched in 2008 with its inaugural Gregory Peck Award (Peck’s family, the Ashes, were from Dingle) awarded to Gabriel Byrne. Cillian Murphy, Saoirse Ronan, Maureen O’Sullivan, Sarah Miles (of Ryan’s Daughter) and Alan Parker are among the international film figures who have been involved in the event in successive years.