'Morse Collectors' picks up first prize at Chicago

The Morse Collectors

THE MORSE COLLECTORS has won first prize in the Live Action Film or Video category, awarded by the Adult Jury, at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

The CICFF is North America's largest and most celebrated film festival devoted to films for and by kids, and only Academy®-qualifying children's film festival in the world (which means that winners in the short film category can go on to compete for the Oscars®).

Directed by David Cooke and produced by Crawford Anderson-Dillon and Gary Sugarman, the film first screened in the market at Cannes Short Film Corner in May and then the Huesca Film Festival in Spain in June, followed by several other festival outings including the Galway Film Fleadh, the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Palm Springs International Shortfest and HDFest and the LUCAS Children’s Festival in Germany.

Written by Pól Mag Uidhir THE MORSE COLLECTORS is set in 1942 and the world is at war. They have escaped the city for safety but as their mother retreats into despair with their father away fighting, two children feel far from safe. The young boy, David, finds solace in his father’s old Morse code set, sending and receiving coded messages to imaginary friends. Soon however he hears patterns in the dripping of the tap, in the grandfather clock ticking, in the rustling of trees. In fact all of nature seems to be sending him messages in Morse code, complicated messages, maybe asking for help. His older sister, Judy, tolerates his, at times, irritating hobby but soon she notices danger in these messages. How can she possibly believe them yet they speak of things her little brother could not have known – of other children in other places, crying out for help. She is torn between the child’s world of curiosity and the adult world of responsibility and the need to protect her little brother. She has to make a decision.

THE MORSE COLLECTORS is David Cooke’s second short film and the first of several collaborations with writer Pol Mag Udihir, cinematographer Angus Mitchell and producer Crawford Anderson-Dillon. His First short, The Divine Details, was short listed for the Nike Young Director’s Award and was broadcast by BBC1 in winter 2006.

Crawford Anderson-Dillon is Production Director for UK & US based corporate video company, Hub Media. He currently runs the London office, where they make about 50 – 60 corporate films each year. His previous credits as a producer include short films Hitch, The Divine Details and Marzipan Alley (all Northern Ireland Screen commissions).