Liam retains aim of making county the film capital

Rochfortbridge man, Liam Hall Walshe, who is performing across Spain with Forum Theatre in more than a dozen productions a week, is determined to make Westmeath the film capital of Ireland.

Liam is due home in June for the release of his film,

D’Lads, which is expected out this summer – his next movie, I Don’t Know, is ready to roll and he has other scripts in the pipeline as well.

Liam (21) and Mullingar actor Jemma Curran organised the inaugural meeting of the Westmeath Filmmakers Collective in Mullingar on December 29. More than 100 people attended and heard guest speakers such as actor Banjo Quinn, Wolfshire Productions representatives, professional writer Ronika Merl, and Craig Moore, winner of the inaugural Westmeath Film Award grant of €10,000 this year.

Liam was delighted with the response. “We now have a database of more than 32 actors, filmmakers, directors, crew, from which to work,” he told the Westmeath Examiner.

“I want to really drive home the idea of building avenues for grassroots screen acting and filmmaking opportunities as well as nourishing professional film productions in Westmeath, as those are two of the driving forces behind why I founded the Westmeath filmmaking collective,” he said.

He says that with so many famous music stars from Westmeath, it is already a major music centre, and now that Hammerlake Studios have committed to Mullingar, it is destined to be the professional filmmaking capital.

He wants it to be the amateur and lower level professional filmmaking centre too. “I want there to be a grassroots filmmaking culture in the county,” he said.

Liam is eager to get secondary schools involved. When he was starting out he had to pay thousands of euro to do acting courses in Dublin. “You don’t need a degree, all you need is passion and a willingness to learn,” he said.

Liam wants to bring Kinokulture to Westmeath this year. It offers film screenings, courses, talks and events concerning film culture. It brings people with all levels of experience together for a weekend or a full week of activities. He found their courses “life changing”.

Rody Patrick White introduced Liam to Forum Theatre. Rody, whose father Ronnie was a renowned watchmaker in Mullingar, is assistant director of the company and has been working in Spain for several years. Other locals who encouraged him along the way include Ray Dolan and Marty Mulligan.

When we spoke to him, Liam, who is living in Valencia, had just done a week in Madrid and was heading to northern Spain.

“I could be doing 12, 13 or 14 shows a week and by the end of my six months here, I will have performed across the whole of Spain in front of hundreds of thousands of people. It is a great experience,” he said.

He has submitted his latest movie, I Don’t Know, to film festivals and is excited about its prospects.

He is also excited about the imminent release of D’Lads, which is set in the midlands and contains lots of colloquialisms that locals will enjoy.

It is about three lads who are trying to get dates for their debs dance, but are a bit short on charm and wit. It all takes a turn, he says, but he won’t reveal more.

Liam will start making another movie, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, when he returns home in June. It is a visceral, heart-aching family drama about boxing and he is looking for locations and actors in Westmeath.

Westmeath Filmmakers Collective are looking at presenting a best film of the month award and showcasing someone from the area each month. They also hope to work with the fleadh organisers to promote other ideas.

• Anyone who is interested in any aspect of filmmaking is urged to contact the Collective for support and guidance at Westmeathfilmmakers@gmail.com.