Our Irish Cousins
Click here to ask for more information about this project:
Trailer061911_F8_SWF_512Kbps-1.flv
Website
Topics
Arts & Culture: Nonfiction
Human Development: Tourism
Information & Media: Culture
Project Geography
US: Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin
International: Europe
Budget
Raised to date: $25,000.00
Estimate to complete: $30,000.00
Total Estimated Budget: $55,000.00
The budget numbers above are accurate as of 07/15/2011
Status
Post Production
Media Type
Video
Project End Use
Theatrical
Key Personnel
Mike Houlihan
Producer-Writer-Director
Mike Houlihan Biography
Mike Houlihan is a former features columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he penned the “Houli in ‘da Hood” column from 2002-2005. He has written the “Hooliganism” column in the Irish American News since 1996. He began his career as an actor in 1973 with the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Ct., and appeared onstage with regional theatres across the country as well as Off-Broadway, on Broadway, on television and in major motion pictures. While working in New York he met Malachy and Frank McCourt and together they developed A COUPLE OF BLAGUARDS, which Houlihan produced and directed at The Village Gate in New York City in 1984 and subsequently toured all over the world. BLAGUARDS was selected as a special promotional representative for Irish Distillers International and was the genesis of a series of books written by the McCourts including "Angela's Ashes", "Tis", and "A Monk Swimming," His experience as an actor, director, and producer, paved the way for his career as a playwright. His play GOIN’ EAST ON ASHLAND ran for over six years in Chicago, and his play MICKEY FINN had its world premiere production at the Royal George Theatre. Mike contributed humorous essays to public radio in Chicago on WBEZ-FM for several years and also appears regularly onstage in Chicago as a stand-up comic and character actor. In 2006 he won the Illinois/Chicago Film Office Screenplay competition with his screenplay, “Ballhawk”. Vanguard Cinema has just released the DVD of Mike’s independent feature film, TAPIOCA starring Ben Vereen, Tim Kazurinsky, and several Second City comics. Tapioca premiered at the Park City Film Music Festival in Park City, Utah and played the film festival circuit through 2008, winning Best Feature Film at the Geneva Film Fest. He is the co-host of “The Skinny & Houli Show” with Skinny Sheahan on WCEV Radio, 1450 AM every Saturday afternoon. He is currently working with The Center for Independent Documentary in post-production on his latest film, a documentary, “Our Irish Cousins”, (ouririshcousins.com), just wrapped filming on “So Goes The World”-a documentary on Chicago’s 19th Ward Aldermanic Election, and WTTW Chicago Public Television aired his backstage peek at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Queen Contest with the documentary, “Her Majesty, ‘da Queen” in February and March of 2011. For more info go to www.ouririshcousins.com
Joe Fitzgerald
Cinematographer
Joseph R. Fitzgerald-Cinematographer
While studying cinematography at Southern Illinois University, Joe got an early start in the business working on music videos and commercials in Chicago during his summers away from school. After graduating in 2002, he began working in various departments in feature films, reality TV and commercials. In 2004 he moved to Los Angeles and began operating camera for reality TV, documentaries, and independent features. At the start of 2006, Joe moved back to Chicago where he worked as 2nd Unit DP on a feature called Tapioca, and got his first feature as cinematographer on Counting Backwards, in both cases utilized for his extensive handheld experience. He continued on to take the helm of the flag ship docu-dramas such as TV Guide Channel’s “Making News,” and History Channel’s “Gangland,” among others. Currently he is prepping further episodes of MSNBC’s new show “The Squeeze,” TLC’s “My Strange Addiction,” and CNBC’s “Bizography” as Director of Photography/Steadicam operator.
Patrick Brennan
Music Composer
Patrick Brennan-Composer
Patrick Brennan is a Chicago-based musician, writer, and composer. Known for his long form work (he has written and produced the scores for more than 250 documentaries since 1996), Brennan has also produced hundred of jingles and ad-oriented music. He has been the member of countless bands, including Dick Holliday and the Bamboo Gang, Michael McDermott, Jon Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, and Nashvillian Pat McLaughlin. Brennan has also written two major works on the Civil War: Secessionville--Assault on Charleston, and To Die Game--General Jeb Stuart. As associate editor of North & South Magazine, Pat has written 20 articles for various Civil War journals. But documentaries remain Brennan's chosen form of expression. He has contributed scores for American Justice, History's Mysteries, The Unexplained, Biography, Final Report, Cold Case, and a long running History Channel show on the underworld of street crime. His work for National Geographic's four hour special on 9/11 helped earn that series an Emmy nomination, and he recently contributed to a Discovery Channel investigation into Cook County Jail. Among his performing credits, Brennan considers one that stands above the rest: under the auspices of the Steppenwolf Theater and playing Van Morrison's Hammond organ, Pat accompanied Steve Earle and Tony Fitzpatrick's two-man show at the 2002 Galway Arts Festival.
Outreach/Engagement Plan(s)
We anticipate finishing the film within the next six months. We’ve had some experience on the film festival circuit with our independent feature “Tapioca” and we know that it’s the most economical route to the film being picked up for theatrical and DVD distribution. We currently have a relationship with independent film distributor Vanguard Cinema as well as WTTW, Chicago Public Television, and we will be targeting both with the final cut of “Our Irish Cousins”.
Our audience for “Our Irish Cousins” is the 44 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry, as well as those of Irish blood all over the rest of the world and Ireland.
We've receieved a challenge grant from The Richard H. Driehaus Lead Charitable Trust that will match all further donations to our film up to a cap of $17,000. We are eligible for another $13, 510 from this grant if we can raise another $27,000. Please join us in the adventure and have your donation matched by Richard H. Drihaus Lead Charitable Trust. Our fiscal sponsor for this film is The Center For Independent Documentary and all donations are tax deductible. For more information about donating please visit ouririshcousins.com. Thanks!
Funders
| Name | Amount | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Donors | $8,847.00 | 07/15/2011 | |
| Personal Contributions | $3,363.00 | 07/15/2011 | |
| Windows to the World Corporation | $1,500.00 | 03/30/2011 | |
| The Richard H. Driehaus Lead Charitable Trust | $3,490.00 | 02/13/2011 | |
| The Sloan Foundation | $300.00 | 02/03/2011 | |
| Benjamin & Betina Van Cleave Foundation | $2,500.00 | 12/28/2010 | |
| The Willian F. O'Connor Foundation | $2,500.00 | 07/14/2010 | |
| The William & Marilyn Simpson Foundation | $2,500.00 | 07/14/2010 |
Location
PO Box 5650
River Forest, IL, 60305
Short Synopsis
'Our Irish Cousins' is a significant ethnic heritage documentary film that celebrates and discerns the mystical and mythological alchemy of Irish ancestry. Irish American News columnist Mike Houlihan has created a very personal and comedic look at his own family history, which The Center For Independent Documentary recognizes as a very entertaining cultural testimony with mass appeal.
Description/Treatment
“Our Irish Cousins” is an exploration of the Irish American experience. This journey began when writer Mike Houlihan launched his book, “Hooliganism” in November of 2008. The book is an anthology of Mike’s best columns from the Irish American News, Chicago Tribune Magazine, and Chicago Public Radio for the last 15 years. Houlihan has been writing his column in the Irish American News since 1996. Potential donors will be provided with a copy of the book and reviews.
Houlihan scheduled a series of book-signings on a personal appearance tour of Irish pubs, parishes, bookstores, and libraries to promote the book. Performing an act that is a hybrid of stand-up comedy and readings from “Hooliganism” the book tour became a freewheeling exchange of ideas and stories with Irish Americans across the Midwest.
We began filming these events in early December 2008 and the dialogue with the audience members served up eccentric and funny tales of Irish America. The common denominator of the audience was an Irish ancestry and for the most part, very little practical exposure to the country of Ireland itself
As we screened footage of the events, we discovered a larger issue emerging with this documentary film. What makes us Irish? What is the source of the immense pride felt by this ethnic group? What are the differences and similarities among the people of Ireland and Irish-Americans?
In March of 2009 we traveled to Ireland to discover the answer to these questions.
Armed with some sketchy family history, bundles of books, and a half dozen credit cards; Houlihan commandeered his family on a ten day expedition to the Emerald Isle in search of his ancestry and “the spot where the first Hooligan set foot on this earth!”Arriving in Dublin, we were welcomed at the Fitzpatrick Castle in Killiney and treated like royalty. Houlihan took his act to Sheehan’s Pub and did stand-up on his first night in Ireland at “Comedy Dublin”. When he asked his cinematographer how it went, Houlihan was informed, “You just did stand-up in a foreign country!”
That night kicked off a series of on-the-fly interviews with comedians, bartenders, train conductors, men and women on the streets of Ireland. We traveled by rail to Galway, then by car to Headford, Gort, Ennis, (for the Ennis Book Festival), Kilrush, Coole Park, Thoor Ballylee, across the Shannon by ferry from Killimer in Clare County to Tarbert in Kerry. In Dublin we hit the Vicar Street Theatre and did an extensive interview with Ireland’s hottest comedian Des Bishop. We met patriots’ ghosts in Kilmainham Jail and Houlihan dipped his hands in the same baptismal font where his grandfather was christened in Mt. Collins, Limerick County. We shared pints with 1994-96 All Ireland Hurling Champion Mike Houlihan in his pub in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. “Irish American Mike Houlihan” said to “Irish Mike Houlihan” at this meeting, “Great to meet a Mike Houlihan who hasn’t had his ass kicked in every fight!”
We may not have covered all of Ireland but those ten days and nights will be the pumping heart of our film.
Returning to Chicago we filmed BOTH St. Patrick’s Day Parades, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Queen Contest, Mayor Daley’s Annual Irish Reception, and post parade pageantry all over the windy city.
We brought our cameras to Cork & Kerry Pub, Claddagh Ring Pub, Sam Maguire’s Pub, Schaller’s Pump, Chief O’Neill’s, Rampant Lion Celtic Trader, O’Rourke’s Office, Kevil’s, Christ the King parish, Borders Books in Beverly, Borders in Oak Park, Harte’s Saloon Chicago, Harte’s Pub Galway, Hackney’s, Glascotts, O’Shaughnessy’s, The Book Cellar, Beverly Woods, World Music Company, New Dublin Irish Fest Wisconsin, Ken’s on Western Ave, Gaelic Park, The Irish American Heritage Center, and The James Joyce Irish Pub in Berwyn, Illinois. We’ve been on WGN TV and Radio, Good Morning Ireland Radio Program, and the Keith Finnegan Show on Galway Bay FM.
Personalities captured on film include Chicago Mayor Daley, Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn, Galway politico and immigration champion Billy Lawless, Clare County Councilor Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, comedian Des Bishop, Hotelier Eithne Fitzpatrick, Irish historian and scholar Michael Quinlan, Irish Nationalist Maureen O’Looney, disc jockey and columnist Shay Clarke, Consul General Martin Rouine, and scores of charming, beautiful, and funny Irish folks.
Beginning in early May through late October we traveled the Irish Festival summer circuit and filmed interviews and entertainers in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Dublin-Ohio, New London-Wisconsin, Peoria-Illinois, Long Grove-Illinois, and the Irish American Heritage Center, Gaelic Park Fest, and Celtic Fest in Grant Park-Chicago.
This film is not intended to be a sociological treatise but a whimsical and humorous documentary that captures the fun loving spirit of Irish Americans. The conclusion we’ve reached after all these adventures is that all of us are cousins. All of us, the descendants of those who left Ireland and those who stayed, people of Irish blood all over the world in the USA, Australia, England, everywhere; we are Ireland, the Diaspora of this great nation.
So that’s the story of “Our Irish Cousins” and we’ll be encouraging our audience to return over and over again. This film could have an impact on tourism for years to come. We’d like YOU to be a part of it with us
The key creative forces behind this film are Mike Houlihan and our cinematographer Joe Fitzgerald, our editor Roger Wolski, and composer Patrick Brennan. Their biographies are included with this proposal.
Click here to ask for more information about this project: