Virtual Cinema is a new scheme for the making of high-quality short films that are suited to the new forms of digital video consumption. Films made under the scheme can be live-action or use any kind of animation technique.

The scheme aims to encourage exploration of fresh filmmaking ground, with no creative holds barred. Deliberately, no guidelines are offered at this stage with regard to content or style, though material likely to give serious offence is unlikely to be funded.

Brought to you by the Irish Film Board, in association with Wildwave Media, the Darklight Film Festival and the Wildlight Channel.

The Youtube channel for Virtual Cinema has been posting a fair few clips over the last week or two.

The Athenrides, Funniest thing ever or not? You decide:

When Nuns Attack:

Don’t leave me hangin’ - the debate rages on the comments on this one, is it a weak melodramatic cliché ridden piece or a worthy film on a sensitive subject?

Facebook Fatwa is fucked up:

There’s a few more videos, of very varying quality.

Derek O’Connor, director of the Darklight film festival and all round superhero, talking about it on RTE’s WE Tv.

Darklight is Ireland’s premier festival for filmmakers, animators and artists whose work explores the convergence of art, film and technology.

The Darklight film festival is running from Thursday 26th - Sunday 29th June 2008. Website is: www.darklight.ie.

Great to see at least a part of RTE embracing youtube. Here’s a mad one for you RTE: (broken record time) Drop real player all together, and switch to youtube as your content delivery platform. The cost savings would be immense. Hurray!