“Devil’s Doorway” writer-director Aislinn Clarke is the winner of the second Academy Gold Fellowship for Women grant. According to Screen Daily, the Northern Irish filmmaker will receive £20,000 (about $24,800 USD) and year-long mentorship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Ethosheia Hylton (“Brixton Rock”) took home the prize last year.
Presented as part of AMPAS’ Action: The Academy Women’s Initiative, the prize supports rising female filmmakers. Eliana Pipes (“Meet Me @ the Clinic”) also received a 2019 grant. A celebratory lunch was held for the women yesterday in New York, featuring a discussion between Greta Gerwig and producer Amy Pascal, moderated by Laura Dern. Another lunch has been organized for tomorrow, October 4, in London.
Clarke plans to use part of her winnings to spend more time working in Los Angeles.
“Working in the film industry is hard for everyone,” she told the source. “Being working class, a single parent, and a bit older than some winners, shows me that all the hard work is worth it, and that people believe in me.”
After finishing her film degree, Clarke worked in television and focused on raising her son. “I had my son when I was 17. It was not a good time in Northern Ireland,” she recalled. “There was lots of tumult in my life. But I am tenacious. It would have been really easy to leave school early but I stuck at it. I’m really stubborn. I just wouldn’t give up.”
Clarke made her feature directorial debut last year with “The Devil’s Doorway,” a 1960-set horror pic that sees a priest investigating an Irish home for “fallen women.” The film screened at Seattle International Film Festival and Galway Film Fleadh, among other fests, and opened in U.S. theaters.
Next, she will write and direct “Slow Burn,” a thriller about a custody battle, produced by Marianne Maddelena (the “Scream” franchise). Northern Ireland Screen is funding early development.
“As a director I’m also attached to ‘Cunning Folk’ [written by Adam Neville] which is seeking finance with a view to shooting next summer,” Clarke announced. “It’s a folk horror, set around a neighbor dispute. The project attracted me because of its fresh take on the folk horror sub genre, as well as its intelligent handling of the themes of masculinity and restrictive gender roles for men,” she explained. “I had to put the script down and walk away from it several times. It’s terrifying and wonderful and I can’t wait to bring it to life.”
Clarke’s previous projects include shorts “Childer,” “Short Sharp Shocks,” and “The Lighthouse Keepers.”
