Martina Durac
FOUNDER OF PHOENIX FILMS
E-mail: martina@phoenixfilmsireland.com
Phone: +353 86 4475033
Martina has been a film maker for over 25 years. She has made many documentary films during this time on a huge variety of subjects. She has a particular interest in art and community and how people organize themselves in groups and have looked at this in many of her projects, exploring coastal communities, artistic impulse, drug-free environments and musical gatherings. A deep and abiding commitment to art in all its manifestations has led her to make films and series connected to these core explorations.
Martina has worked as a series producer and director on a number of long running series. She also works as a lecturer and trainer in documentary and drama and have done so for 20 years in various colleges.
She was the Irish representative for the European Documentary Network and served on the board for two years. She is also a member of the Documentary Alliance Committee of Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and sits on its board.
Julien Behal
CO-FOUNDER OF PHOENIX FILMS
Born in Belgium, photojournalist Julien Behal was brought up in Kerry. He has been working in Dublin since 1997 and has collaborated with a number of international titles, from the Irish Times to USA Today. His work has received a number of photographic awards for his coverage and depiction of current affairs, both national and international. His projects have included highlighting the aftermath of the Chernobyl Nuclear accident in Belarus, touching depictions of the travelling community in Ireland, and the lives of Drag Kings. He frequently undertakes assignments both in Ireland and abroad, whilst also working with NGOs, focusing on human rights and social issues. He was awarded AIB Photojournalist of the Year 2014 for his work The Final Goodbye. In 2014 he set up Phoenix Films with Martina Durac to pursue several documentary projects and is now developing a slate of projects in different genres, with the intention of exploring their potential on a variety of platforms. The key objective is to tell stories that excite interest and will draw viewers in.