A podcaster, his assistant, and a journalist travel to Ireland to investigate a cold case in Netflix’s Bodkin. Described as a dark comedic thriller, the trailer reveals that the Irish townsfolk aren’t thrilled about being invaded by a podcast team and definitely aren’t ready to disclose all their secrets to strangers who are determined to dredge up unwelcome memories.
Will Forte stars as Gilbert Power, the podcaster; Robyn Cara plays Gilbert’s assistant, Emmy Sizerghy; and Siobhán Cullen stars as Dove, the investigative journalist who reluctantly joins forces with Gilbert. The cast also includes Chris Walley as Sean O’Shea and David Wilmot as Seamus. Pom Boyd, Fionnula Flanagan, Áine Ní Mhuirí, Charlie Kemp, Pat Shortt, Ger Kelly, Denis Conway, and John Olohan guest star.
Bodkin follows “a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town.
Will Forte stars as Gilbert Power, the podcaster; Robyn Cara plays Gilbert’s assistant, Emmy Sizerghy; and Siobhán Cullen stars as Dove, the investigative journalist who reluctantly joins forces with Gilbert. The cast also includes Chris Walley as Sean O’Shea and David Wilmot as Seamus. Pom Boyd, Fionnula Flanagan, Áine Ní Mhuirí, Charlie Kemp, Pat Shortt, Ger Kelly, Denis Conway, and John Olohan guest star.
Bodkin follows “a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town.
- 4/2/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
With its second season now airing on Itvx in the UK, the creator and the producer behind Irish comedy-drama The Dry both sat down at Dublin’s Storyhouse festival to give attendees a masterclass in how they attempted to grab audiences in the first five minutes of Season One.
The series, which is written by Nancy Harris and produced by Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, follows Shiv Sheridan (Roisin Gallagher) as she returns to Dublin after years of partying in London. She tries to navigate a new phase of her life but trying to stay sober and being back with her family is not easy.
After showing the audience the first few minutes of the show, both Harris and Norton reflected on the craft of building a big opening scene that would keep the audience wanting more while also introducing the characters.
“The challenge of that was to try and set up every single character,...
The series, which is written by Nancy Harris and produced by Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, follows Shiv Sheridan (Roisin Gallagher) as she returns to Dublin after years of partying in London. She tries to navigate a new phase of her life but trying to stay sober and being back with her family is not easy.
After showing the audience the first few minutes of the show, both Harris and Norton reflected on the craft of building a big opening scene that would keep the audience wanting more while also introducing the characters.
“The challenge of that was to try and set up every single character,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Mescal and Sharon Horgan were among the winners at the Irish Film and Television Awards.
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
- 5/9/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Dry Spell Extended
ITV has commissioned a second season of the comedy-drama series “The Dry” for Itvx. It will be produced by Element Pictures (part of Fremantle), in association with Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland and ITV Studios, in partnership with RTÉ. Nancy Harris (Dates) and acclaimed director Paddy Breathnach will return to helm the second season, which will stream exclusively on Itvx next year. The first season was made available to view for free on the streamer last month. With the story picking up seven months after the end of the first, Roisin Gallagher will return as recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, alongside regular cast members from the first series. Further casting details will be confirmed later. in due course.
Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe will serve as executive producers for Element Pictures, alongside Nancy Harris and Paddy Breathnach. ITV Studios is handling global distribution of the show.
Suspicious...
ITV has commissioned a second season of the comedy-drama series “The Dry” for Itvx. It will be produced by Element Pictures (part of Fremantle), in association with Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland and ITV Studios, in partnership with RTÉ. Nancy Harris (Dates) and acclaimed director Paddy Breathnach will return to helm the second season, which will stream exclusively on Itvx next year. The first season was made available to view for free on the streamer last month. With the story picking up seven months after the end of the first, Roisin Gallagher will return as recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, alongside regular cast members from the first series. Further casting details will be confirmed later. in due course.
Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe will serve as executive producers for Element Pictures, alongside Nancy Harris and Paddy Breathnach. ITV Studios is handling global distribution of the show.
Suspicious...
- 4/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Behind some bins – big wheelie ones down an alley on Dublin’s Northside – a man and a woman, both oldish, are coupling frantically. Their al fresco pleasure is interrupted when they are spotted by the man’s daughter, who’s just come out of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
“It’s not what it looks like, Shiv,” explains her flustered father, as he makes himself decent while the woman, short and of Asian heritage, with cropped silver hair, yanks up her tights.
“It looks like an old Irish man f***in’ a woman behind some bins,” she says.
This delicious scene is from The Dry, a daffy eight-part tragicomedy previously on Britbox, now coming to Itvx. The old man is played, with all his baffled hangdog charm, by Ciarán Hinds, who is 70. The woman behind the bins with him – and here’s the complicated surprise – is played by none other than Hinds’s French-Vietnamese wife,...
“It’s not what it looks like, Shiv,” explains her flustered father, as he makes himself decent while the woman, short and of Asian heritage, with cropped silver hair, yanks up her tights.
“It looks like an old Irish man f***in’ a woman behind some bins,” she says.
This delicious scene is from The Dry, a daffy eight-part tragicomedy previously on Britbox, now coming to Itvx. The old man is played, with all his baffled hangdog charm, by Ciarán Hinds, who is 70. The woman behind the bins with him – and here’s the complicated surprise – is played by none other than Hinds’s French-Vietnamese wife,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Jasper Rees
- The Independent - TV
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, led the nominations for the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) as the full list of nominees was unveiled on Monday night local time, picking up 11 nods in the film category.
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
- 3/7/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Apple’s comedy series Bad Sisters and Martin McDonagh’s latest feature, The Banshees of Inisherin, lead this year’s Irish Film And TV Academy Award nominations (IFTAs). Scroll down for the complete list.
Bad Sisters leads across film and TV with 12 nominations, including Best Drama, Lead Actress (Sharon Horgan), Director (Dearbhla Walsh), and four nods in Supporting Actress for Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene.
The Banshees of Inisherin clocked 11 nominations, including Best Film as well as Best Director and Screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon also pop up in the acting categories.
Irish filmmaker Frank Berry’s latest pic Aisha trails Bad Sisters and Banshees with ten nominations. The film follows a young Nigerian woman, played by Letitia Wright, who struggles to navigate the asylum system in Ireland.
Paul Mescal also picked up two nominations: The first in...
Bad Sisters leads across film and TV with 12 nominations, including Best Drama, Lead Actress (Sharon Horgan), Director (Dearbhla Walsh), and four nods in Supporting Actress for Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene.
The Banshees of Inisherin clocked 11 nominations, including Best Film as well as Best Director and Screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon also pop up in the acting categories.
Irish filmmaker Frank Berry’s latest pic Aisha trails Bad Sisters and Banshees with ten nominations. The film follows a young Nigerian woman, played by Letitia Wright, who struggles to navigate the asylum system in Ireland.
Paul Mescal also picked up two nominations: The first in...
- 3/7/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
With just a few days until the 2023 Oscars, hot contender The Banshees of Inisherin has been given a boost on home soil.
Martin McDonagh’s period tragicomedy — which has nine Academy Award nominations (an all-time Irish record) — has now landed the most film nods this year for the Irish Academy Awards.
Announced by the Irish Film & TV Academy (IFTA), Banshees has 11 nominations, including best film and, as with the BAFTAs and Oscars, the film has been nominated in all of the performance categories for its main cast of Colin Farrell (who also got a nod for supporting actor for The Batman), Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Banshees‘ 11 nominations is the same number in 2022 amassed by Irish-language drama The Quiet Girl, which is now also in contention for an Oscar in the international category.
Further down the list, Frank Berry’s immigration drama Aisha — starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor — landed 10 nominations.
Martin McDonagh’s period tragicomedy — which has nine Academy Award nominations (an all-time Irish record) — has now landed the most film nods this year for the Irish Academy Awards.
Announced by the Irish Film & TV Academy (IFTA), Banshees has 11 nominations, including best film and, as with the BAFTAs and Oscars, the film has been nominated in all of the performance categories for its main cast of Colin Farrell (who also got a nod for supporting actor for The Batman), Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Banshees‘ 11 nominations is the same number in 2022 amassed by Irish-language drama The Quiet Girl, which is now also in contention for an Oscar in the international category.
Further down the list, Frank Berry’s immigration drama Aisha — starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor — landed 10 nominations.
- 3/7/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Distribution
BFI Distribution has acquired from A24 2022 Cannes title “God’s Creatures,” starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal and Aisling Franciosi, for U.K. theatrical release, and is partnering with independent Irish distributor Volta Pictures, who have acquired the film for Ireland. Volta will release the film in Ireland on March 24 and and BFI Distribution in the U.K. on March 31.
Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the film is set in a windswept fishing village on the coast of Ireland, where a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community. Shane Crowley wrote the screenplay based on a story he co-wrote with Cronin O’Reilly.
The Nine Daughters production by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly was developed with the support of Screen Ireland, BBC Film and A24. It was co-financed by A24, BBC Film,...
BFI Distribution has acquired from A24 2022 Cannes title “God’s Creatures,” starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal and Aisling Franciosi, for U.K. theatrical release, and is partnering with independent Irish distributor Volta Pictures, who have acquired the film for Ireland. Volta will release the film in Ireland on March 24 and and BFI Distribution in the U.K. on March 31.
Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the film is set in a windswept fishing village on the coast of Ireland, where a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community. Shane Crowley wrote the screenplay based on a story he co-wrote with Cronin O’Reilly.
The Nine Daughters production by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly was developed with the support of Screen Ireland, BBC Film and A24. It was co-financed by A24, BBC Film,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Moe Dunford shines in Stephen Fingleton’s well-constructed Belfast-set drug-deal drama that, though not perfect, has craftsmanship and brio in abundance
First-time screenwriter Ben Conway has put together an interesting Belfast crime thriller, which pans out in a single, unbroken 97-minute take in real time, about a drug dealer doing one last catastrophic deal. Stephen Fingleton, who made an impression with his own 2015 debut The Survivalist, directs it with some elan.
Most of the film is a single, locked-off shot of a guy at the wheel of his car, talking tensely to people via a hands-free mobile while his life terrifyingly unravels. This owes quite a bit to Steven Knight’s lo-fi 2014 classic Locke, starring Tom Hardy doing very much the same thing. Moe Dunford (from Paddy Breathnach’s homelessness drama Rosie) plays Budge: a tough drug dealer looking for the traditional final big score to get him out of...
First-time screenwriter Ben Conway has put together an interesting Belfast crime thriller, which pans out in a single, unbroken 97-minute take in real time, about a drug dealer doing one last catastrophic deal. Stephen Fingleton, who made an impression with his own 2015 debut The Survivalist, directs it with some elan.
Most of the film is a single, locked-off shot of a guy at the wheel of his car, talking tensely to people via a hands-free mobile while his life terrifyingly unravels. This owes quite a bit to Steven Knight’s lo-fi 2014 classic Locke, starring Tom Hardy doing very much the same thing. Moe Dunford (from Paddy Breathnach’s homelessness drama Rosie) plays Budge: a tough drug dealer looking for the traditional final big score to get him out of...
- 3/1/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Production
Shooting kicked off in Dublin on Monday for ITV and BBC streamer BritBox’s latest commission, a new dramedy series titled “The Dry” to be produced by Element Pictures in association with Screen Ireland and ITV Studios. Irish broadcaster RTÉ is also partnering on production.
Roisin Gallagher (“The Fall”) Ciarán Hinds (“Game Of Thrones”), Pom Boyd (“Vanity Fair”), Siobhán Cullen (“Origin”) and Moe Dunford (“Vikings”) headline the series cast, joined by newcomer Adam Richardson. In the show, Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher) returns to Dublin after living abroad in London, sober and well intentioned for the first time in years. Being back home, however, proves to make staying on the wagon more difficult than she expects.
Paddy Breathnach (“I Went Down”) directs the series, penned by writer Nancy Harris. Harris is also on the executive producer team with Emma Norton, Michael Dawson, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. ITV Studios will distribute international,...
Shooting kicked off in Dublin on Monday for ITV and BBC streamer BritBox’s latest commission, a new dramedy series titled “The Dry” to be produced by Element Pictures in association with Screen Ireland and ITV Studios. Irish broadcaster RTÉ is also partnering on production.
Roisin Gallagher (“The Fall”) Ciarán Hinds (“Game Of Thrones”), Pom Boyd (“Vanity Fair”), Siobhán Cullen (“Origin”) and Moe Dunford (“Vikings”) headline the series cast, joined by newcomer Adam Richardson. In the show, Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher) returns to Dublin after living abroad in London, sober and well intentioned for the first time in years. Being back home, however, proves to make staying on the wagon more difficult than she expects.
Paddy Breathnach (“I Went Down”) directs the series, penned by writer Nancy Harris. Harris is also on the executive producer team with Emma Norton, Michael Dawson, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. ITV Studios will distribute international,...
- 8/11/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
BritBox UK has commissioned comedy-drama series The Dry, produced by Normal People and The Favourite outfit Element Pictures in association with Screen Ireland and ITV Studios, and in partnership with RTÉ.
Playwright and screenwriter Nancy Harris (The Good Karma Hospital) and director Paddy Breathnach (Viva) are behind the eight-part series set in Dublin, which began shooting on Monday, and will debuts exclusively on BritBox UK in 2022.
Starring are Roisin Gallagher (The Fall), Ciarán Hinds (Game Of Thrones), Pom Boyd (Vanity Fair), Siobhán Cullen (Origin), Moe Dunford (Vikings) and newcomer Adam Richardson.
In the series, when Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher) returns to Dublin after years of partying in London, she is sober and full of good intentions – but being back with her family makes staying on ‘the dry’ much harder than she expected. As Shiv tries to navigate this new phase of her life, so must her family and they all have...
Playwright and screenwriter Nancy Harris (The Good Karma Hospital) and director Paddy Breathnach (Viva) are behind the eight-part series set in Dublin, which began shooting on Monday, and will debuts exclusively on BritBox UK in 2022.
Starring are Roisin Gallagher (The Fall), Ciarán Hinds (Game Of Thrones), Pom Boyd (Vanity Fair), Siobhán Cullen (Origin), Moe Dunford (Vikings) and newcomer Adam Richardson.
In the series, when Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher) returns to Dublin after years of partying in London, she is sober and full of good intentions – but being back with her family makes staying on ‘the dry’ much harder than she expected. As Shiv tries to navigate this new phase of her life, so must her family and they all have...
- 8/11/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Big Hit, Ladies of Steel and Advantages of Travelling by Train will vie for the European Comedy award. The European Film Awards has announced the nominations for the 2020 European Comedy category. The nominations were determined by a committee comprised of Efa Board Members Katriel Schory (Israel) and Angela Bosch Ríus (Spain), director-screenwriter Paddy Breathnach (Ireland), festival programmer Markus Duffner (Germany/Italy) and distributor-festival programmer Selma Mehadzic (Croatia). The nominated films are: European ComedyThe Big Hit - Emmanuel Courcol (France)Ladies of Steel - Pamela Tola (Finland)Advantages of Travelling by Train - Aritz Moreno (Spain) The nominated films will now be made available to the more than 3,800 Efa Members to elect the winner. The European Comedy 2020 will then be presented at the 33rd European Film Awards in December.
- 10/27/2020
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
The winners of the 2020 Irish Film & Television Academy Awards were announced last night, with Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson pic Ordinary Love winning Best Film, presented by Martin Scoresese. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor won Best Actor in Film for Rialto, which also scooped the Scriptwriter prize for Mark O’Halloran. Paddy Breathnach took Best Director for Rosie. Jessie Buckley won two awards: Best Actress In Film for Wild Rose as well as Supporting Actress Drama for Chernobyl. Niamh Algar also took two prizes: Supporting Actress Film for Calm With Horses and Leading Actress Drama for The Virtues. Also on the TV side, Blood won Best Drama, Andrew Scott took Best Actor Drama for Black Mirror: Smithereens, Mark O’Halloran won Supporting Actor Drama for The Virtues, Dearbhla Walsh won Director Drama for The Handmaid’s Tale, and Mark O’Rowe won Scriptwriter Drama for Temple. Aisling Franciosi Won the Screen Ireland Rising Star prize.
- 10/19/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Kerry-born Jessie Buckey won two awards, for Wild Rose and Chernobyl.
Martin Scorsese presented the top awards at the Irish Film and Television Academy awards, which were held virtually for the first time in two years last night (October 18).
Ordinary Love, directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn and starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville, won the best film 2020 award. Lance Daly’s period thriller Black ’47 won the 2019 version.
The virtual awards were broadcast on national TV channel Virgin Media One, with Scorsese telling the audience: “It appears to me that we are all having to reinvent cinema now,...
Martin Scorsese presented the top awards at the Irish Film and Television Academy awards, which were held virtually for the first time in two years last night (October 18).
Ordinary Love, directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn and starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville, won the best film 2020 award. Lance Daly’s period thriller Black ’47 won the 2019 version.
The virtual awards were broadcast on national TV channel Virgin Media One, with Scorsese telling the audience: “It appears to me that we are all having to reinvent cinema now,...
- 10/19/2020
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Martin Scorsese to present the best film award.
The Irish Film and Television Academy awards ceremony will take place online on October 18th with Martin Scorsese lined up to present the best film award.
Actress and comedian Deirdre O’Kane returns to host the awards and other guest presenters include Liam Neeson, Daisy Ridley, Ruth Negga, Pierce Brosnan and Caitriona Balfe.
Normal People lead actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones will reunite to present a showcase of this year’s Irish nominees. The president of Ireland will give a special presentation to the nominees on the night.
Films in the running...
The Irish Film and Television Academy awards ceremony will take place online on October 18th with Martin Scorsese lined up to present the best film award.
Actress and comedian Deirdre O’Kane returns to host the awards and other guest presenters include Liam Neeson, Daisy Ridley, Ruth Negga, Pierce Brosnan and Caitriona Balfe.
Normal People lead actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones will reunite to present a showcase of this year’s Irish nominees. The president of Ireland will give a special presentation to the nominees on the night.
Films in the running...
- 10/8/2020
- by Esther McCarthy
- ScreenDaily
‘The Voice’ will enable directors to create a proof-of-concept.
New projects by Vivarium director Lorcan Finnegan and Maudie filmmaker Aisling Walsh are among 27 chosen for the inaugural edition of The Voice, Screen Ireland’s development scheme for emerging and established directors.
Each director is eligible for up to €30,000 in funding across a maximum of two projects.
Finnegan has received funding for his TV drama Strange Coast. His second feature Vivarium debuted at Cannes 2019 in Critics’ Week, winning a distribution prize.
Walsh is receiving support for her as-yet-untitled feature film project about US photojournalist Dorothea Lange. The director’s fourth feature Maudie,...
New projects by Vivarium director Lorcan Finnegan and Maudie filmmaker Aisling Walsh are among 27 chosen for the inaugural edition of The Voice, Screen Ireland’s development scheme for emerging and established directors.
Each director is eligible for up to €30,000 in funding across a maximum of two projects.
Finnegan has received funding for his TV drama Strange Coast. His second feature Vivarium debuted at Cannes 2019 in Critics’ Week, winning a distribution prize.
Walsh is receiving support for her as-yet-untitled feature film project about US photojournalist Dorothea Lange. The director’s fourth feature Maudie,...
- 9/1/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Best film nominees separated into 2019 and 2020 categories.
Tom Sullivan’s Great Famine drama Arracht and Paddy Breathnach’s homelessness story Rosie lead the film nominations at the 2020 Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) awards.
Arracht picked up 11 nominations from 15 feature film categories; with Rosie scoring nine.
Full IFTA 2020 nominations below
IFTA is finalising plans for a virtual 2020 awards ceremony in September; there will be no physical IFTA awards ceremony until April 2021. This year’s best film nominees have been split into two categories: five titles are nominated for best film 2019 and a further five have been nominated for best film...
Tom Sullivan’s Great Famine drama Arracht and Paddy Breathnach’s homelessness story Rosie lead the film nominations at the 2020 Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) awards.
Arracht picked up 11 nominations from 15 feature film categories; with Rosie scoring nine.
Full IFTA 2020 nominations below
IFTA is finalising plans for a virtual 2020 awards ceremony in September; there will be no physical IFTA awards ceremony until April 2021. This year’s best film nominees have been split into two categories: five titles are nominated for best film 2019 and a further five have been nominated for best film...
- 7/14/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Which film will follow on from ‘Roma’ in winning the prize?
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
Scroll down for latest entries
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
Scroll down for latest entries
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
- 10/4/2019
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦¬0¦Emma Kiely, Nancy Epton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
While “The Lion King” dominates the larger world of studio releases, A24’s “The Farewell” is king of the indie jungle. Lulu Wang’s acclaimed story of a granddaughter’s return to China for a special event expanded on its second weekend as impressively as an award-season prime-time contender. Commanding that response in July suggests a not only a huge interest in its subject, but a hunger from the arthouse audience for a film to support. None of this was guaranteed, or even likely, after nabbing major acclaim at Sundance.
Once again, a documentary leads the new films as “David Crosby: Remember My Name” (Sony Pictures Classics) topped seven non-fiction titles that add up to about half of the leading grosses among specialized releases.
Opening
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 81; Festivals include: Sundance, South by Southwest, Seattle 2019
$41,050 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $10,263
With...
Once again, a documentary leads the new films as “David Crosby: Remember My Name” (Sony Pictures Classics) topped seven non-fiction titles that add up to about half of the leading grosses among specialized releases.
Opening
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 81; Festivals include: Sundance, South by Southwest, Seattle 2019
$41,050 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $10,263
With...
- 7/21/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Rosie Blue Fox Entertainment Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Paddy Breathnach Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle Cast: Sarah Greene, Molly McCann, Darragh McKenzie, Ruby Dunne, Ellie O’Halloran Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 6/27/19 Opens: July 19, 2019 Movies with Hollywood endings—to the extent that they still exist in our […]
The post Rosie Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Rosie Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 7/14/2019
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Sarah Davies-Goff hit novel is set in a post-apocalyptic Ireland.
Irish production company Treasure Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Last Ones Left Alive, the acclaimed dystopian novel by Sarah Davis-Goff.
The debut novel - described by The Observer as “a fiercely feminist, highly imaginative novel” - is set in a post-apocalyptic Ireland.
Treasure Entertainment’s feature Papi Chulo, written and directed by John Butler, opens theatrically in the Us this weekend via Blue Fox Entertainment following its world premiere at Tiff. Further recent projects from the high-profile Irish outfit include Butler’s Handsome Devil, Paddy Breathnach’s Viva...
Irish production company Treasure Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Last Ones Left Alive, the acclaimed dystopian novel by Sarah Davis-Goff.
The debut novel - described by The Observer as “a fiercely feminist, highly imaginative novel” - is set in a post-apocalyptic Ireland.
Treasure Entertainment’s feature Papi Chulo, written and directed by John Butler, opens theatrically in the Us this weekend via Blue Fox Entertainment following its world premiere at Tiff. Further recent projects from the high-profile Irish outfit include Butler’s Handsome Devil, Paddy Breathnach’s Viva...
- 6/5/2019
- by Esther McCarthy
- ScreenDaily
The Newport Beach Film Festival, which kicks off April 24 and continues through April 27, will honor five talented artists who will be on hand to accept their awards. The event kicks off opening night with the West Coast premiere of Sundance indie hit “Luce,” a provocative racial drama from director Julius Onah starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and rising star Kelvin Harrison Jr. The fest closes with the world premiere of “Part of Water,” a documentary about local lifeguard hero Ben Carlson who lost his life saving a drowning swimmer in 2014.
Between those bookends, Nbff screens the Ted Bundy crime drama “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” starring Zac Efron as the notorious serial killer; “Official Secrets,” Gavin Hood’s political thriller starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes; and the world premiere of “The Tony Alva Story,” which chronicles the life of the skateboarding legend.
The fest and Vans...
Between those bookends, Nbff screens the Ted Bundy crime drama “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” starring Zac Efron as the notorious serial killer; “Official Secrets,” Gavin Hood’s political thriller starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes; and the world premiere of “The Tony Alva Story,” which chronicles the life of the skateboarding legend.
The fest and Vans...
- 4/24/2019
- by Iain Blair
- Variety Film + TV
A family of six are forced on to the street after losing their rented house in a powerful and moving drama written by Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle has written a very moving and insightful film about homelessness. Paddy Breathnach directs and it is powerfully acted, especially by Sarah Greene in the leading role – which put me in mind, just a little, of Hayley Squires in Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake. The potency of the film lies in showing us that the “homeless” are not a caste or tribe whose condition has been ordained at birth, and their situation is not a cosmic punishment for laziness – they are people like everyone else whose situation has been created by economic forces.
Rosie (Greene) is a mother of four, her partner John Paul (Moe Dunford) works in a restaurant kitchen; they were living entirely happily and responsibly in a rented house in north Dublin,...
Roddy Doyle has written a very moving and insightful film about homelessness. Paddy Breathnach directs and it is powerfully acted, especially by Sarah Greene in the leading role – which put me in mind, just a little, of Hayley Squires in Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake. The potency of the film lies in showing us that the “homeless” are not a caste or tribe whose condition has been ordained at birth, and their situation is not a cosmic punishment for laziness – they are people like everyone else whose situation has been created by economic forces.
Rosie (Greene) is a mother of four, her partner John Paul (Moe Dunford) works in a restaurant kitchen; they were living entirely happily and responsibly in a rented house in north Dublin,...
- 3/7/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Variety has been given the exclusive first-look image for coming-of-age comedy “How to Build a Girl,” which Protagonist Pictures is selling at Afm.
The movie is directed by Coky Giedroyc, and stars “Lady Bird’s” Beanie Feldstein, Alfie Allen, best known for “Game of Thrones,” Paddy Considine and Sarah Solemani. Adapted by Caitlin Moran from her semi-autobiographical novel, it is set in 1993 and centers on a “fat, bright, funny” working-class 16-year-old girl trying to break free from her provincial town in England, and reinvent herself as a “swashbuckling top-hat-wearing rock critic” in London.
Other cast in the film include Laurie Kynaston, Joanna Scanlan, Arinzé Kene, Frank Dillane, Tadhg Murphy and Ziggy Heath. Emma Thompson and Chris O’Dowd have cameo roles.
Produced by Alison Owen and Debra Hayward at Monumental Pictures, the pic was co-developed by Film4, which is co-financing with Tango. Lionsgate will distribute in the U.K.
Protagonist,...
The movie is directed by Coky Giedroyc, and stars “Lady Bird’s” Beanie Feldstein, Alfie Allen, best known for “Game of Thrones,” Paddy Considine and Sarah Solemani. Adapted by Caitlin Moran from her semi-autobiographical novel, it is set in 1993 and centers on a “fat, bright, funny” working-class 16-year-old girl trying to break free from her provincial town in England, and reinvent herself as a “swashbuckling top-hat-wearing rock critic” in London.
Other cast in the film include Laurie Kynaston, Joanna Scanlan, Arinzé Kene, Frank Dillane, Tadhg Murphy and Ziggy Heath. Emma Thompson and Chris O’Dowd have cameo roles.
Produced by Alison Owen and Debra Hayward at Monumental Pictures, the pic was co-developed by Film4, which is co-financing with Tango. Lionsgate will distribute in the U.K.
Protagonist,...
- 10/31/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Various factors have set housing costs skyrocketing in many major cities worldwide, creating numerous problems — not least the increasing forcing-out of native residents in favor of better-heeled newcomers. Penned by Irish novelist Roddy Doyle, “Rosie” offers a microcosm of that crisis in Dublin, as a working-class family finds itself literally (if hopefully just temporarily) homeless.
The excruciating difficulties of being stuck in a car with four restless children all day, and no certainty of proper beds at night, are made all too vivid in this drama set over one 36-hour period. It’s not an experience many viewers will want to share, even vicariously, and the lack of star names will further limit commercial prospects. Still, Paddy Breathnach’s film is an admirable distillation of a jam happening to more and more people who never imagined being in such straits — and who, until recently, would have scarcely been at risk of it.
The excruciating difficulties of being stuck in a car with four restless children all day, and no certainty of proper beds at night, are made all too vivid in this drama set over one 36-hour period. It’s not an experience many viewers will want to share, even vicariously, and the lack of star names will further limit commercial prospects. Still, Paddy Breathnach’s film is an admirable distillation of a jam happening to more and more people who never imagined being in such straits — and who, until recently, would have scarcely been at risk of it.
- 9/27/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
"I've always looked after them." Element Pictures has debuted an official trailer for the indie drama Rosie, made by Irish filmmaker Paddy Breathnach. The film is about a mother trying to protect her family after their landlord sells their rented home and they become homeless. Starring Sarah Greene as Rosie, with Moe Dunford, Natalia Kostrzewa, Ellie O'Halloran, Ruby Dunne, Darragh McKenzie, and Molly McCann. The film Rosie examines "how even in times of crises; the love and strength of a family can endure." This looks like another powerful story about the struggles of modern society and people we may not think much about, similar to I, Daniel Blake. It looks moving and heartfelt. This just premiered at Tiff, then opens in Ireland next month. Here's the festival trailer (+ quad poster) for Paddy Breathnach's Rosie, direct from YouTube (via Vimeo): Rosie tells the story of a mother trying to ...
- 9/15/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Paddy Breathnach directs drama set for Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema strand.
Protagonist Pictures has bolstered its sales slate ahead of Tiff with the acquisition of Rosie, the Irish drama from director Paddy Breathnach (Viva) and Element Pictures.
The film will have its premiere in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section. It stars Tony Award-nominee Sarah Greene (Burnt) as a mother trying to protect her family after her landlord sells their rented home, leaving them homeless.
Moe Dunford (Vikings) plays her partner, with newcomers Ellie O’Halloran, Ruby Dunne, Darragh McKenzie and Molly McCann featuring as their children.
Protagonist has taken world sales rights,...
Protagonist Pictures has bolstered its sales slate ahead of Tiff with the acquisition of Rosie, the Irish drama from director Paddy Breathnach (Viva) and Element Pictures.
The film will have its premiere in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section. It stars Tony Award-nominee Sarah Greene (Burnt) as a mother trying to protect her family after her landlord sells their rented home, leaving them homeless.
Moe Dunford (Vikings) plays her partner, with newcomers Ellie O’Halloran, Ruby Dunne, Darragh McKenzie and Molly McCann featuring as their children.
Protagonist has taken world sales rights,...
- 8/23/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Emma Norton has been promoted to development producer.
Element pictures is set to expand on the company’s development and production activities after making a number of new and in-house appointments.
The Irish company behind the Oscar-nominated Room and Yorgos Lanthimos’ forthcoming The Favourite has made a number of key promotions.
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures made the announcement as it prepares to go into production with its latest project, Rosie, directed by Paddy Breathnach (Viva) from a script by Roddy Doyle (The Snapper).
Emma Norton has been promoted to development producer at Element, after previously working...
Element pictures is set to expand on the company’s development and production activities after making a number of new and in-house appointments.
The Irish company behind the Oscar-nominated Room and Yorgos Lanthimos’ forthcoming The Favourite has made a number of key promotions.
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures made the announcement as it prepares to go into production with its latest project, Rosie, directed by Paddy Breathnach (Viva) from a script by Roddy Doyle (The Snapper).
Emma Norton has been promoted to development producer at Element, after previously working...
- 3/26/2018
- by Esther McCarthy
- ScreenDaily
Other recipients include Rosie, written by Roddy Doyle and Pat Collins’ Folkland.
Source: Wiki Commons
George Rr Martin
The Irish Film Board has backed a major new international production from the creator of Game of Thrones in its latest round of funding decisions.
Filming is due to get underway this spring on Nightflyers, the first production based out of Limerick’s newly built Troy Studios. The forthcoming production was granted €850,000 by the Ifb - the single biggest award in its latest round of funding decisions. New features by Cathy Brady, Brian Kirk and Paddy Breathnach are also being supported.
Sets are currently being constructed in Troy’s vast studio space based in Ireland’s mid-west, with filming due to begin in the coming weeks. Originally commissioned as a pilot, Syfy confirmed it was going to series after creator George Rr Martin revealed the plans on his blog. Martin and Jeff Buhler are credited as co-writers, with Mike Cahill (Another...
Source: Wiki Commons
George Rr Martin
The Irish Film Board has backed a major new international production from the creator of Game of Thrones in its latest round of funding decisions.
Filming is due to get underway this spring on Nightflyers, the first production based out of Limerick’s newly built Troy Studios. The forthcoming production was granted €850,000 by the Ifb - the single biggest award in its latest round of funding decisions. New features by Cathy Brady, Brian Kirk and Paddy Breathnach are also being supported.
Sets are currently being constructed in Troy’s vast studio space based in Ireland’s mid-west, with filming due to begin in the coming weeks. Originally commissioned as a pilot, Syfy confirmed it was going to series after creator George Rr Martin revealed the plans on his blog. Martin and Jeff Buhler are credited as co-writers, with Mike Cahill (Another...
- 1/26/2018
- by Esther McCarthy
- ScreenDaily
Other recipients include Rosie, written by Roddy Doyle and Pat Collins’ Folkland.
Source: Wiki Commons
George Rr Martin
The Irish Film Board has backed a major new international production from the creator of Game of Thrones in its latest round of funding decisions.
Filming is due to get underway this spring on Nightflyers, the first production based out of Limerick’s newly built Troy Studios. The forthcoming production was granted €850,000 by the Ifb - the single biggest award in its latest round of funding decisions. New features by Cathy Brady, Brian Kirk and Paddy Breathnach are also being supported.
Sets are currently being constructed in Troy’s vast studio space based in Ireland’s mid-west, with filming due to begin in the coming weeks. Originally commissioned as a pilot, Syfy confirmed it was going to series after creator George Rr Martin revealed the plans on his blog. Martin and Jeff Buhler are credited as co-writers, with Mike Cahill (Another...
Source: Wiki Commons
George Rr Martin
The Irish Film Board has backed a major new international production from the creator of Game of Thrones in its latest round of funding decisions.
Filming is due to get underway this spring on Nightflyers, the first production based out of Limerick’s newly built Troy Studios. The forthcoming production was granted €850,000 by the Ifb - the single biggest award in its latest round of funding decisions. New features by Cathy Brady, Brian Kirk and Paddy Breathnach are also being supported.
Sets are currently being constructed in Troy’s vast studio space based in Ireland’s mid-west, with filming due to begin in the coming weeks. Originally commissioned as a pilot, Syfy confirmed it was going to series after creator George Rr Martin revealed the plans on his blog. Martin and Jeff Buhler are credited as co-writers, with Mike Cahill (Another...
- 1/26/2018
- by Esther McCarthy
- ScreenDaily
Other recipients include Virginia Woolf romance Vita & Virginia and new Hong Khaou, Carmel Winters films.
Lenny Abrahamson’s forthcoming adaptation of Sarah Waters’ acclaimed wartime ghost story The Little Stranger is among the films being supported by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.
Projects by Mary McGuckian, Carmel Winters and British/Cambodian filmmaker Hong Khaou are also among those given production funding support, as is a drama about Virgina Woolf’s love affair with the poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West.
In a diverse and wide-ranging first quarter, Room director Abrahamson’s [pictured] adaption of The Little Stranger has received production funding of €350,000.
The novel, which centres on the strange goings on in a country house in rural Warwickshire, has been adapted for the big screen by English novelist and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl). Domhnall Gleeson is attached to the project, which will be co-produced by Element Pictures.
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Lenny Abrahamson’s forthcoming adaptation of Sarah Waters’ acclaimed wartime ghost story The Little Stranger is among the films being supported by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.
Projects by Mary McGuckian, Carmel Winters and British/Cambodian filmmaker Hong Khaou are also among those given production funding support, as is a drama about Virgina Woolf’s love affair with the poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West.
In a diverse and wide-ranging first quarter, Room director Abrahamson’s [pictured] adaption of The Little Stranger has received production funding of €350,000.
The novel, which centres on the strange goings on in a country house in rural Warwickshire, has been adapted for the big screen by English novelist and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl). Domhnall Gleeson is attached to the project, which will be co-produced by Element Pictures.
Float [link=tt...
- 4/24/2017
- ScreenDaily
Horror Channel presents nine fear-filled premieres in March including the UK TV premiere of Bad Milo!, Jacob Vaughan’s laugh-out-loud comedy horror blending sharp social satire with copious amounts of slimy gore. Broadcast on Fri 31st March at 11.20pm, Bad Milo! stars Ken Marino as normal nice guy Duncan, who discovers that a cute bloodthirsty creature is living in his lower intestines. Every time he gets stressed, it crawls out of his rectum to feed on the flesh of those riling him up. Check out our review here.
Dark laughs also run amok on Fri 3rd March at 10.55pm with the network premiere of Paul Andrew Williams’ blood-drenched hostage thriller The Cottage, starring Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith and Jennifer Ellison. Feuding brothers David (Andy Serkis) and Peter (Reece Shearsmith) abduct a young woman (Jennifer Ellison) and hole up in a remote rural cottage, But their hostage turns the tables and...
Dark laughs also run amok on Fri 3rd March at 10.55pm with the network premiere of Paul Andrew Williams’ blood-drenched hostage thriller The Cottage, starring Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith and Jennifer Ellison. Feuding brothers David (Andy Serkis) and Peter (Reece Shearsmith) abduct a young woman (Jennifer Ellison) and hole up in a remote rural cottage, But their hostage turns the tables and...
- 2/23/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Contrary to the alarmist accounts that cinema as an art form is agonizing and nearing the end of its relevance, 2016 sent a clear message stating that sequels, rehashed ideas, and spinoffs, deserved to be axed and replaced with new concepts — even if that means less billion-dollar tent poles per year. Of course, independent and international films are the heroes that continue to reignite audiences passion for the medium, though most of them struggle to achieve the financial success they deserve.
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
- 12/30/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Wait a second. Can the U.K. submit a film for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Oscar?
Sure. As long as it’s not in English. Take last year: Ireland, not Cuba, submitted Spanish-language film “Viva.” And France controversially chose the Turkish “Mustang” as its official entry over a list of top French auteurs.
If the submitting country paid for the movie and supplied key personnel, it doesn’t matter what language it’s in. The French produced “Mustang” and its director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, born in Turkey, is based in Paris. (Her next movie is English-language.) And the Irish produced “Viva,” even though director Paddy Breathnach shot with local actors in Havana.
And thus the UK’s selection organization, BAFTA, has submitted writer-director Babak Anvari’s well-reviewed Sundance mother-daughter drama “Under the Shadow” (October 7, Vertical Entertainment and Xyz Films), a 1988 Iran-Iraq War thriller shot in Farsi starring Narges Rashidi,...
Sure. As long as it’s not in English. Take last year: Ireland, not Cuba, submitted Spanish-language film “Viva.” And France controversially chose the Turkish “Mustang” as its official entry over a list of top French auteurs.
If the submitting country paid for the movie and supplied key personnel, it doesn’t matter what language it’s in. The French produced “Mustang” and its director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, born in Turkey, is based in Paris. (Her next movie is English-language.) And the Irish produced “Viva,” even though director Paddy Breathnach shot with local actors in Havana.
And thus the UK’s selection organization, BAFTA, has submitted writer-director Babak Anvari’s well-reviewed Sundance mother-daughter drama “Under the Shadow” (October 7, Vertical Entertainment and Xyz Films), a 1988 Iran-Iraq War thriller shot in Farsi starring Narges Rashidi,...
- 9/22/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Wait a second. Can the U.K. submit a film for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Oscar?
Sure. As long as it’s not in English. Take last year: Ireland, not Cuba, submitted Spanish-language film “Viva.” And France controversially chose the Turkish “Mustang” as its official entry over a list of top French auteurs.
If the submitting country paid for the movie and supplied key personnel, it doesn’t matter what language it’s in. The French produced “Mustang” and its director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, born in Turkey, is based in Paris. (Her next movie is English-language.) And the Irish produced “Viva,” even though director Paddy Breathnach shot with local actors in Havana.
And thus the UK’s selection organization, BAFTA, has submitted writer-director Babak Anvari’s well-reviewed Sundance mother-daughter drama “Under the Shadow” (October 7, Vertigo Entertainment and Xyz Films), a 1988 Iran-Iraq War thriller shot in Farsi starring Narges Rashidi,...
Sure. As long as it’s not in English. Take last year: Ireland, not Cuba, submitted Spanish-language film “Viva.” And France controversially chose the Turkish “Mustang” as its official entry over a list of top French auteurs.
If the submitting country paid for the movie and supplied key personnel, it doesn’t matter what language it’s in. The French produced “Mustang” and its director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, born in Turkey, is based in Paris. (Her next movie is English-language.) And the Irish produced “Viva,” even though director Paddy Breathnach shot with local actors in Havana.
And thus the UK’s selection organization, BAFTA, has submitted writer-director Babak Anvari’s well-reviewed Sundance mother-daughter drama “Under the Shadow” (October 7, Vertigo Entertainment and Xyz Films), a 1988 Iran-Iraq War thriller shot in Farsi starring Narges Rashidi,...
- 9/22/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Brazilian film debuted in Competiton at Cannes.
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian social justice drama Aquarius has won the $47,000 (Au$63,000) Sydney Film Prize, the major award of the Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19).
Mendonca Filho’s story of a strong-willed homeowner’s battle against unscrupulous real estate developers was awarded the top prize at the closing night of the 63rd Sff on Sunday.
Jury president and UK producer Simon Field said Aquarius, which premiered in Competition at Cannes last month, is “a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of an individual standing up for what she believes.”
“Mendonça Filho has created a film that is both political and personal – witty, sexy and playful. A film of effortless verve and intelligence,” he said.
“At the heart of the film is Sonia Braga’s astonishing and brave performance of a fearless character, resisting pressures from her family, and the corporate...
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian social justice drama Aquarius has won the $47,000 (Au$63,000) Sydney Film Prize, the major award of the Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19).
Mendonca Filho’s story of a strong-willed homeowner’s battle against unscrupulous real estate developers was awarded the top prize at the closing night of the 63rd Sff on Sunday.
Jury president and UK producer Simon Field said Aquarius, which premiered in Competition at Cannes last month, is “a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of an individual standing up for what she believes.”
“Mendonça Filho has created a film that is both political and personal – witty, sexy and playful. A film of effortless verve and intelligence,” he said.
“At the heart of the film is Sonia Braga’s astonishing and brave performance of a fearless character, resisting pressures from her family, and the corporate...
- 6/20/2016
- ScreenDaily
Mongrel International has licensed UK rights in Cannes to Viva, last season’s Irish foreign-language Oscar submission.
Studiocanal and Element Pictures Distribution have acquired all UK and Irish rights to the Irish-Cuban film in a joint distribution venture.
Paddy Breathnach’s story centres on a Havana-based youngster who aspires to be a drag queen and gets his dreams crushed when his estranged macho father returns from prison. Mark O’Halloran wrote the screenplay.
Jorge Perugorria stars with Luis Alberto Garcia and Hector Medina. Magnolia released Viva in the Us on April 29.
Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan of Treasure Entertainment produced.
Studiocanal and Element Pictures Distribution have acquired all UK and Irish rights to the Irish-Cuban film in a joint distribution venture.
Paddy Breathnach’s story centres on a Havana-based youngster who aspires to be a drag queen and gets his dreams crushed when his estranged macho father returns from prison. Mark O’Halloran wrote the screenplay.
Jorge Perugorria stars with Luis Alberto Garcia and Hector Medina. Magnolia released Viva in the Us on April 29.
Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan of Treasure Entertainment produced.
- 5/17/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the Sundance Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival hit “Viva”! Shot entirely in Havana, the film was directed by an Irish director and was Ireland’s official Oscar entry last year!
“Viva,” which opens in Chicago on May 6, 2016 and is rated “R,” stars Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría and Luis Alberto García from director Paddy Breathnach and Mark O’Halloran. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free passes to “Viva” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds...
“Viva,” which opens in Chicago on May 6, 2016 and is rated “R,” stars Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría and Luis Alberto García from director Paddy Breathnach and Mark O’Halloran. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free passes to “Viva” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds...
- 5/2/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
There are two identities at war with themselves in director Paddy Breathnach’s tender but uneven “Viva,” a queer-positive movie about drag queens, queer communities, and self-expression in the slums of Havana, and a father and son story about estrangement and reconciliation. In truth, these interwoven ideas should be complementary; a homophobic and domineering father, a gay and timid son and the young man’s discovery of a passionate creative outlet in the midst of bleak poverty and few opportunities: the cathartic escapism of drag expressiveness. The foundational elements have all the necessary ingredients for compelling conflict. But despite an expressive visual eye, a strong capacity to communicate empathy and good craft, the promising “Viva” is hampered by a predictable narrative overburdened with one too many cliches that divide the movie’s strengths. Its normcore story meets its unique queer-core sensibilities and both cancel each other out — or at least don't add up as much.
- 4/28/2016
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Viva Magnolia Pictures Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for CompuServe ShowBiz. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: A- Director: Paddy Breathnach Written by: Mark O’Halloran Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García, Renata Maikel Machin Blanco, Luis Manuel Alvarez Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 1/26/16 Opens: April 29, 2016 Fathers want what’s best for their sons, but sometimes, while they mean well, they cannot accept what their boys are really like. Such is the case in Paddy Breathnah’s “Viva,” which boasts a sensational performance for Cuban actor Héctor Medina in the title role. If you doubt that his dad, a former boxer who served jail time for killing a man, would [ Read More ]
The post Viva Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Viva Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/25/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Family and identity collide in the upcoming "Viva," a queer-positive story set in the slums of a Havana, where a father and son try to find some level of acceptance for each other. It's a film that debuted to a warm reception at the Telluride Film Festival last fall, and was Ireland's entry at this year's Oscars, and today we have an exclusive clip from the picture. Starring Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García, Héctor Medina, Luis Manuel Álvarez, Renata (Maikel Machín Blanco), and Laura Alemán, directed by Paddy Breathnach, and executive produced by Benicio Del Toro, the story follows a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. "Viva" opens in.
- 4/19/2016
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
This Thursday, April 7th, there will be an inaugural press conference at 2:30 p.m. in American Trade Hotel’s Salon Viejo. The interview will be headed by the directors of Iff Panama, the President of Iff Panama Foundation, the Minister of Commerce and Industry (Mici), and the actors Luis Silva -protagonist of the movie "From Afar," winner of the Golden Lion of Venice- and the talented Luis Alberto García, who heads the cast of "Viva," which will open the festival.
Read More: 'Viva' Director Paddy Breathnach on Making an Irish Film in Cuba and Visceral Transformation
Among the events that the International Film Festival of Panama brings for its fifth anniversary celebration are: educational and industry programs that cover more than twenty different activities between seminars, workshops, chats and panels, 14 red carpets along with three nights of free outdoors screenings and the presence of more than one hundred special guests; not to mention 75 of the best films the world has to offer.
Read More: Panama: The Next Big Country for Latin American Films?
At 1:00 p.m. that same day, world renowned documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán will begin a four-day Documentary Seminar that he will conduct for members of the cinematographic industry in the American Trade Hall.
Read More: Iff Panama: 22 Unique Educational Activities
At 6:45 p.m.,the Red Carpet event of the Iff Panama's Opening Gala will start at Teatro Balboa, with international and national special guests attending. The Inaugural Ceremony starts at 8:00 p.m. and at 8:45 the screening of "Viva" will commence.
For more information on the entire festival program and events visit Here.
Read More: 'Viva' Director Paddy Breathnach on Making an Irish Film in Cuba and Visceral Transformation
Among the events that the International Film Festival of Panama brings for its fifth anniversary celebration are: educational and industry programs that cover more than twenty different activities between seminars, workshops, chats and panels, 14 red carpets along with three nights of free outdoors screenings and the presence of more than one hundred special guests; not to mention 75 of the best films the world has to offer.
Read More: Panama: The Next Big Country for Latin American Films?
At 1:00 p.m. that same day, world renowned documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán will begin a four-day Documentary Seminar that he will conduct for members of the cinematographic industry in the American Trade Hall.
Read More: Iff Panama: 22 Unique Educational Activities
At 6:45 p.m.,the Red Carpet event of the Iff Panama's Opening Gala will start at Teatro Balboa, with international and national special guests attending. The Inaugural Ceremony starts at 8:00 p.m. and at 8:45 the screening of "Viva" will commence.
For more information on the entire festival program and events visit Here.
- 4/6/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Lorenzo Vigas’ Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar and César Augusto Acevedo’s Cannes Critics Week France 4 Visionary Award winner Land And Shade will screen at the International Film Festival of Panama.
Both selections will play in the Ibero American Showcase under the auspices of Iff Panama 2016, which runs from April 7-13.
Italian actress Lucía Bosé will be guest of honour at the festival’s fifth edition when three of films will screen — Death Of A Cyclist, Story Of A Love Affair, and No Peace Under The Olive Tree. High Heels will screen in special presentation.
Ibero American Showcase entries include Anna Muylaert’s Brazilian foreign language Oscar submission My Second Mother, Álex de la Iglesia’s My Big Night (Spain), 3 Beauties (Venezuela) by Carlos Caridad-Montero, and Spy Time (Spain) by Javier Ruiz Caldera.
Rounding out the section are: The Apostate (Spain-France-Uruguay) by Federico Veiroj; Road To La Paz (Argentina) by Francisco Varone; Semana Santa (Mexico) by [link...
Both selections will play in the Ibero American Showcase under the auspices of Iff Panama 2016, which runs from April 7-13.
Italian actress Lucía Bosé will be guest of honour at the festival’s fifth edition when three of films will screen — Death Of A Cyclist, Story Of A Love Affair, and No Peace Under The Olive Tree. High Heels will screen in special presentation.
Ibero American Showcase entries include Anna Muylaert’s Brazilian foreign language Oscar submission My Second Mother, Álex de la Iglesia’s My Big Night (Spain), 3 Beauties (Venezuela) by Carlos Caridad-Montero, and Spy Time (Spain) by Javier Ruiz Caldera.
Rounding out the section are: The Apostate (Spain-France-Uruguay) by Federico Veiroj; Road To La Paz (Argentina) by Francisco Varone; Semana Santa (Mexico) by [link...
- 3/23/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Dublin-based Roads Entertainment readies Trade and Pat Collins biopic Song Of Granite.
BAFTA-nominated director Hong Khaou (Lilting) is newly attached to direct drama Trade, written by Garage and Adam & Paul screenwriter Mark O’Halloran.
Dublin-based Roads Entertainment (Being AP) is producing Trade, about a young man searching for stability in the wake of his father’s death.
Shoot is due to get underway later this year on the project, adapted from O’Halloran’s play of the same name. Development was supported by the Irish Film Board (Ifb) and Roads’ facility Portico Development Fund.
Khaou’s 2014 debut Lilting, starring Ben Whishaw, debuted at Sundance and played at a number of international festivals before being released in the UK by Artificial Eye.
O’Halloran, who is also an actor and collaborated with Lenny Abrahamson (Room) on Garage and Adam & Paul, most recently scripted Paddy Breathnach’s 2015 drama, Viva.
Song Of Granite
Next up for Roads Entertainment, the company...
BAFTA-nominated director Hong Khaou (Lilting) is newly attached to direct drama Trade, written by Garage and Adam & Paul screenwriter Mark O’Halloran.
Dublin-based Roads Entertainment (Being AP) is producing Trade, about a young man searching for stability in the wake of his father’s death.
Shoot is due to get underway later this year on the project, adapted from O’Halloran’s play of the same name. Development was supported by the Irish Film Board (Ifb) and Roads’ facility Portico Development Fund.
Khaou’s 2014 debut Lilting, starring Ben Whishaw, debuted at Sundance and played at a number of international festivals before being released in the UK by Artificial Eye.
O’Halloran, who is also an actor and collaborated with Lenny Abrahamson (Room) on Garage and Adam & Paul, most recently scripted Paddy Breathnach’s 2015 drama, Viva.
Song Of Granite
Next up for Roads Entertainment, the company...
- 3/8/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
I loved this film, full of deep feeling and offers a new view of 'family'. Paddy Breathnach's "Viva" tells the Havana story of a young teen boy, Jesus, who is trying to find himself, his identity.
His world is that of a gay drag club where the queens dress fantastically to sing on stage the eternally famous songs of passion love and betrayal. Jesus scrapes by on the streets, barely, and sometimes sells his body.
But at the club when he sings there is a special time always and it appears he could have a career there.Suddenly his long gone father returns. A brutal man who deserted Jesus who barely remembers him.
The father is gravely ill, has no money and proceeds to forbid Jesus from performing his stage act. This is truly a family from hell and we wonder how the beautiful sensitive young teen Jesus can ever survive.
A really good film, wonderful acting, great idea.
"Viva" was Ireland's Official Oscar entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category and it made the 9-film shortlist out of 80 submissions for the 88th Academy Awards.
From the Sundance catalog:
Veteran director Paddy Breathnach's Viva first transported audiences to the vibrant world of Havana's drag scene at the Telluride Film Festival. We are thrilled to welcome Breathnach back to the Sundance Film Festival.
Jesus has spent most of his young adult life styling wigs at a drag club in Havana, longing for a purpose other than the pennies he scrapes together in the shadows of his surroundings. When Jesus is offered the chance to perform amongst the other queens, the cruel winds of fate bring his estranged, abusive father back into his life after 15 years. What unfolds is a bittersweet story of pain, regret, and reconciliation. As the two men’s lives violently collide, they are forced to grapple with their conflicting views.
Laced with the raw passion and drama of drag, director Paddy Breathnach and writer Mark O’Halloran bring Viva to life with exquisite tenderness. Actors Jorge Perugoría and Héctor Medina fill this wrenching love story with a raw humanity that runs beyond the confines of the screen. With a resounding case for compassion, Viva illuminates the oft-devastating path of family, neglect, and resolution.
Paddy Breathnach’s first feature, Ailsa, won Best First/Second Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival. His second feature, I Went Down (1998 Sundance Film Festival), won Best New Director prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Best Director award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and Best Film at the Bogota International Film Festival. His comedy, Man About Dog, became one of the most successful independent Irish films. Breathnach directs both documentaries and dramas.
His world is that of a gay drag club where the queens dress fantastically to sing on stage the eternally famous songs of passion love and betrayal. Jesus scrapes by on the streets, barely, and sometimes sells his body.
But at the club when he sings there is a special time always and it appears he could have a career there.Suddenly his long gone father returns. A brutal man who deserted Jesus who barely remembers him.
The father is gravely ill, has no money and proceeds to forbid Jesus from performing his stage act. This is truly a family from hell and we wonder how the beautiful sensitive young teen Jesus can ever survive.
A really good film, wonderful acting, great idea.
"Viva" was Ireland's Official Oscar entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category and it made the 9-film shortlist out of 80 submissions for the 88th Academy Awards.
From the Sundance catalog:
Veteran director Paddy Breathnach's Viva first transported audiences to the vibrant world of Havana's drag scene at the Telluride Film Festival. We are thrilled to welcome Breathnach back to the Sundance Film Festival.
Jesus has spent most of his young adult life styling wigs at a drag club in Havana, longing for a purpose other than the pennies he scrapes together in the shadows of his surroundings. When Jesus is offered the chance to perform amongst the other queens, the cruel winds of fate bring his estranged, abusive father back into his life after 15 years. What unfolds is a bittersweet story of pain, regret, and reconciliation. As the two men’s lives violently collide, they are forced to grapple with their conflicting views.
Laced with the raw passion and drama of drag, director Paddy Breathnach and writer Mark O’Halloran bring Viva to life with exquisite tenderness. Actors Jorge Perugoría and Héctor Medina fill this wrenching love story with a raw humanity that runs beyond the confines of the screen. With a resounding case for compassion, Viva illuminates the oft-devastating path of family, neglect, and resolution.
Paddy Breathnach’s first feature, Ailsa, won Best First/Second Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival. His second feature, I Went Down (1998 Sundance Film Festival), won Best New Director prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Best Director award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and Best Film at the Bogota International Film Festival. His comedy, Man About Dog, became one of the most successful independent Irish films. Breathnach directs both documentaries and dramas.
- 2/5/2016
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
The Audi Dublin International Film Festival launched an impressive 14th programme today, featuring over 80 films from 27 countries, that will welcome over 40 guests to the capital from the 18th - 28th of February. Book ended by highly anticipated Irish films, the Festival will open on Thursday the 18th with the European premiere of Sing Street, attended by director John Carney and cast members Jack Reynor, Ferdia Walsh Peelo and Lucy Boynton, and closes with director Paddy Breathnach’s Viva (below). Screen icon Richard Gere will attend the Arnotts Gala screening of Time Out of Mind, joining a host of stellar guests including legendary acting talents Claudia Cardinale who will attend the Italian Gala with Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Dame Angela Lansbury, alongside acclaimed directors Rebecca Miller with her comedy Maggie’s Plan, Ben Wheatley with his Jg Ballard adaptation High Rise, Joachim Trier with Louder than Bombs and Neil Jordan for the 20th anniversary.
- 1/28/2016
- by noreply@blogger.com (Clare Daly)
- www.themoviebit.com
It is all change for Dublin as the city’s 10-day festival launches a new programme, new sponsors and a new general manager.
The Audi Dublin International Film Festival (Feb 18-28) has announced a solid line-up of local and international titles as well as big-name guests.
But behind the scenes, the festival has been carefully manoeuvring its way through a period of transition as it aims to build for the future.
Car manufacturers Audi have replaced Jameson as title sponsors, while beer brand Peroni and Dublin department store Arnotts have also come aboard.
Dublin also has a new general manager, Sian Cunningham, who worked in the arts for more than 15 years prior to this appointment, most notably as general manager with Dance Ireland for nine years.
An eclectic group of filmmakers and stars were announced at today’s programme launch, joining previously named guests Angela Lansbury and Neil Jordan.
They include British director Ben Wheatley, who is bringing...
The Audi Dublin International Film Festival (Feb 18-28) has announced a solid line-up of local and international titles as well as big-name guests.
But behind the scenes, the festival has been carefully manoeuvring its way through a period of transition as it aims to build for the future.
Car manufacturers Audi have replaced Jameson as title sponsors, while beer brand Peroni and Dublin department store Arnotts have also come aboard.
Dublin also has a new general manager, Sian Cunningham, who worked in the arts for more than 15 years prior to this appointment, most notably as general manager with Dance Ireland for nine years.
An eclectic group of filmmakers and stars were announced at today’s programme launch, joining previously named guests Angela Lansbury and Neil Jordan.
They include British director Ben Wheatley, who is bringing...
- 1/28/2016
- ScreenDaily
Anyone that has attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival has surely noticed the rather specific demographic - both in background and age - that makes up the audiences that night after night fill up the screenings. While audiences of color and from a wide age range live in this small town, which has managed to put together an important regional festival for nearly three decades, they don’t seem to have incorporated into the film festival experience. The assumption that the festival is only for those with a higher income, prominent educational backgrounds, or industry connections, might deter local audiences, to whom the festival should aim, from attending.
Conscious of such this phenomenon, the festival and their Latino team in particular, have doubled their efforts to create visibility for the festival in a Latino context in order to attract those patrons that erroneously could think their festival doesn’t welcome them or that it doesn’t offer any stories that could entice them. People like seasoned programmer Hebe Tabachnick, who ensures the best films to come out of Latin America that year screen in Palm Springs; Program Manager Liliana Rodriguez, who also programs the After Dark section of the festival and who is an outspoken supporter of Latin American cinema; or Film Society Assistant Patricia Garza-Elsperger, whose efforts in making the festival a friendly environment for local Latino audiences go above and beyond her official duties.
Events such as the Cine Latino Party, which brings together filmmakers, press, programmers, staff and the general public, or the Latino Filmmakers Dinner, where the artists discussed their works amongst each other and with selected press in attendance in a casual environment that hopes to create a stronger community of people rallying behind Latin American cinema, U.S. Latino projects, and even honorary-Latino films like Paddy Breathnach Cuba-set “Viva.”
Thanks to Tabachnick and her collaborator’s relentless dedication, an immense amount of Latin American films formed part of this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival program and an equally impressive number of filmmakers came to the city to present their work. The film selection included "Alias Maria" (Colombia),"The Second Mother" (Brazil),"From Afar" (Venezuela), "Jeremy" (Mexico), "The Club" (Chile), "Liz in September" (Venezuela), "Magallanes" (Peru), "The Memory of Water" (Chile), "Papa" (Cuba), "Neon Bull" (Brazil), "Paulina" (Argentina), "The Clan" (Argentina). Celso R. García director of the Guillermo Del Toro-produced “The Thin Yellow Line” (La delgada linea amarilla), Flavio Florencio director of Mexican trans documentary “Made in Bangkok,” Jayor Bustamante director of "Ixcanul," and Ciro Guerra director of the Academy Award-nominated "Embrace of the Serpent," were among he talented creators in attendance.
One particularly insightful presentation was the double feature program of Michel Franco’s English-language debut “Chronic” and Gabriel Ripstein’s feature debut “600 Miles,” in which both filmmakers interchanged roles as producer and directors respectively. Both hard-hitting and emotionally devastating films star British actor Tim Roth in two very distinct roles. In “Chronic” as a hospice caretaker struggling with his own turbulent past, and in “600 Miles” as an Atf agent that is kidnapped by a young Mexican boy working very dangerous people. Following the screenings Tabachnick moderated a Q&A with Ripstein and Roth about their mutual experience working on these titles.
As part of the festival’s commitment to engage its homegrown audiences in the festival’s mission and to expose them stories from around the world from, Tabachnik also hosted a screening of the Mexican family film “Jeremy” (El Jeremias) at a local high school. Through initiatives like this, Psiff wishes to evolve into a more inclusive event that can cater to cinephiles, casual attendees, and those looking to be surprised – no matter how young they are. Community outreach via the power of cinema is what could truly transform the festival from its apparent elite quality to an accessible and much more multicultural space to enjoy and discuss the art form.
Latin American cinema is consistently present and awarded at countless festival due to the particular voices and topical issues it depicts, not only with an authentic approach, but always layered with universal appeal. It’s time that audiences represented in such films or those connected to them by their heritage become a stronger force not only at the mainstream box-office but also at festival where they can have an interaction with the storytellers behind the camera. On that note, Palm Springs International Film Festival is on the right path into becoming a festival that retains the quality of the films, but sets its eyes on diversifying the eyes set that come through the theater doors.
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival took place January 1-11, 2016.
Conscious of such this phenomenon, the festival and their Latino team in particular, have doubled their efforts to create visibility for the festival in a Latino context in order to attract those patrons that erroneously could think their festival doesn’t welcome them or that it doesn’t offer any stories that could entice them. People like seasoned programmer Hebe Tabachnick, who ensures the best films to come out of Latin America that year screen in Palm Springs; Program Manager Liliana Rodriguez, who also programs the After Dark section of the festival and who is an outspoken supporter of Latin American cinema; or Film Society Assistant Patricia Garza-Elsperger, whose efforts in making the festival a friendly environment for local Latino audiences go above and beyond her official duties.
Events such as the Cine Latino Party, which brings together filmmakers, press, programmers, staff and the general public, or the Latino Filmmakers Dinner, where the artists discussed their works amongst each other and with selected press in attendance in a casual environment that hopes to create a stronger community of people rallying behind Latin American cinema, U.S. Latino projects, and even honorary-Latino films like Paddy Breathnach Cuba-set “Viva.”
Thanks to Tabachnick and her collaborator’s relentless dedication, an immense amount of Latin American films formed part of this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival program and an equally impressive number of filmmakers came to the city to present their work. The film selection included "Alias Maria" (Colombia),"The Second Mother" (Brazil),"From Afar" (Venezuela), "Jeremy" (Mexico), "The Club" (Chile), "Liz in September" (Venezuela), "Magallanes" (Peru), "The Memory of Water" (Chile), "Papa" (Cuba), "Neon Bull" (Brazil), "Paulina" (Argentina), "The Clan" (Argentina). Celso R. García director of the Guillermo Del Toro-produced “The Thin Yellow Line” (La delgada linea amarilla), Flavio Florencio director of Mexican trans documentary “Made in Bangkok,” Jayor Bustamante director of "Ixcanul," and Ciro Guerra director of the Academy Award-nominated "Embrace of the Serpent," were among he talented creators in attendance.
One particularly insightful presentation was the double feature program of Michel Franco’s English-language debut “Chronic” and Gabriel Ripstein’s feature debut “600 Miles,” in which both filmmakers interchanged roles as producer and directors respectively. Both hard-hitting and emotionally devastating films star British actor Tim Roth in two very distinct roles. In “Chronic” as a hospice caretaker struggling with his own turbulent past, and in “600 Miles” as an Atf agent that is kidnapped by a young Mexican boy working very dangerous people. Following the screenings Tabachnick moderated a Q&A with Ripstein and Roth about their mutual experience working on these titles.
As part of the festival’s commitment to engage its homegrown audiences in the festival’s mission and to expose them stories from around the world from, Tabachnik also hosted a screening of the Mexican family film “Jeremy” (El Jeremias) at a local high school. Through initiatives like this, Psiff wishes to evolve into a more inclusive event that can cater to cinephiles, casual attendees, and those looking to be surprised – no matter how young they are. Community outreach via the power of cinema is what could truly transform the festival from its apparent elite quality to an accessible and much more multicultural space to enjoy and discuss the art form.
Latin American cinema is consistently present and awarded at countless festival due to the particular voices and topical issues it depicts, not only with an authentic approach, but always layered with universal appeal. It’s time that audiences represented in such films or those connected to them by their heritage become a stronger force not only at the mainstream box-office but also at festival where they can have an interaction with the storytellers behind the camera. On that note, Palm Springs International Film Festival is on the right path into becoming a festival that retains the quality of the films, but sets its eyes on diversifying the eyes set that come through the theater doors.
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival took place January 1-11, 2016.
- 1/23/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Transporting us to a richly detailed Cuba, Viva tells the story of Jesus (Héctor Medina), a meek hairdresser whose clients include drag queens at a local Havana nightclub and elderly women who don’t have enough to pay him. With his mother having passed away and his estranged father in prison, he gets by on his own, yet is struggling to break out of his shell and genuinely express himself. While this story’s structure is certainly one we’ve witnessed before, Irish director Paddy Breathnach brings an emotional authenticity through a compassionate touch.
Jesus’ closest friends are the locals that attract tourists and a neighborhood “whore” — as one of his clients calls her — who takes advantage of his local dingy apartment, complete with a tattered mattress. One evening, when she leaves behind her lipstick, Jesus applies it; with a few glances into the mirror, his newfound dreams of participating...
Jesus’ closest friends are the locals that attract tourists and a neighborhood “whore” — as one of his clients calls her — who takes advantage of his local dingy apartment, complete with a tattered mattress. One evening, when she leaves behind her lipstick, Jesus applies it; with a few glances into the mirror, his newfound dreams of participating...
- 1/23/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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