Cameras Roll On New Irish Film ‘The Runway’ In Production In Cork
A new Irish film THE RUNWAY, produced with funding from Bord Scannan na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and written and directed by Ian Power is currently filming on location in Goleen and Schull, Co Cork.
The film is loosely inspired by the true events of a South American pilot who crashed his airplane in a field near Mallow in Cork in 1983. Against all odds, the eclectic people of a depressed town called Dromoleen come together to build a runway, fix a plane and get the pilot home. In doing so they briefly catch the imagination of a nation.
The film stars Mexican actor Demian Bichir, known for his portrayal of Fidel Castro in Stephen Soderberg's Che and his role as the mayor of Tijuana in the US TV show Weeds. The film also stars Irish actress Kerry Condon (Angela's Ashes, Rome), newcomer, Jaime Kierans and veteran Scottish actor James Cosmo (Braveheart). Supporting cast includes Pat Laffan, Mark Doherty, Donnacha Crowley and John Kavanagh.
THE RUNWAY is the fifth film to shoot on location in Cork over the last few years. Other films which chose Cork as a film location include ONDINE directed by Neil Jordan starring Colin Farrell which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week; THE ECLIPSE directed by Conor McPherson starring Ciaran Hinds and Aidan Quinn; SNAP a new film from the producers of ONCE directed by Carmel Winters and STRENGTH AND HONOUR starring Michael Madson, Vinnie Jones and Patrick Bergin. The overall regional expenditure from these films spent on jobs and local business is estimated at approximately over €10 million.
THE RUNWAY is produced by Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films (Kisses), along with Brendan McDonald and Bernard Michaux of Lucil Films with financing from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, the Luxembourg Film Fund and Film I Vast. The film also shot on location in Luxemburg for a number of weeks before the production moved to Co Cork.