Irish Films Receive International Recognition With Major Awards and Nominations
October has been a successful month for Irish films with a number of feature films and shorts picking up international prizes and being nominated for prestigious awards.Conor McPherson's supernatural drama THE ECLIPSE which stars the award winning Ciaran Hinds picked up the Melies D'Argent Award for Best European Motion Picture at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, one of the world's most prominent fantasy and horror film festivals this month.
HELEN, the psychological thriller written and directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor won the Grand Jury Award at the Festival du Cinéma Européen en Essonne in France. The Irish/UK co-production stars Annie Townsend as a loner whose life is changed after she plays a missing woman in a police reconstruction.
Conor Ferguson's short film ATLANTIC which stars Liam Cunningham picked up the Best Very Short Film award at the Sapporo International Short Film Festival in Japan. This is the latest award for this short which has enjoyed festival success with a Grand Prix win at the Trés Court Film Festival in Paris, a Best Super Short win at the Lago Film Festival Italy as well as screening at a number of internationally renowned festivals including the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The short film OF BEST INTENTIONS directed by Brian Durnin was named Best International Short at the Raindance Film Festival in London. It is due to screen at the Interfilm Berlin, Brest Film Festival and the Brussels International Film Festival in November. Meanwhile the short film LOWLAND FELL directed by Michael Kinirons and shot by Suzie Lavelle won the Best Cinematography Award at the Novara Film Festival in Italy.
The European Film Awards will be announced in December. Tomm Moore's The Secret Of Kells and Niko and the Way to the Stars are two of three films to be nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film Award while Ken Wardrop's short documentary THE HERD has been nominated in the Best Short Film category.