Strong Irish Presence at the Cannes International Film Festival 2010
The Irish film industry will be well represented at the upcoming 2010 Cannes International Film Festival with ALL GOOD CHILDREN directed by Alicia Duffy, which is officially selected for the Directors Fortnight section, and with lots of Irish films screening and selling in the Cannes Film Market which runs from May 12th to 23rd.
All Good Children, Alicia's debut feature will have its world premiere in Cannes on May 19th. Based on a novel by Sam Taylor, the film stars Jack Gleeson (A Shine of Rainbows) and newcomers Austin Moulton, David Brazil and Imogen Jones.
Produced by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures together with Jonathan Cavendish, Tom Dercourt and Patrick Quinet for Caveman, Cinema Defacto and Artemis Productions, the film is an Irish/Belgian/French co-production and was made with the support of Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board (IFB), Eurimages, Wallimage, CFB Centre du Cenema, Sofica, Preachat TV Cryptee and CRRAV.
This is Element's third Cannes success following on from Lenny Abrahamson's Garage which picked up the CICAE Art and Essai Cinema Prize during the Directors Fortnight in 2007 and The Wind That Shakes The Barley which won the Palme D'or in 2006.
Simon Perry, Chief Executive of the Irish Film Board, commented: "The Cannes film festival is quite simply the most important event in the calendar for the film industries of the world and it's a real boost for Ireland this year to be among the countries with a film in the official selection - a director's first feature film, too."
Ireland's leading film producers will be traveling to the festival, which is also the largest and most important film market in the world, to source finance for their upcoming feature films. The market provides an opportunity for Irish producers to meet with international film financiers, sales agents and film distributors.
This year there will be a number of new Irish films selling in the market including THE GUARD, directed by John Michael McDonagh which stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle and Colm McCarthy's chilling thriller OUTCAST starring James Nesbitt which received much critical acclaim when it premiered at the SXSW Festival in the US earlier this year. Conor Horgan's apocalyptic ONE HUNDRED MORNINGS, David Keatings horror WAKE WOOD, Conor McPherson's supernatural thriller THE ECLIPSE and Ken Wardrop's beautiful documentary HIS & HERS are some of the other Irish films that will be selling at the market.
One Hundred Mornings producer Katie Holly from Blinder Films has been selected as one of the 23 film producers for The European Film Promotion's (EFP) ‘Producers on the Move' programme which provides an opportunity for networking on a European level and provides a platform to attract the attention of the international film industry and press.
The Irish Pavilion in Cannes is the central point for the Irish presence at the festival, promoting Irish film and Ireland as a film location. During the festival the Irish Pavilion will host a number of panel sessions and networking events to take advantage of the unique opportunity to promote Irish film talent to the international film industry. Some of the events include a European Co-Production lunch and a reception co-hosted by Culture Ireland to celebrate new Irish cinema and Irish music at the festival.
The Pavilion also provides an opportunity to endorse Irish production services and competitive tax incentives, whilst acting as a high-profile, well-resourced base for the Irish film industry and its guests attending the Cannes Film Festival and Market.
The Cannes International Film Festival will take place May 12th - 23rd