Ondine Scoops Golden Goblet for Best Cinematography at Prestigious Shanghai Festival
Neil Jordan's Ondine picked up the Golden Goblet for Best Cinematography at the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) this weekend.
Ondine, which stars Colin Farrell (Intermission, In Bruges), Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) and Alicja Bachleda (Comme des Voleurs) tells the story of Syracuse (Farrell) an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious creature (Bachleda) in his nets.
The Golden Goblet Awards which are awarded at the SIFF are Asia's equivalent to the Academy Awards. The festival which ran from 12th-20th June, is the only A category film festival in China and it's estimated to have attracted over 300,000 cinemagoers.
There were eight Golden Goblet awards presented on the night out of over 2,000 entrants. This is the first time an Irish film has received such an accolade at SIFF. Christopher Doyle, Cinematographer of Ondine, accepted the award and spoke in Chinese to a live CCTV (China State television) audience of many millions about Irish film and the beauty of Ireland.
Produced by James Flynn for Octagon Films and Wayfare Entertainment, this modern fairytale had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and opened the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and screened in the Spotlight section of the Tribeca Film Festival this year. Shot on location in Castletownbere, Co. Cork Ondine was co-financed by the IFB, Wayfare Entertainment, BAI and RTÉ.
Irish film made a big impression at the festival in Shanghail with Zonad, a light-hearted comedy starring Simon Delany also being nominated for a Golden Goblet. There was considerable media interest with daily coverage on Irish film, two press conferences for Ondine and Zonad, at which the main theme was Ireland and Irish film culture and a television special on Irish film aired on television in Shanghai.
Ondine and Zonad were two of 13 Irish feature films and a host of Irish shorts screening at the festival as part of a special programme of Irish film which formed part of an extensive Irish cultural programme which is currently taking place at EXPO 2010 Shanghai which opened on 1st may and will run until 31st October 2010.
The special programme of Irish features and shorts will also screen at the Beijing International Movie Festival this month and is supported by Culture Ireland and presented in association with IFI Reel Ireland and the Irish Film Board.
The Beijing International Movie Festival takes place from 7th- 30th June. EXPO 2010 Shanghai runs until 31st October 2010.