Four Irish Projects Officially Selected for London Film Festival
Ireland will have strong representation at the upcoming 54th BFI London Film Festival with Tom Hall's Sensation, Risteard O' Domhnaill's documentary The Pipe and Jerzy Skolimowski's co-production Essential Killing as well as the short animation Old Fangs, directed by Adrien Merigeau all in official selection at festival, which takes place from 13th-28th October.Starring Domhnall Gleeson and produced by Blinder Films, Sensation will have its international première in Toronto this weekend. The film is a darkly comic love story detailing the relationship between Donal, a 26 year old farmer and Kim, who begin their relationship as client and call-girl, evolve into lovers and finally business partners. What starts as a soulless contract develops into a bittersweet love story.
The Pipe already picked up the award for Best Documentary Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh and documents the local farmers and fisherman in Rossport, Co.Mayo, who upon learning of Shell Oil's plans to build a giant high-pressured pipe to transport raw gas through the town, rise up in protest to fight for their rights. Produced by Rachel Lysaght for Scannain Inbhear, it was co-financed by the IFB and TG4.
Essential Killing tells the story of Mohammed, a member of the Taliban, who is captured in Afghanistan by US forces and subjected to interrogation and rendition. In the course of his journey through an unnamed European country, he escapes across a snow-covered landscape, where he attempts to live off the land, eventually having his wounds tended by a deaf and mute woman. The film is an Irish/Polish/Norwegian/Hungarian co-production between Element Pictures (Garage, The Wind That Shakes The Barley), Skopia Film Production, Cylinder Productions and Mythberg Films.
Old Fangs is a short animation about a wolf who decides to confront his father, having not seen him since he was a child and was previously selected for the renowned Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film was produced by Ross Murray for Cartoon Saloon and was financed under the Frameworks scheme funded by the IFB, RTÉ and the Arts Council.
The 54th BFI London Film Festival will take place from 13th - 28th October.