Dinard Film Festival to Focus on Irish Film
The Irish film industry will have strong representation at the 21st Dinard British Film Festival with All Good Children, Snap, The Eclipse and Come On Eileen all included in the programme of the festival which kicks off today from 6th-10th October.
All Good Children, the debut feature from Alicia Duffy, had its world premiere in the Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The film tells the story of Dara and his brother Eoin who are sent from Ireland to live with their aunt in France, following the death of their mother. This is where the boys sympathize with a family of British expatriates and the fragile Dara falls under the spell of their daughter, Bella. Life seems magical, until Bella begins to distance.
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 the IFB, Eurimages, Wallimage, CFB Centre du Cenema, Sofica, Preachat TV Cryptee and CRRAV.
Psychological drama, Snap, also the debut feature from Carmel Winter, examines the disturbing story of three generations of family trapped in recreating a past that each one denies and stars Aisling O'Sullivan (The Clinic), Eileen Walsh (Eden) and Mick Lally (The Secret of Kells).
Produced by Martina Niland and Samson Films with funding from the IFB and Screen Scene, the film has previously been selected for the esteemed Tribeca Film Festival and the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and received the runner up prize for Best Irish Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Conor McPherson's The Eclipse is a bittersweet romance with a gothic horror twist. The film follows single parent Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his wife not to mention terrifying ghosts that appear at random. His only hope comes in the form of Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), a supernatural fiction writer being stalked by a best-selling author played by a scarily unpredictable Aidan Quinn.
The supernatural drama was produced by Rob Walpole for Treasure Entertainment and was co-financed by the IFB, RTÉ and the BAI. It scooped a number of awards including three IFTAs for Best Irish Film, Best Film Script and Best Supporting Actor (Aidan Quinn) and has had much critical acclaim at film festivals around the world.
Come On Eileen, written and directed by Finola Geraghty, tells the story of mother and ex-dancer Eileen, a mother and ex dancer who relapses into alcoholism, as she starts a promising new relationship. Treading between darkness and humour from the beginning in a sedate suburban cricket club to the conclusion at a music festival, we watch as she and her family combust.
Produced by the award-winning team Katie Holly and Kieron J. Walsh for Blinder Films (Sensation, One Hundred Mornings) and starring Jackie Howe, Felix Malcolm Still, Noel Fielding, Keith Allen, Julia Davis, Mercedes Grower, Stephen Taylor, Come On Eileen was funded by the IFB and Foal Film Productions and screened at the Galway Film Fleadh earlier this year.
The Dinard British Film Festival has become a vector for all films aiming to conquer the European market, allowing distributors to discover films and also acts as a launching place for previews. Previous award-winning titles at the festival include Girl With a Pearl Earring, Billy Elliot and Blood Sunday.
The Irish delegation who will be attending the festival include Carmel Winters (Snap), Kate McCullough, (DOP on Snap), Finnola Geraghty, (Come On Eileen), Jackie Howe (actress Come On Eileen), Jonathan Cavendish (producer All Good Children) and Simon Perry (BSÉ/IFB).
The screening details of the Irish films are as follows:
- Wednesday 6th October:
All Good Children, 7pm, Salle Stephan Bouttet
Come on Eileen, 6.30pm, Alizés I - Thursday 7th October:
Snap, 7.15pm, Alizés I - Friday 8th October:
All Good Children, 6pm, Salle Stephan Bouttet
Come on Eileen, 4.45pm, Alizés II - Saturday 9th October:
Snap, 10.45am, Alizés II
The Eclipse, 5pm, Alizés II - Sunday 10th October:
Come on Eileen, 10.45pm, Alizés II
The Eclipse, 2.15pm, Alizés II