News

Five IFB Funded Films Screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam This Week

The Irish features PARKED and SENSATION, the documentary OFF THE BEATEN TRACK and the European co-productions SILENT SONATA and ESSENTIAL KILLING have all been officially selected for the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) which kicks off on Wednesday 26^th January. 

Simon Perry in the position of IFB consultant will be attending the festival from Saturday 29th until Thursday 3rd February and IFB Production Executive Emma Scott will be attending Monday 31st January to Wednesday 2nd February.

The screening times and venues of the films during the festival are as follows:

PARKED

Sat 29^th Jan      14.15                Doelen Willem Burgerzaal
Sun 30^th Jan     16.15                Pathé 6
Mon 31^st Jan     19.45                Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
Wed 2^nd Feb     11.45                LV 5
Sat 5^th Feb        18.30                Pathé 7


OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Sun 30^th Jan     14.00                Cinerama 3
Mon 31^st Jan     20.15                Cinerama 6
Tues 1^st Feb     20.00                Cinerama 6
Thurs 3^rd Feb    17.30                Cinerama 4

SILENT SONATA

Mon 31^st Jan     22.30                Doelen Willem Burgerzaal
Tues 1^st Feb     19.15                Schouwburg Grote Zaal
Wed 2^nd Feb     22.15                Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
Thurs 3^rd Feb    10.00                LV 5

SENSATION

Sat 29^th Jan      20.30                Cinerama 3
Sun 30^th Jan     19.15                Schouwburg Grote Zaal
Mon 31^st Jan     22.15                Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
Wed 2^nd Feb     22.30                LV 2
Sat 5^th Feb        21.30                Pathé 2

ESSENTIAL KILLING

Wed 26^th Jan    21.00                Pathé 1
Wed 26^th Jan    21.15                Pathé 4
Fri 28^th Jan       16.30                Doelen Willem Burgerzaal
Sun 30^th Jan     21.45                Schouwburg Grote Zaal
Wed 2^nd Feb     13.00                Pathé 1
Fri 4^th Feb        16.00                Pathé 1

More information about the films

PARKED
Directed by Darragh Byrne and written by Ciaran Creagh PARKED tells the story of Fred Daly who lives a quiet lonely life in his car until the dope-smoking 21 year old with a positive attitude Cathal becomes his neighbour.  Cathal's infectious energy rubs off on Fred's life and he makes a friend in Jules, an attractive music teacher who lives alone nearby.  As Fred struggles with his pride to tell Jules about his ‘home', Cathal's life is threatened by his escalating drug habit.  As they grow closer, the influence of these three outsiders on each other will change their lives forever.

The film which stars Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan and Milka Ahlroth had its world premiere at the Torino Film Festival in Italy in December.  Produced by Jacqueline Kerrin and Dominic Wright for Ripple World Pictures and Aleksi Bardy for Helsinki-filmi, the film which shot on location in Dublin, was financed by the IFB and Finnish Film Foundation. 

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK is the Irish documentary directed by Dieter Auner which centres around a young shepherd in Transylvania whose trade comes under threat as his brother and friends migrate for seasonal work to Germany.   Produced by Suin Ni Raghallaigh, Dieter Auner and Cristian Mungiu for Ikandi Productions it was previously selected for the Transylvania International Film Festival last year.

SILENT SONATA
Irish/Slovenian co-production SILENT SONATA, written and directed by Janez Burger, is a drama which tells the story of Stevo, who is left alone with his daughter and son and the dead body of their mother when the war finishes.  When a travelling circus comes to town they get to know the group of characters of all ages who make up the troupe and hope and laughter return to Stevo and his children.  Transformed by the heightened experience of the circus they decide to join it for a new life on the road.

An international co-production between Morgan Bushe for Fastnet Films in Ireland and Staragara Productions in Slovenia the film swept the boards picking up an impressive eight awards at its premiere at the Slovenian Film Festival last year.

SENSATION
SENSATION, a darkly comedic story of prostitution, money, love and sensation stars Domhnall Gleeson and was written and directed by Tom Hall.  The film details the relationship between Tipperary farmer Donal Duggan and a veteran Kiwi escort. They begin as client and call girl, evolve into something like lovers, then business partners and finally co-defendants.

Produced by Katie Holly and Kieron J. Walsh for Blinder Films (One Hundred Mornings), it had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.

ESSENTIAL KILLING
ESSENTIAL KILLING, directed by Jerzy Skolimowski tells the story of Mohammed (Vincent Gallo), a Taliban fighter who is captured by the US military in Afghanistan, and is transported to a secret military black site somewhere in the Eastern Europe. When the armed convoy he is riding in plummets off a steep hill, Mohammed finds himself suddenly free and on the run behind the enemy lines, among a hostile, snow blanketed forest. Relentlessly pursued by an army that officially does not exist, Mohammed must constantly confront the need to kill in order to survive.

The war thriller 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 with Andrew Lowe the executive producer for Element. 

The film previously screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival last year.  It also picked up the Special Jury Prize, the CinemAvvenire Award and Best Actor award (Vincent Gallo) at the 67^th Venice International Film Festival last September.