Irish Feature 'Five Day Shelter' Wins Best First European Feature in Belgium
Ger Leonard's debut feature film Five Day Shelter has won the top prize in the Compétition du Premier Film Européen - The Best First European Feature Film at the Mons International Film Festival in Mons, Belgium.
Only one of 11 films selected from all over Europe for the competition, this is a great honour both for the film and the filmmakers. Five Day Shelter was awarded the prize of Euro 10,000 at the gala awards ceremony on Friday the 25th of February. The prize goes towards the creation of a French language version of the film and to help underwrite distribution costs in Belgium.
The festival programme of Mons described Five Day Shelter as "A visionary and harrowing ballad".
Other Irish films which were screened during the festival's extensive international programme included Alicia Duffy's All Good Children, Jordan Scott's Cracks, Neil Jordan's Michael Collins and Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot.
About FIVE DAY SHELTER
Five Day Shelter follows several characters through an urban landscape over the course of five days. This ragtag band of people often collide. Even more often, they pass each other by. And sometimes, unknown to themselves, they affect each other's lives: occasionally happily - more often tragically. Produced by Liam O'Neill of Paradox Pictures and Villi Ragnarsson of RedRay Films, and penned and helmed by first-time director Ger Leonard, Five Day Shelter's powerful ensemble cast includes John Lynch, Kate Dickie, Michael Fitzgerald, Marcella Plunkett, Ger Ryan , Stella McCusker and 10-year-old Emma Tuthill in a compelling first performance.
The film was developed by Paradox Pictures with funding from the Irish Film Board and production finance provided by The Irish Film Board, the IFB Regional Fund, Section 481, Irish Screen Entertainment, and Northern Ireland Screen. Culture Ireland has also assisted with international promotional costs. The win in Mons follows selection to the Official Competition of the 2010 Rome Film Festival and screenings at the Corona Cork Film Festival and the Belfast Film Festival. Paris based sales agent Philippe Tasca of Rendez-Vous Pictures International (http://www.rendezvouspictures.com/) is handling world sales. Vertigo Pictures is distributing in the UK and Ireland.
About Mons International Film Festival
For over a quarter of a century, the festival has been building up a unique cultural identity as it has been highlighting rare and thought-provoking works that challenge the status-quo. Apart from giving opportunities to new generations of actors and directors, the festival has also become an exceptional event for experienced artists, a convivial meeting place for the public and a privileged crossroad for the many cinema professionals from around the whole world. The festival took place from the 18th-25th February.