BSÉ/IFB CONGRATULATE GALWAY FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS
Capping off an exciting Galway Film Fleadh for Irish film, Lenny Abrahamson’s ADAM AND PAUL scooped the Best First Feature Award. Screened on Friday night to a packed audience, the film which stars Mark O’Halloran and Tom Murphy, beat off stiff international competition to be voted by the audience as Best First Feature. Fellow Irish title, INTERMISSION, John Crowley’s box office hit , scooped the same award at the festival last year.Produced by Porridge Pictures, ADAM AND PAUL was co-financed by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB), RTE and Xtravision and will be released in Irish cinemas later this year through Abbey Films.
"This is terrific news for the brave and distinctive ADAM AND PAUL, which is in the great company of other BSE/IFB-backed low budget titles such as FREEZE FRAME, COWBOYS AND ANGLES and GOLDFISH MEMORY”, said Mark Woods, BSE/IFB CEO. “Each of these titles herald new and exciting Irish filmmaking talent while at the same time attracting sales agents, finding audiences through local releases, winning major prizes and generating international sales. BSE/IFB looks forward to more such films in the future”.
FREEZE FRAME recently scooped the top prize at the prestigious Taormina Film Festival. GOLDFISH MEMORY continues to make a splash internationally claiming 6 audience prizes, 3 jury awards and 8 IFTA nominations together with theatrical sales to Brazil, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Iceland, Israel, Sweden and Taiwan through sales agent NonStop Films. COWBOYS AND ANGLES is being released locally by Buena Vista International (Ireland) next month and has generated several overseas theatrical deals through sales agent Media Luna.
This years Galway Film Festival also saw the inaugural REAL DEAL Financing Seminar which was co-sponsored by Media and BSE/IFB. This event proved a huge success and was sold out from the beginning. International experts attending included IFC Films, Fortissimo, Beyond Films, Magnolia, High Point, Media Luna, Renaissance, The Works, Pathe, as well as Ingenious and other film financing experts.
In other Galway Festival awards news, Robert Quinn took the prize for Best Feature Documentary with CINEGAEL PARADISO, which was co-financed by TG4 and BSE/IFB. The prize for Best Irish Short Animation was awarded to Edith Pieperhoff's beautiful short SKELETON WOMAN with Rory Bresnihan’s GOD'S EARLY WORK taking second prize. Both shorts were made under the Frameworks scheme which is co-financed by BSE/IFB, the Arts Council and RTE.
Jason Tammemagi’s DUBLIN 1, picked up third prize in the animation section and was made under BSE/IFB’s Frameworks initiative.
For full list of award winners, visit www.galwayfilmfleadh.com