JODIE FOSTER AND WALT DISNEY STUDIOS JOIN IRISH PRE-ACADEMY AWARDS® PARTY IN LOS ANGELES
Jodie Foster will present Neil Jordan with his honourary award at the US-Ireland Alliance’s " Oscar Wilde - Honoring Irish Writing in Film,” party in LA on March 2nd. Jim Sheridan and David Holmes will also be presented with an honourary award from Anjelica Huston and Adrian Dunbar at the event, sponsors of which include The Walt Disney Studios and the Irish Film Board.Jordan is currently in development on The Brave One, a revenge thriller with Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard set to star for Warner Bros. The film is scheduled to begin production in the summer.
The event is designed to "honor the craft of writing and expand the existing ties between the entertainment industries in the U.S. and Ireland, particularly in film production, gaming, music and animation," according to Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance.
Jordan’s Breakfast on Pluto, starring Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson, and Sheridan’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, starring rapper 50 Cent, were both released are both currently on release in Ireland. Mr. Holmes just completed his work on the soundtrack for the next Steven Soderbergh film, The Good German, starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.
Jean Butler, of Riverdance fame, will emcee and Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, will welcome guests. There will be an auction of the paintings of Dublin artist Charlie Whisker. In addition to the special treat of David Holmes dee-jaying on the night, among those performing will be award-winning singer Morgan Crowley; Drogheda singer-songwriter SJ McCardle; Irish singing sensation Paddy Casey; Darren Holden, currently performing the role of Billy Joel in the national touring production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Movin’ Out; and the jazz band Orca.
In addition to honoring Irish writing, the event will serve as a networking opportunity for members of the U.S. and Irish film communities. Among those expected to attend include a who’s who of Hollywood: Cillian Murphy, Fionnuala Flanagan, Daryl Hannah, Dennis Hopper, multiple Emmy® winning actress of 'Six Feet Under', Rachel Griffiths; Academy Award® nominee Martin McDonagh; Dick Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios; Sony Co-Presidents Tom Bernard and Michael Barker; Jim Gianopulos, Co Chairman of Twentieth Century Fox; Peter Rice, President of Fox Searchlight; Michael Burns, Vice Chairman of Lions Gate Entertainment; Bob Berney, CEO of Picturehouse; Mark Zoradi, President of Buena Vista International; John Calley, producer of the upcoming The Da Vinci Code; producer David Lynch, singers Damien Rice and Maura O’Connell; Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios; Caroline Baron, producer of the Academy Award® nominated film Capote, Jeff Berg, Chairman of ICM; Publicist Pat Kingsley; casting agents Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson and Jeanne McCarthy; producers David Friendly and Roger Corman; director John Schultz, indie film-makers, agents, financiers and numerous studio executives. "This Irish party in Oscar week is attracting over 300 leading players from Hollywood. It's a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the depth of talent in the Irish film industry and highlight the recent improvements to Section 481" Naoise Barry, Film Commissioner at the Irish Film Board. "We are proud to be a lead sponsor of the Oscar Wilde event. Our congratulations to David, Neil and Jim. We look forward to honoring their achievements on March 2nd in Los Angeles.
Leading sponsors of the event are the Irish Film Board, Quinlan Private and American Airlines, The Walt Disney Studios, Tourism Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and Palm, maker of the pda Treo.