New Irish Cinema at the Cannes Film Festival 2007
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland have teamed up for the first time to host a special reception to celebrate new Irish Cinema at the Cannes Film Festival which runs from May 16th - May 27th.This Irish reception will be attended by the leading lights of the Irish film industry, including the production teams behind ONCE and GARAGE, and will promote the newest Irish films to the international industry. Irish band 'Duke Special' will perform at the reception in a unique opportunity to showcase their work to the international film industry.
This year there will be number of new Irish films screening in the festival market including HOW ABOUT YOU, directed by Anthony Byrne and starring Vanessa Redgrave and KINGS directed by Tom Collins, starring Colm Meaney. SPEED DATING, directed by Tony Herbert, SHROOMS, directed by Paddy Breathnach, the award winning film ONCE directed by John Carney, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR directed by Niall Heery and THE FRONT LINE directed by David Gleeson will also be selling there.
A preview of the U2 documentary U2 3D, directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington will also screen out of competition at the festival on Saturday 19th March. Following THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY winning the coveted Palme d 'Or award last year, Ireland is once again represented at the festival with Lenny Abrahamson's beautiful film GARAGE, starring Pat Shortt and Anne Marie Duff, which will feature in the prestigious Director's Fortnight section of the festival.
Other recent achievements for the Irish film industry winning include the Audience Award for World Cinema for John Carney's film ONCE at the Sundance Film Festival. SMALL ENGINE REPAIR scooped two major awards at the Nashville Film Festival last month and SPEED DATING has just scooped the Audience Award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival.
The Cannes Film Festival is an important market on the international film calendar for selling Irish film to the international industry. Last year a number of films pre-sold in Cannes including Paddy Breathnach's film SHROOMS, which has since sold world wide and will be released in Ireland and the UK later this year. The market provides an opportunity for Irish producers to meet with international film financiers, sales agents and film distributors.
The Irish Pavilion in Cannes is the central point for the Irish presence at the festival, promoting Irish film and Ireland as a film location. It also provides an opportunity to endorse Irish production services and competitive tax incentives, whilst acting as a high profile, well-resourced base for the Irish film industry and its guests attending the Cannes Film Festival and Market. The Irish Pavilion is a joint marketing initiative between Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and The Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission.