SPOTLIGHT ON IRISH CINEMA AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
A year after THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY won the Palme d’Or, the Cannes Film Festival spotlight will be focused again on the Irish film industry as they gather to celebrate recent success, at the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland hosted reception tonight.This celebration follows last night’s official presentation of Lenny Abrahamson’s powerful film GARAGE in the Director’s Fortnight section of the festival. Olivier Pere, the Artistic Director of the Director’s Fortnight, paid tribute to the production team and the Irish film industry, before the screening played to a packed international audience. The special event was attended by the star of the film Pat Shortt, director Lenny Abrahamson and script writer Mark O’Halloran.
The Irish reception will highlight other recent industry successes such as ONCE, directed by John Carney, which won the Audience Award for World Cinema at the Sundance Film Festival. ONCE has gone on to sell in over 30 countries internationally and opened to much critical acclaim in the US this weekend. ONCE producer Martina Niland has also been selected as the Irish producer on the Move at the festival.
This is the first time Culture Ireland and the IFB have worked together to promote Irish cinema to the international industry.
Patrick Sutton, Board member of Culture Ireland said “It makes sense for us to work closely with the national agencies to maximize opportunities for artists and filmmakers in promoting their work to the international arena. Film is an important part of Irish culture and we want to develop new and and diverse audiences for Irish cinema."
Simon Perry Chief Executive of Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board said “GARAGE has been a highpoint at the festival for us, and we also have two particularly strong new films screening in the Cannes market KINGS and HOW ABOUT YOU, both of which celebrate particular aspects of Irish life and are beautifully directed. Working with Culture Ireland is a natural fit to ensure these films receive the international recognition they deserve.”
Notes for Editors:
Irish film in the market include 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.
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.