New Irish Cinema at the Berlinale Film Festival
The 59th Berlin International Film Festival takes place from February 5th - 15th and over these ten days, the festival will present features, documentaries, animations and short films from across the globe.
New Irish cinema will be well represented with the IFB funded feature films CHERRYBOMB and the animated THE SECRET OF KELLS officially selected for the festival while A Shine of Rainbows, Eden, Alarm, Helen, Kisses, The Daisy Chain, Kill Daddy, Goodnight and Vasha are all screening and selling at the European Film Market.
Cherrybomb, directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn and written by Daragh Carville has been officially selected to screen along with five other titles in the Generation 14Plus section of the festival. Starring Robert Sheehan, Rupert Grint and Kimberley Nixon it tells the story of three teenagers who embark on a wild weekend of drink, drugs, shop-lifting and stealing cars. But what starts out as a game turns deadly serious when they discover the wild ride they've set in motion won't let them get off.
Cherrybomb which will also screen at the upcoming Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF) was produced by Michael Casey, Mark Huffman and Brian Kirk for Generator Entertainment, Octagon Films, and Green Park Films with funding from the IFB, Northern Ireland Screen, BCI and BBC NI.
The Secret of Kells, directed by Tomm Moore and produced by European Producer of the Year, Cartoon Saloon, has been officially selected for the Generation K Plus section of the festival. The film which features the voice talent of Brendan Gleeson and Mick Lally, tells the story of an orphan named Brendan who is set the task of completing the Book of Kells. The task sees him called to a new life of creativity and imagination where adventure, danger and action await him. The Secret of Kells will also screen at the upcoming JDIFF as the closing gala screening.
Along with the screenings, the IFB will be participating in a promotional stand in the EFM again this year. We will be sharing a small stand with Film Holland which will be used for providing information on Irish films and festivals as well as information on the delegates attending the market.
Details for the Irish stand at EFM are as follows:
Stand name: Holland Film / Irish Film Board - Stand number: 04 - Telephone number: +49 (0)30 246 497 - 439
We'd love to see you at the Irish stand (Stand 4) or indeed if would like to make an appointment with any staff from the Irish Film Board, please feel free to drop us an email. Irish Film Board staff attending the EFM include:
• Simon Perry, Chief Executive (niamh.oreilly@irishfilmboard.ie)
• Emma Scott, Production Executive (emma.scott@irishfilmboard.ie)
• Alan Maher, Production Executive (alan.maher@irishfilmboard.ie)
• Andrew Meehan, Development Executive (andrew.meehan@irishfilmboard.ie)
• Louise Ryan, Marketing Executive (louise.ryan@irishfilmboard.ie)
Members of the Irish film industry will be attending the festival this week. You can see who will be there by downloading the Irish delegate list.
A number of Irish filmmakers have been selected to participate in this years Talent Campus in Berlin and will share their experiences in the form of a blog on the website. You can see who has been selected by downloading the Irish at the Berlin Talent Campus.