Strong Irish Presence at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
World Premiere of Wide Open SpacesWIDE OPEN SPACES, directed by Tom Hall and starring Ardal O'Hanlon (Father Ted) is having its world premiere at the 63rd Edinburgh International Film Festival which will take place later this month from June 17 - 28.
Written by Arthur Matthews (Father Ted), it has been officially selected to screen in the Rosebud Discovery section of the festival which features "first and second works from the directors to watch".
Ewen Bremner (Fool's Gold) and Owen Roe (Alarm) also star in this belated coming of age comedy with a unique take on male friendship and how sometimes it is easier to break up with a girl than with your best straight male friend.
Wide Open Spaces is produced by Irish company Grand Pictures (The Race) and Scottish company Mead Kerr (Night People) with funding from Bord Scannán na hEireann / the Irish Film Board, Scottish Screen, RTÉ and BBC Scotland.
Another IFB funded feature film THE SECRET OF KELLS directed by Tomm Moore and produced by Cartoon Saloon will also screen at the festival. The animated 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.
Three IFB short films LOWLAND FELL, THE MAN INSIDE and THE DOOR have been officially selected for the International Shorts sections of the festival.
Lowland Fell was written by Michael Kinirons and Elaine Harrington and directed by Michael Kinirons (Treeclimber, Blood and Ink). Produced by Katie Holly, it is a lush, erotically charged teenage drama that follows the exploits of three teenagers who uncover a bog body on a late summer's day. It recently picked up a Special Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival.
The Man Inside, written and directed by Rory Bresnihan is based on a short story by Fernando Sorrentino, the film tells the story of Lisandro who accidently locks himself into his apartment. Produced by Lucy Dyke for Broken Pictures it was named the Best European Dramatic Short at the European Independent Film Festival in Paris in March.
The Door, written and directed by Juanita Wilson and produced by Louise Curran (Octagon Films) is based on the true story of a father and his young daughter set in Russia 1986.
Both Lowland Fell and The Door were produced as part of the Short Cuts short film scheme while The Man Inside was produced as part of the Signatures scheme.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival will take place June 17th - 28th.