Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story wins Best New Irish Feature Award at the 69th Cork International Film Festival
Posted: 18th November 2024
The 69th Cork International Film Festival came to an end yesterday after ten days of Irish and international features screenings, short film programmes and industry events. Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate Sinéad O’Shea and the team behind Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story, which won the Best New Irish Feature award at the festival's annual ceremony.
Speaking about their decision, the jury said:
As jury members for this year’s Best New Irish Feature category, it has been an honour to witness the incredible depth and diversity of talent emerging from Ireland. After much deliberation, we unanimously selected Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story as this year’s winner. This film stands out for its masterful storytelling, which is both sensitive and evocative, offering a heartfelt yet humorous exploration of Edna O’Brien’s remarkable life and literary legacy. Through its craftsmanship and nuanced perspective, the film celebrates the resilience, complexity, and wit of one of Ireland’s most beloved authors. We extend our congratulations to the filmmakers and all involved for creating such a profound and inspiring work.”
Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story is a portrait of a bastion of the Irish Literary landscape, with narration from Jessie Buckley and contributions from Edna’s family, friends and collaborators. Featuring an insightful and affecting interview with Edna from just before her passing earlier this year, the film richly honours her legacy, as well as her profound passion and dedication to art.
Written and directed by Sinéad O'Shea, the film is a Sky Original, proudly supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. It is an SOS Production in co-production with Tara Films, produced by Claire McCabe, Sinéad O'Shea and Eleanor Emptage. Executive producers are Barbara Broccoli and Katie Holly, Niamh Fagan for Screen Ireland, Jack Oliver for Sky Arts and Kathryn Ferguson for Tara Films.
The jury also gave a special mention to The Damned, directed by Thordur Palsson from a screenplay by Irish screenwriter Jamie Hannigan, which received its Irish Premiere at the festival following from its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. The film, which follows a 19th century widow faced with an impossible choice when a foreign ship sinks off the coast of her Icelandic fishing village, is an Ireland/UK/Iceland/Belgium/United States co-production. Irish producers are John Keville and Conor Barry for Wild Atlantic Pictures, along with Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl for Elation Pictures, and Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, and Nate Kamiya for Ley Line Entertainment. Co-producers include Iceland’s Join Motion Pictures and Belgium’s Wrong Men. The film is supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Ley Line Entertainment, BCP, the UK Global Screen Fund and Wallimage.
The announcement of the Features Award winners follows from the ceremony honouring the CIFF Shorts Awards recipients, which took place last Thursday after First Take, the festival's flagship Industry Event for newly established film professionals. Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate Megan Haly and the team behind Breakfast Roll, which won the Best Cork Short Award.
Speaking about the film, the jury commented:
Great chemistry shone on screen and demonstrated talent in all aspects of this film’s production. The result is an engaging and encouraging short film, and we look forward to seeing more from this filmmaking team, who clearly have huge potential.
Breakfast Roll follows a student and teacher, both navigating their own challenges, find support and an unlikely friendship over a deli breakfast roll. The film was supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Bow Street Academy's Actor as Creator scheme, aimed specifically at supporting unique creative voices within the Irish screen acting community to create a diverse range of original new work.
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland was proud to support the 69th Cork International Film Festival as its official Industry Partner.
Header photo courtesy of Cork International Film Festival (photographer Brid O'Donovan).