Strong reception for Irish titles at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival
Posted: 10th September 2019
A weekend of World Premieres for Screen Ireland projects took place at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, with Neasa Hardiman’s Sea Fever, Nick Rowland’s Calm With Horses and Pat Collins’ documentary Henry Glassie: Field Work just some of the titles receiving positive reviews from critics covering the festival.
Sea Fever built anticipation prior to its screening by making RogerEbert.com's 20 Most Exciting World Premieres, and after, with strong reviews from RogerEbert.com’s critic Brian Tallerico, calling it “a wildly entertaining piece of work” and “one of those out-of-nowhere stunners”.
Screen Daily’s Wendy Ide praised Calm with Horses, which premiered on Saturday 5th of September, for its combination of “striking visual flair with razor-wire character studies”, with The Hollywood Reporter singling out Cosmo Jarvis for his “tremendously compelling screen presence”. It also received a positive reception from Collider, who said of Barry Keoghan’s performance:
”Not that we need any additional proof that Keoghan is on another level and undoubtedly one to watch, but he excels in Calm With Horses in a way that broadens his own range while also enhancing the volatility of Douglas’ situation, further keeping you on your toes.”
Pat Collins’ latest documentary Henry Glassie: Field Work screened on Sunday 6th of September, and critics responded warmly to the film, with Allan Hunter of Screen Daily calling it a “cleverly constructed and heartfelt documentary” and “comfort viewing for the soul”, and the Irish Times praised the film for its “intellectual integrity played out at a studied pace”.
The Toronto International Film Festival continues until the 15th of September, and you can find more information on the Screen Ireland-supported projects screening at the festival here.