Reaching and Audience
Ted Sheehy on the fate of Irish productions in a crowded marketplace.
Archive for January, 2009
Revolutionary Road
Reuniting Titanic’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet may seem like a joyous occasion to many an unsuspecting cinemagoer. In truth, Revolutionary Road has no connection to the word joyous, so much so that said cinemagoers may regret ever wanting any such reunion.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
DIR: Peter Sollett • WRI: Lorene Scafaria • PRO Nicole Brown, Kerry Kohansky, Kelli Konop, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz • DOP: Tom Richmond • ED: Myron I. Kerstein • DES: David Doernberg • CAST: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist starts with Nick (Michael Cera) in his bedroom, surrounded by [...]
Let There Be Light
Niamh Creely talks to director Brian Durnin and DOP Ivan McCullough about using the Genesis in their short Of Best Intentions.
32nd Montreal Film Festival
Anthony Kirby reports on the Montreal World Film Festival (21 August–1 September 2008, Montreal).
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Launched
Acclaimed Hunger actor Liam Cunningham and Oscar®-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan unveiled the impressive programme of events at the 7th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival launch. The launch took place in The Odeon, Harcourt Street at 6.30 pm Monday 26th January. Taking place from the 12–22 February, the festival features a stellar lineup of guests including [...]
Cinemagic Dublin
Established in 1989, Cinemagic is an award-winning children’s film festival. Originally Belfast-based, this year Cinemagic is coming to Dublin from 23rd April 23rd–1st May. Tim Hanan caught up Cinemagic CEO Joan Burney-Keatings for a short interview about the festival.
Temple Bar TradFest
As part of the fourth annual Temple Bar TradFest, audiences can enjoy two very special film screenings in the IFI on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February. Bringing It All Back Home will be screened at the IFI on Saturday 31st at 12 pm. Following the screening, a public interview will be conducted with [...]
World Premiere of the 35mm Print of Peidhleacán Solais
Peidhleacán Solais (Butterfly Light), a short experimental film by Muskerry students working with filmmaker Dónal Ó Céilleachair, will receive its world premiere at Rotterdam’s 38th International Film Festival, which runs from 21st January to 1st February, 2009. This film was made as part of Súil Lán (Eye-Full), the 2008 Muskerry Gaeltacht Filmmaker Residency at Ionad [...]
Social Networking Site for Film Industry
Crewger is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of the Irish film community by facilitating the production, promotion and exhibition of original content by filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds working in Ireland today. Co–founded in 2008 by Brendan Phelan and Michael Flanagan, Crewger have set up a new website that aims to provide information [...]
Kirsten Sheridan: An Irish Director Working in Hollywood
Director Working in Hollywood
Kirsten Sheridan shares the experience of making August Rush
Free Film Screenings for Over 65s
Kerry Film Festival and Siamsa Tire have announced three free screenings to take place in Tralee. The films to be screened are Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps on 5th February, Stephen Frears’ Mrs. Henderson Presents on 5th March, and Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men on 9th April. All screenings will take place in Siamsa Tire [...]
Win a VIP Trip for Two to Hollywood
To celebrate the 7th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, Irish Independent’s Day & Night and Jameson have teamed up to provide a chance to win a VIP trip to Hollywood. The prize includes flights for two, four nights in a luxury hotel, limousine transfers, guided studio tours and Jameson cocktails on Sunset Boulevard, plus $1,000 [...]
New BBC Northern Ireland Brand
Belfast design consultancy Frank have completed work on a new brand identity for BBC Northern Ireland. Frank developed an extensive package of onscreen tools revolving around a principle animation – a malleable organic logo resolve, designed to reflect BBC Northern Ireland’s values and forms the cornerstone of the new on–screen identity. Frank delivered a programme [...]
Barbed Comments
Writer and executive producer of HBO’s The Wire David Simon takes time out to talk newspapers, television and hubris with Niall Kitson.
Eastern Anime and the Concept of ‘Ma’
Donata Pellizzari of Boulder Media Ltd talks to Nobuyuki Tsugata, Animation Historian and lecturer at University in Osaka and Kyoto.
Rachel Getting Married
Since she was crowned America’s Sweetheart for the lead rolein The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway has charmed audiences with her winning blend of Hollywood glamour and girl-next-door quality in light-hearted fare such as Ella Enchanted and The Devil Wears Prada. However, it seemed her charms – and talent – were limited as audiences and critics alike remained somewhat indifferent to her ‘acting’ efforts in Brokeback Mountain and Becoming Jane. Suddenly she has critics falling over themselves to praise her, gathering award recognition left, right and centre (including an Oscar® nomination) and deservedly so, as Hathaway turns in an astonishingly powerful performance in a wonderfully intense, insightful and intimate film that will leave you feeling as if you had attended the wedding yourself.
Valkyrie
Until we learn that Scientology is considered a dangerous cult in Germany. Suddenly the story of Valkryie’s production becomes a lot more complicated.
Frost/Nixon
Frost/Nixon is a movie adaptation of an award-winning play, dramatising the events surrounding the most-watched interview in US TV history. The movie characterises contemporary figures, willingly being interviewed about their portrayal as part of the movie’s publicity (David Frost) and modern historic figures who have left indelible marks on political and cultural discourse (Richard Nixon). In being a treatment of one element of a larger-scale scandal and legacy, it is open to being doubly judged, firstly as a piece of entertainment and secondly as an account of a high-profile event.
Milk
It seems inevitable that every year cinemagoers will be confronted with a prestigious biopic, complete with a heavily lauded central performance and awards galore. La Vie en Rose, Walk the Line, Ray, A Beautiful Mind, etc. have all come and collected their Academy Awards®, now it is the turn of Milk.
New Boy Nominated for an Academy Award®
The Irish short film New Boy, directed by Steph Green and produced by Tamara Anghie, has been nominated for an Academy Award® in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Other Irish interests include Martin McDonagh, who has been nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category for In Bruges. Irish producer Redmond Morris is one [...]
Final Call for Docs in Thessaloniki
Docs in Thessaloniki is an international pitching forum, where where participants can develop their documentary projects and pitch to a panel of international financiers. The forum is an opportunity to create alliances with future collaborators and co-producers as well as to network with colleagues. Docs in Thessaloniki takes place from 18–22 March 2009. Please note [...]
Fairytale of Kathmandu
Neasa Ní Chianáin’s documentary Fairytale of Kathmandu was screened at this year’s Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. Words by Séamas McSwiney.
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards
The Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) has named Steve McQueen’s study of Bobby Sands’ last days, Hunger, as the best Irish film of 2008, narrowly beating Lance Daly’s Dublin-based Kisses to the top spot. The other Irish film gaining recognition was Liam Nolan’s and Ross Whitaker’s study of St. Saviour’s Olympic Boxing Academy in north [...]
Garage Nominated for Three Evening Standard Awards
Lenny Abrahamson’s Garage has been nominated in three categories for an Evening Standard Award matching Frost/Nixon for the most nominations. Lenny Abrahamson is up for Best Director, while Mark O’Halloran is in the running for best Screenplay, and Pat Shortt features in the Best Actor category. Already the recipient of numerous awards, including the CICAE [...]
‘Up… Over a bit…. A little to the left. Can you move that leg please?’
Carol Hunt on shooting a B-movie sex scene in Roger Corman’s Galway studio.
Cartoon Movie Submissions Deadline ’09
The 11th edition of Cartoon Movie will take place 4–6 March 2009 in Lyon, France and the closing date for applications is 5th December 2008. CARTOON is an international non-profit association based in Brussels with a remit to support the European animation industry. For the past 20 years, it has received financial support from the [...]
Montreal Film Festival 2007
Anthony Kirbi reports this year’s Montreal Film Festival (23rd August–3 September 2007, Canada).
The Fantasist
The Fantasist: fascinating film or fantastic failure? The film’s reputation as an excruciating flop precedes it, but Robert J.E. Simpson argues that politics and the towering shadow of The Wicker Man obscured the film and its curious charms. Could Ireland’s only sex-thriller be worth another look?
