Oscar Winner to speak at Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in Kerry

admin | July 12, 2011 | Comments (0)

World famous Chaplin experts, Kevin Brownlow and David Robinson have been added to the line up for the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival, which takes place in August, in the picturesque Kerry village of Waterville, Co.Kerry.

Academy Award Winner

One of the experts, Kevin Brownlow, is a filmmaker, film historian, television documentary-maker, author, and Academy Award recipient. Brownlow is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era. He became interested in silent film at the age of eleven. This interest grew into a career spent documenting and restoring film. He has rescued many silent films and their history. His initiative in interviewing many largely forgotten, elderly film pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s preserved a legacy of cinema. Brownlow received an Academy Honorary Award at the 2nd Annual Govenors Awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on 13th November 2010.

Official Biographer of Chaplin

Another speaker of note at the festival is David Robinson who is a British film critic and author. His books include ’Hollywood in the Twenties’ (1968) and ’World Cinema’ (1973), but he is probably best-known as the official biographer of Charlie Chaplin. ‘Chaplin: His Life and Art’, first published in 1985, and revised for subsequent editions in 1992 and 2001, is regarded as the definitive book on the subject, and Robinson has become a sort of unofficial spokesman for Chaplin in the media in recent years.

Oonagh Chaplin allowed David Robinson to examine their personal archives in Switzerland, and he makes good use of this access in his meticulous descriptions of the movies that created the legend, including ‘City Lights’ and ‘Modern Times’.

‘It is an absolute privilege and an honour to have such renowned experts speaking on Chaplin at this years festival. Both Mr. Brownlow and Mr. Robinson will provide excellent insight into Chaplin’s life and work’ said Festival Director Marita Hitmiangsong.

Waterville, the Kerry seaside village that Charlie Chaplin loved, is holding this festival, with the patronage of his daughter Josephine Chaplin, to honour the life and work of the master comedian and filmmaker, whose legacy remains both relevant and influential to comedy today. The aim of the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival is to quickly become an international fixture that will bring a smile to Kerry, Ireland and the World. With his courage and pioneering spirit, Chaplin brought laughter to millions of people through the medium of film, in very dark times. The organisers hope that the film-makers of today will follow in Charlie’s illustrious footsteps by showcasing their comedy films at the festival.

The full programme has been announced and can be seen on the festival website www.charliechaplincomedyfilmfestival.com.

This four day celebration is packed with really creative events including premiéres, film screenings, parades, talks, work-shops, street entertainment, the Film Awards Ceremony, trips to UNESCO World Heritage site The Skelligs, Gala Ball, the Tramps’ Ball, 1920′s themed parties, Chaplin films, and much more. The festival includes some truly unique venues and events, being provided in partnership with entertainers who are true Chaplin admirers. One notable venue is Fossett’s Circus Big Top which will host many of the events throughout the festival. Some of the highlights are the screening of the Circus in the Big Top and Chaplin -The Waterville Picture, the story of Chaplin’s discovery of Waterville and his subsequent love affair with the area.

For more information on the festival, check out www.charliechaplincomedyfilmfestival.com.