Writer and director Rebecca Miller (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee) has been named the recipient of the Maureen O’Hara Award at this year’s Kerry Film Festival (31 October – 7 November).
Miller will be presented with the Maureen O'Hara award which recognises the achievements of women working in film. The award was presented for the first time last year to Irish actress Brenda Fricker.
Irish actress Maureen O’Hara is the award’s namesake in honour of her important role in creating opportunities and recognition for Irish people working in the media industry. Speaking to IFTN the festival’s director Jason O’Mahony explained that Miller was chosen for her “genius films” but even more so in recognition of her “strong independent voice as a female director.”
Miller's credits include 2005’s ‘Proof’ and the drama ‘The Ballad of Jack and Rose’, starring her husband Day-Lewis and Camilla Belle, and this year's ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’ starring Robin Wright Penn and Alan Arkin.
In other Kerry news, in association with Siamsa Tire theatre, the Festival has announced the line-up of films for their Winter season of active retired screenings. The screenings will take place in Siamsa Tire in Tralee, on the first Thursday of every month, and are for active-retired groups and all retired individuals.
The first film being shown is 1953’s multi Oscar winning ‘From Here to Eternity’ starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra – a role which won Sinatra an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor . The film will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm tomorrow, September 3rd,
Next up, on Thursday, October 1st, is Audrey Hepburn in Truman Capote’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’, followed by ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (5 November) and ‘White Christmas’ on December 3rd.
“Our 2009 active retired screenings have been a monumental success so far and the audience begged us to keep going for the rest of the year,” Jason also commented “And we’re delighted to oblige. If truth be told I love the screenings because it gives me a chance to see some of my favourite films on the big screen! And with a cost of just €2 per head that includes teas or coffees and biscuits for everyone attending we really think it’s a recession busting deal!”
Interested parties and individuals are asked to contact the Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 or visit www.kerryfilmfestival.com and all active retired groups and individuals are welcome at the Kerry Film Festival Active Retired Winter Season where they will enjoy their Golden Years with classic films on the Silver Screen.
