The two Irish features ‘Parked’ and ‘Stella Days’, directed by Darragh Byrne and Thaddeus O’Sullivan, are among the 20 European films in the EPP strand. Other features include Toni Bestard’s ‘The Perfect Stranger’ (Spain), Sue Bourne’s ‘Jig’ (UK) and Rainer Sarnet’s ‘The Idiot’ (Estonia). Financial support for the EPP activities at the festival, which include presentations, networking opportunities and press interviews, are provided by the MEDIA programme and the participating EFP member organisations.
The Busan screening marks the international premiere of ‘Stella Days’ following its Irish debut in Galway this summer. Written by Antoine O’Flaharta, the film stars Martin Sheen as a priest who attempts to set up a cinema in rural 1950’s Ireland, despite opposition from parishioners. The Newgrange Pictures co-production also features Stephen Rea, Trystan Gravelle, Marcella Plunkett and Amy Huberman and was financed by the IFB, BAI, RTÉ, ZDF/ARTE and the Norwegian Film Institute.
Ripple World Pictures’ feature film ‘Parked’ is directed by debut filmmaker Darragh Byrne written by Ciaran Creagh and follows Fred Daly (Colm Meaney), who lives in his nondescript car in a car park by the coast. He is shut off from the world, until the ever-positive drug addict Cathal (Colin Morgan) parks his little yellow car beside Fred’s. Joint winner of the Best First Feature prize at the Galway Film Fleadh, the Irish/Finnish co-production will be released in Ireland on October 14th.
The Busan International Film Festival takes place from 6th-14th October.
Abära: Ireland’s First International Disability Film Festival
Ireland’s First International Disability Film Festival Abära gets underway this October 20th-23rd. Organised by the Dóchas Disability and International Development (DID) working group, in conjunction with Arts & Disability Ireland, the festival aims to celebrate the progress made by people with disabilities as well as increase awareness and understanding of the challenges still faced internationally.
Screenings will take place in venues including the IFI, Temple Bar and Axis Ballymun, with sister events in Galway’s Eye Cinema. Screenings include the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Short ‘Music by Prudence’ at the IFI and in Galway, which traces the path of a girl with a disability called arthrogryposis and her transcendence from a world of hatred and superstition to one of music, love and possibilities. The girl at the centre of the documentary, Prudence Mabhena, will attend a post screening talk with RTÉ Arts and Media correspondent Sinead Crowley.
Lucy Walker’s UK documentary about six blind Tibetan teenagers who climb Mount Everest, ‘Blindsight’ will be shown in the Axis, Ballymun, as will Dutch documentary ‘The Voice of 650 Million Times One’, which features disabled people across Africa and Asia talking about the exclusion from society. It will be followed by a post screening discussion with Malcolm Quigley of VSO Ireland and James O’Connor of Open Heart House.
‘Happy Birthday Thalidomide’ will shown at the IFI and followed by a discussion between actor/comedian Mat Fraser and Finola Cassidy of the Irish Thalidomide Association. Irish Director and Producer Hilary Fennell will attend the festival to introduce the screening of feature film ‘Black Sun’ in the IFI, which tells the story of a French Filmmaker who is blinded following an attack in New York, who goes travelling around the world alone.
Abära means ‘shine’ in Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia, and it implies positive energy, optimism and forward thinking. A Festival Pass costs €2, and gives free admission to all festival screenings. Festival passes are available from IFI and axis box office. The festival received support from the Department of Justice and Equality.
For further information about Abära visit www.abara.ie.
Cinema North West present Adaptation - John Le Carré
Cinema North West are set to present a retrospective of films based upon the works of John Le Carré from October 14th to 16th at Dromahair Co. Leitrim. The festival will showcase Le Carré adaptations including the 1984 film version of ‘The Little Drummer Girl’, ‘The Spy Who Came in From The Cold’, ‘The Tailor of Panama’, ‘The Looking Glass War’ and ‘The Constant Gardener’.
The opening feature is the BBC TV adaptation of ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ and there will be a presentation from director of that adaptation John Irvin. Other speakers include head of drama for BBC Radio 4, who will tell the story behind making ‘The Complete Smiley’ series. The festival will also have a panel of expat Germans who will relate their experiences of growing up in both East and West Germany. A surprise family film will also be screened on Saturday 15th.
A weekend pass costs €40 and a single screening costs €5. To book tickets email info@cinemanorthwest.com or visit www.cinemanorthwest.com.
Cinema North West are also running a two-day screenwriting workshop presented by Stephen Cleary, who has developed features with directors including Ken Loach, Milcho Manchevski, Michael Caton-Jones, Michael Winterbottom, Beeban Kidron and Marc Evans. The two day workshop is aimed at filmmakers, producers and writers who are planning to adapt work for the screen. The two day course will take place on 15th and 16th October, with a deadline for application on Monday 10th. The cost of the course is €150.