IFTN takes a look at three film festival stories of Irish interest this week, including ‘Collider' screening at the Geneva Film Festival, Irish short film 'The Anti-Love Pill' showcasing at Wiz-Art and 'The Summit' winning the prize for 'Best Feature Length Film' at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Canada.
IFTN's weekly film festival round up returns, turning the spotlight on Irish film at the Wiz-Art and Banff Film Festivals, as well as Irish sci-fi premiering in London and screening in Geneva.
Irish SciFi 'Collider' Receives World Premiere in London, Screens in Geneva
Having received its world premiere in London last month, Irish sci-fi feature 'Collider' screened at the Geneva Film Festival on Saturday November 2nd.
Running as part of the newly-coined Transmedia competition, 'Collider' uses a combination of videogames, webisodes and interactive comic books to establish the world its characters inhabit.
Inspired by the graphic novel of the same name from Emmy-nominated Nuno Bernardo, the film is directed by Jason Butler ('The Republic of Telly') and produced by Irish company beActive Media.
The film depicts the world in its final death throes as six characters trapped on the CERN campus in Switzerland fight to preserve it. Principal photography took place in an old hotel on the outskirts of Dublin city, with the Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Works acting as a replica of the CERN institute itself.
Irish Short Film Showcased at Wiz-Art Festival, Ukraine
Short film 'The Anti-Love Pill' was featured at this year's Wiz-Art Festival in Ukraine as part of a showcase on Irish shorts.
Following a love-sick man who is literally in search of a cure for the ailment, 'The Anti-Love Pill' was written, directed and produced by Karl Argue, who also starred alongside a varied cast including Tara Power ('Republic of Telly'), Vanessea Matias Fahy ('The Shadows') and Brian McGuiness ('King Arthur').
Shot around Dublin between winter 2011 and spring 2012, the film is produced by company Adopt a Hermit.
Other films showcased as part of the Irish Shorts programme were 'Downpour' by Claire Dix, 'The Pool' by Thomas Hefferon, 'Origin' by James Stacey and 'The Crush' by Michael Creagh.
'The Summit' Wins Prize at Banff Film Festival, to screen at Cork Film Festival
Last week saw Nick Ryan's 'The Summit' collect the prize for 'Best Feature Length Film' at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Canada.
Chronicling the tragic events of early August 2008 that saw 11 climbers lose their lives in the worst accident in the mountain's history, 'The Summit' uses a combination of source footage, interviews and dramatic reconstructions to piece together the events of those crucial few days.
The film has already released in the US to rave reviews from the LA and New York Times, and recently secured an Irish distribution deal with Wildcard Distribution. While the Irish co-production to due to hit cinema screens on November 22nd, those keen for a preview can catch a screening at the Cork Film Festival on November 17th.
Speaking in the wake of the award success, director Nick Ryan said: “We are truly excited to be bringing The Summit to the big screen in Ireland on November 22nd, and that audiences will be able to experience the events of the shocking 2008 climb. This is a compelling story and one that we felt needed to be told, especially with the story of Irishman Ger McDonnell, whose final heroic act is central to the film. "
‘The Summit’ was written by Mark Monroe (‘Stolen Seas’, ‘The Cove’) and produced by Image Now Films and Pat Falvey Productions, in association with Passion Pictures, Diamond Docs and Fantastic Films, funded by The Irish Film Board, RTE, BAI and the BBC.
