Dublin International Film Festival returns from Thursday 22nd February to Saturday 2nd March 2024. The festival has announced the closing film and recipient of the VOLTA Award, with the full festival programme to be announced in January.
Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) have announced that Isabelle Huppert will receive the Volta Award, and the festival closing night gala screening is Pat Collins’ adaptation of John McGahern’s That They May Face The Rising Sun.
“One of the finest actors of her generation, Isabelle Huppert has made an indelible impression on world cinema, her fearless performances, boundless curiosity and incredible work rate has defined modern French cinema,” said Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys. “We relish the opportunity with our Festival audience to celebrate her career and her immense talent in presenting her with our Volta Award in person in Dublin.”
Isabelle Huppert has a career spanning six decades, from early roles such as Claude Goretta’s The Lacemaker, for which she received the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer, through to numerous roles working across different genres including Neil Jordan’s Greta, Mia Hansen-Love’s Things To Come, Michael Haneke’s Happy End, and Paul Verhoeven’s Elle (for which she won a César, US Gotham Award, Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress). She has also won the Légion d’Honneur, the highest French order of merit.
Huppert will be awarded the Festival’s career achievement award, the Volta, named after Ireland’s first cinema, established by James Joyce in 1909. Previous Volta Award recipients include Daniel Day Lewis and Al Pacino. Huppert will be presented with the Volta at an 'In Conversation’ event. The festival will also screen her new film, Sidonie au Japon, directed by Elise Girard.
Capturing a year in the life of a rural, lakeside community in Ireland in the 1970’s, That They May Face The Rising Sun is an adaptation of the final novel from Irish author John McGahern. The film follows Joe and Kate Ruttledge who return from London to live and work among the small, close-knit community near to where Joe grew up.
“It's a huge honour for us that the Irish premiere of That They May Face the Rising Sun is the Closing Film for this year's DIFF,” said director Pat Collins. “We have a long association with the festival and have had many special screenings there over the years and are delighted to be showing it here first.”
Directed by Pat Collins (Silence), the film stars Barry Ward (Jimmy’s Hall, Bad Sisters) and Anna Bederke (Soul Kitchen, Sterben) in the lead roles. Lalor Roddy (Grabbers, God’s Creatures), Sean McGinley (Michael Collins, Braveheart), Ruth McCabe (Philomena, Joy Ride) and first-time actor Phillip Dolan make up the cast of supporting characters.
Break Out Pictures will release the film theatrically in Ireland and the UK in 2024.
For tickets for That They May Face The Rising Sun, or to join DIFF’s Mailing List to be among the first to access tickets to Isabelle Huppert’s Volta presentation event, visit DIFF’s website.
DIFF have also announced two additions to their Board, Sian Redmond Director of Marketing Partnerships, Live Nation Ireland and Neal Davies, CEO at BBDO Dublin.
