Polish Film Festival in Sligo – 27 February 2007

 
The Model Arts and Niland Gallery (Sligo) has announced a major festival of contemporary Polish film (3–10 March, 2007). This week-long festival will be accompanied by various platform discussions with students from The Polish Film School and curators Adam Klimczak and Alicja Chicowicz, addressing the work of contemporary Polish filmmakers and those allied with the legendary Lodz Film School, Poland.

The festival will include a selection of works spanning the history of Polish cinema. Incorporating many films never before translated for a foreign audience, and including Roman Polanski’s student triumph Two Men and a Wardrobe rarely screened and property of the Lodz film school. The school was considered an oasis of freedom in Poland's post-war artistic and cultural life, and attracted personalities. Teachers and students showed interest in the European avant-garde, the theatre of the absurd, Witold Gombrowicz and Franz Kafka. The school became one of the few places in Poland where one could see the masterpieces of the world cinema, the European classics, and the latest pictures of Italian Neorealism.

Some highlights are Wojciech Jerzy’s Manuscript found in Zaragoza is rich in forms of intellectual rivalry and pretence, Andrzej Wajda’s Promised Land presents a picture of a capitalistic hierarchy, and Wojciech Smarzowski’s The Wedding is both grotesque and wistful.

As there is a strong tradition of early experimental cinema and animation in Poland, screening early Polish cinema alongside 21st century Polish filmmakers will give an interesting access point to contemporary Polish culture. The festival program will be peppered with strong cinematic pieces, such as Zbigniew Rybczynski’s Tango which received an Oscar for as Best Animated Short in 1982.

This will be the perfect opportunity for film buffs and culture heads to experience life through the Polish lens, with quirky animations, slick shorts, and epic features on offer throughout the week. All inclusive festival tickets priced €10 and special day tickets priced €5 will be available from The Model Box Office, or to order by phone on 071 914 1405 .

Back to top

Irish Films at the JDIFF – 20 February 2007

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival reaffirms its commitment to providing a platform for Irish cinema and the work of Irish filmmaker’s at home and abroad. This is the list of the Irish films screening at the festival with themes ranging from anti environmentalism to the trials and tribulations of toilet attendants.

- Cré na Cille (Saturday, 17th Feb, 6.20pm, IFI)
- Mine Your Own Business ( Sunday, 18th Feb, 12.00pm, IFI)
- True North (Sunday, 18th Feb, 6.30pm, Cineworld)
- Once (Monday, 19th Feb, 9pm, Cineworld)
- FIlmbase Shorts (Tuesday, 20th Feb, 7pm, Filmbase)
- Small Engine Repair (Wednesday, 21st Feb, 6.20pm, IFI)
- Irish Film Board Shorts (Thursday, 22nd Feb, 6.20pm, IFI)
- WC (Friday, 23rd Feb, 6.20pm, IFI)
- The Thrills (Friday, 23rd Feb, 11pm, IFI)
- Neil Jordan, Portrait & Now Showing (Saturday, 24th Feb, 6.20pm, IFI)
- Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (Saturday, 24th Feb, 8.30pm, Cineworld)

For more information see www.dubliniff.com

Back to top

Evening Course on Irish Comedy at the IFI – 13 February 2007

Running each Tuesday evening at 6.20pm for seven consecutive weeks, the IFI's first evening course of 2007 will chart the evolution of Irish comedy on cinema and television screens from the delightful whimsy of Jimmy O'Dea in Blarney (1938) to the hilarious Naked Camera (2006).

Cinema screenings will be followed by talks from film and television historians, writers, producers and comedians including Dr Lance Pettitt, Hugh Linehan, Ferdia MacAnna, Donald Clarke, Mike Murphy, Frank Kelly and Dr Harvey O’Brien.

The course provides an opportunity for viewers and practitioners to consider this very under-explored and yet enormously popular area of contemporary Irish culture.

For more information about this course please visit www.irishfilm.ie. To sign up for this seven-week course, (tickets are €80 / €65 conc), you must call 01-6795744 or email eveningcourse@irishfilm.ie to secure a place.

Back to top

Temple Bar Cultural Trust's Short Film Award – 13 February 2007

This year’s Short Film Award organised by Temple Bar Cultural Trust in association with Filmbase as part of the 2007 Diversions Festival has been announced and the prize fund is valued at €10,000.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust who organise the award as part of their summer festival have increased the prize fund to €5,000. The prize fund is intended to support the marketing and distribution of the winning Irish short film.   

Temple Bar-based cultural organisation Filmbase have also sponsored pre and post-production facilities and equipment at their Curved Street offices and studios to the value of almost €5,000. 

The Short Film Award is part of the Diversions Festival in Temple Bar – Ireland’s longest and largest festival of free outdoor events and is open to Irish short filmmakers, both North and South of the country. A shortlist of 12 films will be chosen from all entries received. One short-listed film will be screened prior to each Movies on the Square feature film which commence in early June.

To obtain an application form and eligibility guidelines, please visit www.templebar.ie. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 5pm on Friday, 6th April 2007. Please note that all submissions must be finished on film and available as a 35mm print.

Back to top

The 4 th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards took place  at Dublin’s RDS on Friday 9th of February. Honouring Irish and international talent in front of a 1,100 audience, host Ryan Tubridy guided proceedings as The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Breakfast on Pluto and Stardust took home the most IFTA gold.

In the strongly contested feature film categories Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winning film The Wind That Shakes the Barley picked up the two top IFTAs. The Irish Civil war drama topped both the Academy and the AIB Public Vote winning Best Irish Film of the year. Director Neil Jordan also walked away with two statuettes for writing and directing on Breakfast on Pluto, while Pluto actor Cillian Murphy received the Best Irish Actor Award for his work on the film.

Most prominent winner in the TV categories was RTÉ’s acclaimed TV Drama Stardust which scooped four Awards on the night including the Best TV Drama nod and accolades for Best Actress Ger Ryan and Best Supporting Actress Ruth Bradley.

Irish costume designer Consolata Boyle was honoured on her home turf for her work on Stephen Frears’ The Queen. Helen Mirren was also named Pantene Best International Actress, Helen sent a message of thanks to the Academy and paid tribute to Consolata in her acceptance speech.

Other acting winners included Fionnula Flangan, Best Supporting Actress for Transamerica, Eva Birthistle Best Actress for Middletown, Ciaran Hinds, Best Actor Television and The Clinic star Gary Lydon made it two-for-two picking up the Best Supporting Actor Television award for the second year in a row.

The race for TV Personality of the Year was won by sporting legend Bill O’Herlihy, while emerging talent Niall Heery received the IFB & NIFTC Breakthrough Talent Award for writing/directing his debut feature Small Engine Repair. Little Miss Sunshine scooped the Best International Film Award.

Other highlights included a Lifetime Tribute to seminal broadcaster Gay Byrne, an honour for Industry Contribution to casting director Nuala Moiselle.

Further details are available from the Irish Film and Television Awards website: www.ifta.ie

Back to top

Irish short film Why the Irish Dance that Way has been selected to
screen in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on the 6th and 8th of
June 2007 at Shortfest, Outstanding Films from International Festivals.

Written and directed by Nick Kelly, the film was produced by Seamus Byrne of
Zanita Films and the choreographer was Rónán Ó Riagáin. Nick Kelly is
currently writing his first feature film screenplay. The film was funded by
the Arts Council and the 'RTÉ Dance on the Box' scheme.

Back to top

The Irish Film Archive will be screening John Boorman's cult classic Zardoz, which will be introduced by Mr Boorman. The director's film collection is held at the Irish Film Archive.

Filmed on a budget of $1 million, John Boorman’s post-apocalyptic dystopia, set in 2293 was shot in the Wicklow hills. This futuristic fantasy’s mixture of cerebral, philosophical sci-fi was in complete contrast to Boorman's previous film, the brutal thriller Deliverance and stars Sean Connery in one of his first post-James Bond roles. In a future post-apocalypse Earth (2293), the human population is divided into the immortal 'Eternals' and mortal 'Brutals' who worship the all powerful god Zardoz. Zed (Connery), has uncovered the truth of Zardoz and threatens to alter humanity's dead end evolution by giving the immortals the gift of death. The film remains visually impressive, filmed in a perpetually soft focus haze by cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth, and is now considered a cult classic with its mix of mythology and a bizarre plot, filled with wide-ranging satirical and allegorical stabs.

The screening of Zardoz takes place on 21st February at 6.40pm at the Irish Film Institute in 6 Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin.

Back to top

The Louth, Newry and Mourne Film Commission has announced the line-up for the forthcoming Cinergy Film Festival. The festival takes place from 15–17 February in the Táin Theatre in Dundalk. The majority of the films were sourced through Access Cinema.

The festival brings together an eclectic mix of films that local audiences may not have had the opportunity to see. Highlights include Drogheda director Graham Jones’s Fudge 44, a contemporary South African version of the musical Carmen entitled U-Carmen, and the ultimate cult movie, This Is Spinal Tap.

The Cinergy DIY Short Film Award is sponsored by Dundalk native and Hollywood director John Moore, and is designed to foster grass-roots filmmaking talent, specifically stating that no officially funded films can apply.

The trophy for the Short Film Award has been designed by local woodturning artist Paddy Quigley of Leyden Woodcraft in Tallanstown.

There will also be an ‘Introduction to Screenwriting’ class on Saturday 17th with Elaine Lennon, an experienced scriptwriter and editor.

For more information see www.filmcommission.ie

Back to top

The Bursary Award scheme 2007 is open to professionals working in the Film and Television industry in Ireland.

The FÁS Screen training Ireland Bursary Award Scheme assists Irish industry professionals to enhance their career through International training opportunities. The scheme enables bursary recipients to participate in international programmes to assist their development. The purpose of the scheme is to expose industry practitioners to the best training expertise and work situations internationally.
In all cases, bursaries are awarded to ensure professional development and skill enhancement in line with international work standards.

STI offers two types of bursaries to applicants:
- funding to attend full time training courses and workshops abroad
- support funding to participate in a structured work programme within international companies and organisations. The work programme can be designed by the individual to specifically match their training needs.

For further information please contact the office on 01 483 0840 or apply online at www.screentrainingireland.ie

Back to top

As excitement builds for the forthcoming Irish Film & Television Awards, taking place in Dublin’s RDS on Friday 9th February, IFTA has announced a host of leading Irish and International talent that are confirmed to join the celebrations to toast another year of outstanding work from Irish film and television talent.

The Awards’ host for the evening, Ryan Tubridy, will welcome some glamorous and talented actresses attending the ceremony from Los Angeles, including nominee Fionnula Flanagan (Transamerica), Orla Brady (Nip/Tuck, Proof) and international guest Lara Flynn Boyle (Las Vegas, Men in Black II, Twin Peaks) who is presenting one of the top awards of the night. Other Irish talents confirmed to attend include nominees Eva Birthistle (Middletown), Ruth Bradley (Stardust, Legend), Orla Fitzgerald (The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Tina Kellegher (Showbands), Pauline McLynn (Gypo, Father Ted). Other high profile women stepping out on the red carpet include songstress Sinead O’Connor, TV Personality of the Year 2003 winner Miriam O’Callaghan and BBC Northern Ireland’s shining star Christine Bleakley (Let Me Entertain You), Grainne Seoige, Kathryn Thomas (also presenting the RTÉ Guide Red Carpet Style Show), Breakthrough nominee Lucy Kennedy and Channel 6’s Taragh Loughrey Grant (in the running for this years TV personality gong). Former Miss World Rosanna Davidson will join the festivities again this year as well as bestselling author Cecelia Ahern whose novel PS I Love You has recently been given the big screen treatment. James Nesbitt, who is currently shooting TV drama Murphy’s Law around Dublin, is free to enjoy the ceremony this year with Ryan Tubridy taking over the MC duties.

Already confirmed Irish actors will be in force to cheer the winners at the gala ceremony. IFTA lifetime member Pierce Brosnan (The Matador, Seraphim Falls) who is taking time out to lead the red carpet march will be joined by fellow actors Gabriel Byrne, three time nominee Liam Cunningham, Padraic Delaney, Stephen Rea and Gavin Friday along with directors Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan and Ken Loach. Comedians Tommy Tiernan, Des Bishop, Patrick Kielty, Ardal O’Hanlon and the Naked Camera gang are all vying for top television awards on the night and promise to entertain the crowds gathered on the IFTA red carpet.

Irish actor/director Adrian Dunbar and actor Patrick Bergin, who has signed to star in Dunbar’s forthcoming debut feature Connolly, as well as British actor Iain Glen.

The 4th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards will begin with a reception at 7pm. 32 Awards and four People’s Choice Awards will be presented on the night followed by an aftershow party at the RDS. Irish band The Republic of Loose will perform live for over 1,100 guests at what is undoubtedly the highlight of the Irish film and television entertainment calendar.

IFTA coverage begins on Saturday 10th February on RTÉ Two at 9pm with Kathryn Thomas hosting the RTÉ Guide Red Carpet Style Show followed by the main event which will be broadcast on RTÉ One at 9.30pm.


Back to top

For the third year in a row VooDooDog , run by David Z. Obadiah and Irish brothers Paul and Noel Donnellon, have won at the New York Festivals.

This year they have won the Bronze Award for Best Main Titles for their Front and End Credit sequences from the Joe Carnahan directed film Smokin’ Aces. Last year they won the Silver Medal for their Nanny McPhee animated sequence and in 2005 they won the Gold Medal for their Emmy® nominated opening animated title sequence for HBO’s The Life and Death of Peter Sellers starring Geoffrey Rush.

Smokin’ Aces, stars Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds and Alicia Keys.

The New York Festivals ceremony was held at the Downtown Auditorium" located in the heart of Lower Manhattan's Financial District last Friday, 2nd February.

Smokin’ Aces was released in the US on 26th January 2007


Back to top

RTÉ is seeking submissions for the 2007 ShortScreen season.The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday 2nd March, 2007.

Films must be of broadcast quality and under 26 minutes. However as longer slots are limited, priority will be given to films that are under 15 minutes in duration.

Submissions should include a DVD or VHS copy of the films with a hard copy of a completed application from (see submission form). For ease of processing, also please e-mail your application from to shortscreen2007@gmail.com.

More information at www.rte.ie

Back to top

Produced by Fantastic Films and Reflected Light Pictures and directed by Marion Comer, 48 Angels is a heart warming feature film of a boy desperately seeking a miracle. The film, which successfully screened at Galway and Madrid, has been accepted into both the Cherbourg-Octeville British Irish Film Festival and the European Union Film Festival in Chicago. Both festivals take place in March.

Fantastic Films’ John McDonnell is no stranger to the Cherbourg Octeville Film Festival due to his involvement in Aisling Walsh’s Song for a Raggy Boy which claimed both the Prix du Public du meilleur film and also awarded John Travers with the Prix du Jury du Meilleur Acteur in 2003. The Festival runs from the 16-18 March.

The 10th European Union Film Festival in Chicago takes place from 2-29 March. The European Union Film Festival is the largest of the special projects at the Gene Siskel Film Center, a public program of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Back to top

The New Media Technology College will have an Open Day on Monday 12th February from 10am to 4pm. The award winning college offers 1-year full-time courses in Photography, Film Production, Interactive Media Production, Information Technology, Performing Arts and Music Technology and short courses accredited by City & Guilds in Acting, Digital Video Production, B/W Photography, Music Technology, Flash, 3D Studio Max and Adobe Photoshop. NMTC also runs online programmes.

Contact info@nmtc.ie for further information. New Media Technology College, 13 Harcourt St, Dublin 2

Back to top

Future Shorts' Monthly Nights Return – 29 January 2007

Future Shorts Ireland is back with a selection of supersonic short flicks from around the globe including satire from Tokyo, documentary from Cape Town, animation from Venezuela, love poems from Mexico, music videos from Kazakhstan and collage from Denmark.

Future Shorts will also showcase and nurture Irish work, so at each screening there will be an Irish director to introduce and discuss his work – offering the audience an invaluable 'behind the scenes' opportunity.

This month sees an irreverent tale of warring buses in Bus Kong (Ed Hartwell, UK, 05), a surreal football documentary in Wir sind dir treu (We are the Faithful, Michael Koch, Germany, 05) and an animated ode to family travel in Nibbles (Christopher Hinton, USA, 05)

Relocated to the classic and comfortable surroundings of Dame Lane, Future Shorts Ireland rolls in the new year on Wednesday 31st. Doors will open at 7.30pm with showtime at 8pm. Tickets are available at the door and are 5 euro.

Back to top

The Irish film Once, directed and written by John Carney (Bachelors Walk, On the Edge) has won the World Cinema Audience Award in the dramatic category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. 

Once, which was discovered by Sundance programmers at the Galway Film Festival last year, stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in the leading roles and is a modern-day musical set on the streets of Dublin telling the story of a busker and an immigrant, who fall in love over an eventful week, as they write, rehearse and record a number of songs.

Summit Entertainment is currently selling the film worldwide. Other major films on the Summit slate include the Oscar nominated film Babel. Executive producer David Collins commented that he is currently negotiating a raft of international sales for the film.

The annual Sundance Film Festival, which was originally founded by Robert Redford, is world-renowned as a showcase for the best in new independent cinema. This year the festival included 82 world premieres, among it's 122 feature titles selected from 25 different countries. The festival received over 1,435 submissions from countries outside of the US. 

Other Irish films which have screened at Sundance include Song for a Raggy Boy directed by Aisling Walsh in 2003 and Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday, which scooped the World Cinema Audience Award in 2002 and Paddy Breathnach's film I Went Down.

Once was produced and financed by Samson Films with the assistance of the Irish Film Board and RTE. Irish audiences will have an opportunity to see the film when it premieres at the Dublin International Film Festival on Monday February 19th. The film will be released in Irish cinemas by Buena Vista International in March this year.

Back to top

Cork Film Festival is participating at the prestigious 22nd Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market, running from 29th January to 4th February 2007. The festival participates at this main world market, often called the ‘Cannes of short film’; operating a market stand and promoting Irish short film to the international market. Supported by Culture Ireland, the festival market stand will represent Irish short film to international festival programmers, buyers and cultural institutions and in a sense be a ‘one-stop shop’ for those seeking information on Irish shorts.
 
Cork Film Festival will also host a market screening of eleven specially selected Irish short films at the Maison de la Culture with a guest list which includes all the main international festivals.
  
Two Irish shorts films selected for this Market presentation, are also selected for competition at the Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, which runs concurrently. Rebecca Daly’s Joyriders has been selected for the International Competition and Margaret Corkery’s Joyride competes in the more experimental Labo Competition.
 
Cork Film Festival has also just returned from its second year of participation at the Festival du film amazigh in Tlemcen, Algeria, where it hosted a retrospective programme of the short films of Edith Pieperhoff and and the first African screening of the Palme D’Or winning The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

The eleven short films selected for the Irish Short Film screening are Imagine This directed by John Callaghan, Joyride directed by Margaret Corkery, The Fairies of Blackheath Woods directed by Ciaran Foy, POV directed by Heroes for Zeroes, Bongo Bong directed by Ken Wardrop, Wednesday directed by Sam Keogh,
Joyriders directed by Rebecca Daly, Pilgrim directed by Matthew Darragh, The 18th Electricity Plan directed by Glenn Leyburn & Lisa Barros D’Sa, Christy directed by Alex Gill, Marion and the Princess directed by Melanie Clark Pullen and Venom directed by John Hayes.

Back to top

Irish costume designer Consolata Boyle has been nominated for an Academy Award for her work on The Queen, directed by Stephen Frears. Boyle has already received a BAFTA nomination for this film which stars Helen Mirren. Boyle began her career on Irish films such as December Bride and Into the West and has since worked on major features including Angelas Ashes, Conor McPherson’s film The Actors and the emmy-winning series for Showtime The Lion in Winter. The Queen has been nominated for six Oscars altogether including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Helen Mirren.

Irish born actor Peter O’Toole has also been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Venus directed by Roger Michell. O’Toole has previously been nominated for seven academy awards but has never won. He was awarded with a special Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2003.

Production designer Nathan Crowley, has also been nominated for his work on The Prestige starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. Crowley began his career in Irish films such as The Tale of Sweetie Barrett starring Brendan Gleeson and Falling for a Dancer starring Liam Cunningham and Colin Farrell. He worked closely with Irish director John Moore on a number of commercials and then on Behind Enemy Lines directed by Moore. He has since gone on to work on US features Insomnia, Veronica Guerin and Batman Begins.

The Academy Awards take place on February 25th at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Back to top

Deliver us from Evil, the documentary feature directed by Amy Berg and filmed on location in Ireland, California and Vatican city, has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category for the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

The Irish locations included Dublin, Armagh and the City of Derry and the Irish unit crew included cinematographer Noel Donnellon, location sound mixer Raymond Cross and production coordinator, Nick McCarthy.

The feature length documentary is an expose on the systemic problems that protected former priest Oliver O'Grady, who has been called the most notorious pedophile in the modern Catholic Church.

Deliver Us From Evil won the Target Documentary Award, at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this year and was picked up for distribution by Lionsgate. It is currently on theatrical release in the US.

Back to top

Filmbase is delighted to present a retrospective of documentary filmmaker John T. Davis' classic work as part of their 21st birthday celebrations. This event will take place in Filmbase from the 25th January to the 2nd February inclusive and will comprise of an exhibition of Davis' photographic work accompanied by a range of screenings of his films at which he will be in attendance. Over the past two and a half decades Davis has developed a considerable portfolio of work as an independent filmmaker, director and cameraman. This retrospective will offer viewers the chance to see some of the best of Irish documentary filmmaking.

Films shown will include the first screening of the newly remastered Shell Shock Rock. Made in 1979, this film documents the impact that punk music had in Belfast at that time. Filmbase will also screen other Davis classics such as Hobo and Route 66. Stills from both these films will be on display in Filmbase as part of an exhibition of Davis' photographic work which will be open to the public daily throughout the retrospective. Other films on the schedule include Hip to the Tip and A House Divided; the retrospective will close with a screening of The Uncle Jack. Davis will attend a number of the screenings in order to conduct Q&A sessions with the audience.

Entry to both the exhibition and screenings is free. However, screenings will be strictly ticketed events. Those interested in attending screenings should contact Clare Creely at Filmbase by email at admin@filmbase.ie or call into the Filmbase reception for more information. Please see below for exhibition opening hours and screening times.

Exhibition Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 9.30am – 5.30pm, Sat: 10.30am – 5.30pm and Sun: 11am – 5pm

Screenings: Shell Shock Rock Thu 25th Jan at 8.30pm, Route 66 Fri 26th Jan at 8.30pm, Hobo Sat 27th Jan at 8.30pm, Hip to the Tip Thu 1st Feb at 8.30pm, A House Divided Fri 2nd Feb at 6.30pm and The Uncle Jack Fri 2nd Feb at 8.30pm.

Back to top

Multi award-winning documentarian, director and writer, Michael Moore will introduce honoree Terry George at the US-Ireland Alliance's second annual 'Oscar Wilde: Honoring Irish Writing in Film'. The February 22 event in Los Angeles fosters ties between the film industries in the US and Ireland and honors Irish writing in film.

It had previously been announced that Mr. George, Van Morrison and William Monahan would be honored; that Al Pacino would introduce Mr. Morrison; and that Roma Downey would emcee. Helen Mirren, recent winner of the Golden Globe for her role as The Queen, is expected to attend the event. Ms. Mirren starred with Fionnuala Flanagan (also planning to attend) in Some Mother's Son, written by Terry George. Ms. Mirren's husband, director/producer Taylor Hackford has used Mr. Morrison's music in his films.

American Airlines has joined Culture Ireland and the Irish Film Board as major sponsors of the event. Other sponsors include, Quinlan Private, The Walt Disney Studios, Palm & General Catalyst Partners. Sponsor EMI will give each guest a copy Van Morrison At The Movies: Soundtrack Hits – a first time collection of
19 of Mr. Morrison's best-known songs that have been featured in films. In addition to favorites including 'Gloria' from The Outsiders, 'Wild Night' from Thelma & Louise, and 'Brown Eyed Girl' from Born on the Fourth of July, the new collection includes a previously unreleased live version of 'Moondance' from An American Werewolf in London, recorded live with strings in 1986 at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. This cd will be released next month.

The host committee of the event includes Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook, HBO Films President Colin Callender, Anjelica Huston, and last year's honorees Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan and David Holmes.

Back to top

UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies in association with the Irish Film Institute present a lecture with Professor Richard Dyer (Kings College, London) on 'Tales of Plagiarism & Pastiche: The Godfather and The Leopard'. The event will take place at the IFI in Dublin on Monday, 29th January at 5.3pm.

Professor Richard Dyer is a world-renowned writer and speaker, with a particular interest in popular culture. He is the author of Stars (first published 1979; second edition 1998) published by the British Film Institute. Stars was the first, and remains the seminal, textbook on the study of film stars. This was followed by Heavenly Bodies: Film Stars and Society (1987; reprinted 2003) and Now You See It: Historical Studies in Lesbian and Gay Film (1990; revised and expanded 2003). In 1992 Richard Dyer published Only Entertainment , in which he critically examined the 'guilty pleasures' of film viewing.

In 1993, the British Film Institute commissioned him to write the monograph on Brief Encounter for the BFI Classics series and in 1999, he wrote the monograph on Se7en for their Modern Classics series. Also in 1993, Dyer published The Matter of Images (2nd ed, 2002) a series of essays challenging modes of representation, with a particular emphasis on queer theory. In 1997, Dyer published White, in which he took examples from film, literature and visual arts to argue that whiteness ought not to be regarded as an unchallenged norm but as an ideologically constructed identity. He developed his writings on gay culture in The Culture of Queers (2001).
His most recent publication is entitled Pastiche.

Admission is free. Reserve your place by phoning the IFI box office on: 01 6793477

Back to top

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has announced the receipt of a total of 131 applications for television funding in the third round of Sound & Vision, the Broadcasting Funding Scheme. The closing date for receipt of applications for the television round was Friday 12th of January last.

The Scheme offers grants for new programmes on themes of Irish culture, heritage and experience and is funded by 5% of the television licence fee. The total requested for funding in this third round was €47.8m out of a total project value of €97.3m. This represents a significant increase on both the money requested and total value of the projects overall.

The majority of applications were received with the support of public service broadcasters (77), with commercial and community television sectors supporting 33 and 21 applications respectively. With regard to genre, documentary again accounted for just over 50% of applications received, with drama/feature, entertainment and factual programming also featuring prominently. Applications were also received for children’s programming, animation and adult literacy.

A total of 13 assessment panels have now been established involving subject experts in the relevant areas and BCI staff. The assessment panels’ task will be to compile a package of recommendations for submission and approval by the Board of the BCI. It is hoped that the assessment and decision–making process will be completed by mid-March.

Back to top

The official launch of Wicklow County Council's Per Cent for Art Programme 2007-2008 takes place today Thursday 18th January 2007 at 5.30pm in The Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray Co. Wicklow. This launch unveils an exciting programme featuring eight new commissions in disciplines such as visual arts, literature, music and media/film. County Manager, Edward Sheehy, Cllr. Joe Behan, Cathaoirleach and Cliodhna Shaffrey will officially launch the programme accompanied by refreshments and canapés served by Betelnut Café.

Wicklow County Arts Office has developed this programme through monies derived from the National Per Cent for Arts Scheme. The programme is the result of consultation with the Public Art Working Group and programme advisors, Cliodhna Shaffrey and Sarah Searson. The programme aims to support innovative approaches to the creation of new work in a range of disciplines over the duration of the two year period. Consideration is given to County Wicklow's geographical diversity with a commitment to commissioning new work for specific towns and areas in the North, South and mid-region of County Wicklow. Each commission offers practitioners support as well as a practicable budget with sufficient time for realisation. The commissions enable practitioners to consider context and community in imaginative ways and new ideas and approaches in artistic response are sought. Application from a wide range of practitioners is encouraged particularly those who might not have previously considered undertaking a Per Cent for Art commission.

Further information and application pack are available from The Arts Office, Wicklow County Council, Wicklow Town. www.wicklow.ie

Back to top

The Black Magic, a supernatural thriller, written and directed by Marc-Ivan O'Gorman, has finally been released in Ireland. The 35mm feature, shot in Los Angeles and Bangkok in 2003, has got a UK and Ireland video release. Theatrically released in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, the film has been dubbed into 4 languages. The film is distributed in UK and Ireland through LA based company; Artist View Entertainment (see trailer here).

The film follows three young Americans whose lives are thrown into chaos after a bachelor-party trip to Thailand turns bad. The trip is cut short when, Sita, their beautiful female guide is discovered drowned in a Bangkok canal. On the their return to California, the men experience a series of bizarre misadventures which can only be put down to the effects of a curse.

Marc-Ivan studied film making at DIT and, after winning a scholarship for his short film Infected City, he studied at Syracuse University, New York. For several years he was a directing instructor at New York Film Academy, before moving to New Delhi, where he has produced various experimental short films and worked as a creative
consultant for some of the countries biggest media companies. He is currently developing an historical drama set in Ireland, as well as, various documentary projects.

Back to top

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >>