THE IRISH FILM BOARD
WITH Dublin-based Element Pictures picking up the Best Screenplay gong for The
Killing of a Sacred Deer at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it seems Irish film is riding high on a global scale like never before.
It comes after one of the most successful years in the industry. An unprecedented nine nominations for Irish films at the 2016 Oscars led to two awards, including Best Actress for Brie Larson in Lenny Abrahamson’s Room, and Best Short Film for
Stutterer by Benjamin Cleary. Is it possible to top such a perfect patch?
“It’s very unusual to have so many major nominations and awards for Irish film in one year, but momentum is gathering about creativity in Irish film, TV drama, animation, computer games — everything to do with audio visual production,” says James Hickey, CEO of the Irish Film Board (IFB).
“The Creative Ireland initiative has been going for five months and already one of its greatest successes is in raising consciousness of the importance of creativity in everything we do.
“It also helps to promote Irish films abroad. We screened and sold a lot of films at the Cannes festival, including an exciting line-up of projects coming down the track.”
The following are some new Irish-made films to watch out for:
Q Handsome Devil, directed by John Butler. Starring Amy Huberman and Ardal O’Hanlon, this is the coming-of-age story of two boys who share a room at a rugby-obsessed boarding school.
Delinquent Season, directed by Mark Rowe. Marital bliss is not all it seems when the cracks appear. Stars Cillian Murphy.
It’s Not Yet Dark, directed by Frankie Fenton. A poignant tale based on the real-life story of film-maker Simon Fitzmaurice’s experience of motor neuron disease.
The Young Offenders, a debut feature from director Peter Foot. Two Cork inner-city teenagers embark on a road trip on stolen bikes in the hopes of finding an unrecovered bale of cocaine.
The Breadwinner, an animated film by Cartoon Saloon, directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Mimi Polk Gitlin and Angelina Jolie.
Maze, directed by Stephen Burke. Inspired by the true events of the infamous 1983 prison breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from HMP Maze high security prison, which was to become the biggest prison escape in Europe since World War II. It stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, better known as Love/Hate’s Nidge.