Leading Lights of Irish and International Film Industry Descend on Toronto as the Spotlight Shines on Irish Film at Illustrious Festival
Some of the leading lights of the Irish and international film industry including Hollywood legend Glenn Close, Irish actress Sarah Bolger and Irish directors Ian Fitzgibbon and Rebecca Daly will travel to Toronto this week as four feature films produced with funding from Bord Scannán na hEireann / the Irish Film Board will screen at the renowned Toronto International Film Festival.
Rodrigo Garcia's ALBERT NOBBS starring Glenn Close, Ian Fitzgibbon's DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, Rebecca Daly's THE OTHER SIDE OF SLEEP and Mary Harron's THE MOTH DIARIES starring Irish actress Sarah Bolger are all included in the line-up and will ensure that the spotlight will be firmly on Irish film at the festival.
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most important industry festivals in the world and it is the premiere film festival in North America from which the Oscar race begins. The prestigious festival which was founded in 1976 has previously showcased independent films such as Juno, Slumdog Millionaire and Little Miss Sunshine and will take place from September 8th - 18th. Along with screenings and gala events, representatives of the Irish Film Board and the Irish film industry will travel to the festival to meet with international producers, financiers and broadcasters, reinforcing Ireland's strong profile as a destination for film and raising finance for Irish films.
Commenting on the Irish films in Toronto, Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said "I am extremely pleased as the Minister with responsibility for audiovisual matters that four Irish films have been selected for the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. This is a magnificent achievement for the four films concerned and I want to congratulate all involved with the productions. The festival presents a great opportunity to showcase the film making talent and culture of Ireland on a world stage and is further positive news for the Irish film industry."
James Hickey, Chief Executive of the Irish Film Board added "We are delighted that four Irish features will be shown at this world class festival. It signifies real recognition of Irish talent on the international stage and is a testament to the quality of Irish filmmaking."
Hotly anticipated following its successful world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival last weekend ALBERT NOBBS will have a special Gala Presentation in Toronto on Sunday. The film which shot on location around Dublin city centre earlier this year stars Glenn Close as a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Dublin and marks Close's first screenplay credit, as well as her feature film producing debut.
The film garnered much critical acclaim at Telluride in particular Close's "exquisitely detailed performance" (Indiewire) which is deemed by many to be destined to earn her a sixth Oscar nomination if not her first Oscar win. Additional screenings had to be scheduled at the Colorado festival such was the demand for tickets. Also praised was the exceptional performances from the all-star line-up which includes Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy), Janet McTeer (Into the Storm, Tumbleweeds), Pauline Collins (You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Shirley Valentine) as well as Irish actors Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Tudors) and Brendan Gleeson (The Guard).
Ian Fitzgibbon's DEATH OF A SUPERHERO will have its world premiere on Saturday in Toronto. Based on the novel ‘Death of a Superhero' by internationally acclaimed author Anthony McCarten, who also wrote the screenplay, it tells the story of Donald Clarke who, like most teenage boys craves sex and adventure but, unfortunately has a fatal disease. He's gifted, and has found a way to bring his considerable imagination to life through graphic art and comic drawings. When Shelly arrives on the scene, cool and different from all the other girls, Donald falls for her and the rest of his life suddenly looks a lot brighter with her around....
It stars Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Lord of the Rings), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Love Actually, Nowhere Boy), Michael McElhatton (Intermission, Adam & Paul, I Went Down), Jessica Schwarz (Perfume, The Door) and Aisling Loftus.
The arresting feature film debut from young Irish director Rebecca Daly, THE OTHER SIDE OF SLEEP starring Irish actress Antonia Campbell Hughes (Lotus Eaters) will screen as part of the Discovery section of the festival. Scripted by Daly and Glenn Montgomery and filmed on location in Offaly last year, it tells the story of Arlene who is like a ghost in her life plagued by chronic sleepwalking. Her solemn existence takes a jarring turn after she wakes up beside the bloodied corpse of another woman. From here, Daly's film blurs the line between the reality of the crime and the confusion of Arlene's unconscious. The selection for the Toronto International Film Festival follows on from its screening at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was officially selected for the Directors Fortnight strand, in May.
Starring Irish actress Sarah Bolger (The Tudors, In America) along with Lily Cole (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) and Scott Speedman (Underworld), Mary Hannon's THE MOTH DIARIES will have its North American premiere at the festival. A powerful emotional drama where eroticism and death are entwined, it tells the story of a teenage girl at a boarding school who suspects her roommate is a vampire. The film is based on the debut novel of Rachel Klein of the same name and had its world premiere at the 68th Venice International Film Festival this week.
Irish producer Tristan Orpen Lynch of Subotica Entertainment (Perfect Sense, Song For A Raggy Boy) has been chosen as one of 12 European and 12 Canadian producers to participate in the Producers Lab Toronto which runs during the festival. The programme offers a platform to combine creative, technical and financial energy and is an opportunity to gain knowledge about international markets and film projects and identify the potential for concrete Canadian-European co-productions.
The Toronto International Film Festival will take place 8th - 18th September 2011.