PARKED, STELLA DAYS and EL GUSTO Represent Ireland at Busan, one of Asia's Leading Film Festivals in Korea
Two Irish features STELLA DAYS, directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, and PARKED, directed by Darragh Byrne and one documentary EL GUSTO directed by Safinez Bousbia, have been selected for the Busan International Film Festival which takes places in Korea from the 6th-14th October.
Each year, young Korean audiences welcome European films and filmmakers to the Busan International Film Festival (previously the Pusan International Film Festival) with enthusiasm and curiosity, and show themselves ready for stories far beyond their own cultural sphere. The response to the presentation of European films at the South Korean festival is tremendous. This is why European Film Promotion (EFP) is now in the 14th year of a consistent and strong partnership with this innovative Busan cinema platform which is known as largest and arguably most important film festival in Asia.
In close cooperation with the festival, EFP introduces directors, actors and producers with new films from across Europe during the first and busiest weekend, organises various presentations and networking opportunities, and offers exclusive press interviews with the artists. Financial support for the EFP activities in Busan comes from the MEDIA programme of the European Union and the participating EFP member organisations.
This year, 80 films out of a total of 307 screened at the Busan IFF in the various festival sections are coming from Europe. With the support of the EFP network, 20 films will be presented by their directors and actors in person, with four of them competing for the Flash Forward Award, a special spotlight on young non-Asian directors.
Included in the programme are the Irish feature STELLA DAYS written by Antoine O'Flatharta, which will have its international premiere at the festival. It stars award-winning actor Martin Sheen as a priest who attempts to set up a cinema in rural 1950's Ireland, despite opposition from parishioners. It also stars Stephen Rea, Trystan Gravelle, Marcella Plunkett and Amy Huberman. Produced by Jackie Larkin for Newgrange Pictures and Paradox Produksjon, it was financed by BSÉ/IFB, BAI, RTÉ, ZDF/ARTE and the Norwegian Film Institute.
Also selected for screening is PARKED, which was written by Ciaran Creagh and follows Fred Daly, who lives in his nondescript car in a car park by the coast. He is shut off from the world, until the ever-positive drug addict Cathal parks his little yellow car beside Fred's. Starring Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan and Milka Ahlroth, it was the joint winner of the Best First Feature prize at the Galway Film Fleadh and was officially selected for festivals in Rotterdam, Torino, Newport and Boston. Produced by Jacqueline Kerrin and Dominic Wright
for Ripple World Pictures and Aleksi Bardy for Helsinki-filmi, it was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board (IFB) and Finnish Film Foundation.
EL GUSTO was directed by Safinez Bousbia and produced by Bousbia and Heidi Egger for Quidam Productions. It follows 73 year old Algerian guitarist Mustafa Tahmi as he heads to a reunion with his old classmates. As he and his friends share their extraordinary memories, their personal tragedies and their neverabandoned musical dreams, we learn that their love of Chaabi music has forged a bond that can never be torn apart.
Apart from this spotlight on European filmmakers, EFP will be installing an European umbrella stand at the Asian Film Market (October 10-13) for the fifth year in a row, and correspondingly offering Film Sales Support (FSS) to sales agents who promote European films for Asian territories. The list of sales companies registered at the EFP umbrella stand in the Asian Film Market and the line-up of world sales companies benefitting from FSS will be announced on October 5.
The Busan International Film Festival will take place 6th - 14th October 2011.
Screening Times for Parked:
Oct 8 - 18.30 CGV Starium
Oct 10 - 19.00 CGV Starium
Oct 12 - 13.00 CGV Starium
Screening Times for Stella Days:
Oct 8 - 19.00 CGV Cine de Chef B
Oct 9 - 11.00 Busan Film Center Haneulyeon Theater
Oct 11 - 19.00 CGV Starium
Oct 12 - 16.00 CGV Starium