Irish Film Industry Has Strong Representation at the Berlin International Film Festival
The Irish film industry will fly out to the Berlin International Film Festival and European Film Market (EFM) this week where four Irish films will represent Ireland in official selection at the prestigious festival.
Irish Academy Award® nominee Kirsten Sheridan will have the world premiere of her film ‘Dollhouse' at the festival and ‘Shadow Dancer' starring Clive Owen and Andrea Riseborough will have its European premiere following rave reviews at Sundance last month. Irish co-produced documentaries ‘Anton Corbijn Inside Out' and ‘The Reluctant Revolutionary' will also premiere as a Berlinale Special and in the Panorama Documentary section respectively.
The festival also offers an opportunity for Ireland's leading film producers to attend the European Film Market where they can sell and finance their latest feature films. The market is a key destination for anyone looking to source finance for their upcoming feature films, and provides an opportunity for Irish producers to meet with international film financiers, sales agents and film distributors in order to get their films made, sold and seen across the world. Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) will have a stand at the market promoting the latest films currently selling which include ‘Stella Days', ‘Albert Nobbs', ‘Death of a Superhero', ‘The Other Side Of Sleep' and ‘Grabbers' to name a few.
Kirsten Sheridan's ‘Dollhouse' follows in the steps of ‘The Guard' which also premiered at the Berlin festival last year. It explores a night in the life of a group of street teens from Dublin's inner city who break into an upper class house in Dalkey. The break-in quickly moves into a night of frenzy, driven by a series of revelations that will leave lasting marks on each of them, and resulting in an emotional conclusion that they will carry with them.
‘Shadow Dancer' directed by James Marsh has been officially selected out of competition. Caught red handed in London by MI5, single mother Colette McVeigh is given a choice: spend 23 years in jail without seeing her son grow up or return home to spy on her brother, leader of the Belfast IRA and the last obstacle to a viable peace process. Written by Tom Bradby and
starring Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough, Aidan Gillen, Gillian Anderson and Domhnall Gleeson, the film tells the story of her fight to protect her son whilst being forced to betray those she loves.
‘Anton Corbijn Inside Out' is an intimate and revelatory portrait of the influential Dutch photographer, music video and film director Anton Corbijn (Control, The American) and follows him as he works with, amongst others, long time collaborators U2, Depeche Mode, Lou Reed and Metallica. The documentary is the product of more than two years filming by director Klaartje Quirijns, whose close personal relationship with Anton allowed her unprecedented access to both the man and his work.
Sean McAllister's documentary ‘The Reluctant Revolutionary' is an intimate portrait of Yemen as the revolution unfolds told through the eyes of tour guide Kais, an intelligent commentator on the changing times of the country.
The Berlin International Film Festival, considered within the industry as one of the most influential in the world, takes place between February 9th - 19th.