Three Irish Films Officially Selected for Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival
The world premiere of the Irish feature film BABYGIRL written and directed by Macdara Vallely will take place at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival next month together with the US premiere of Ian Fitzgibbon's DEATH OF A SUPERHERO and the North American premiere of Safinez Bousbia's documentary EL GUSTO.
The three films will screen as part of the Viewpoints programme and will screen with 19 other films that have unique, personal perspectives in their approach to their subjects.
BABYGIRL tells the story of Bronx teenager Lena who for as long as she can remember has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom's latest boy toy, starts hitting on Lena, she sets up a trap to expose Victor for the creep he is... but the plan backfires. Produced by David Collins, Paul Miller and Gigi Dement for Samson Films and Escape Pictures, BABYGIRL was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Werner Films.
With its innovative mix of live action and animation, Ian Fitzgibbon's DEATH OF A SUPERHERO is based on the novel ‘Death of a Superhero' by internationally acclaimed author Anthony McCarten, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Ink Heart), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Love Actually, Nowhere Boy), Michael McElhatton (Intermission, Adam & Paul, I Went Down), Jessica Schwarz (Perfume, The Door) and Aisling Loftus. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year where it garnered much critical acclaim and was also the closing film of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival last month.
Irish documentary EL GUSTO, directed by Safinez Bousbia 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 never abandoned musical dreams, we learn that their love of Chaabi music has forged a bond that can never be torn apart. Produced by Bousbia and Heidi Egger for Quidam Productions, the film was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, ENTV, ONDA and CCF.
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre and has become one of the most important festivals on the international calendar.
The Tribeca Film Festival will take place in New York City April 18th - 29th.