Irish Films Receive Rave Reviews from International Film Critics at Sundance
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB)-backed feature films Calvary and Frank premiered to rave reviews from international critics this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the world's most important showcases for independent film.
The Reality Bites documentary film The Last Days of Peter Bergmann, directed by Ciaran Cassidy, also had its international premiere, along with the Irish co-production Young Ones, directed by Jake Paltrow and co-produced by Subotica Films.
The Guardian's Xan Brooks called Calvary "terrific" and continued, "I could have looked at Gleeson's ruddy, downy face for a whole lot longer and would have savoured some more of McDonagh's ornate dialogue, which tastes as rich and gamey as a Michelin-starred meal. I really liked Calvary, or did I say that already?"
According to Justin Chang in Variety, "Brendan Gleeson gives a performance of monumental soul in John Michael McDonagh's masterful follow-up to The Guard. . . . It's a role that one cannot imagine in the hands of anyone other than Gleeson, who has never seemed less capable of hitting a false or inauthentic note."
Meanwhile, Lenny Abrahamson's film Frank, which stars Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal, received ecstatic reviews of its own. Peter Debruge, writing for Variety, called it "a weird and wonderful musical comedy" and said that "helmer Lenny Abrahamson (Garage, Adam & Paul) puts the pic's eccentricity to good use, luring in sceptics with jokey surrealism and delivering them to a profoundly moving place".
Indiewire describes Frank as a "terrific and sublime experience, and strikingly original film, [that] is mandatory watching for the adventurous viewer" and Examiner.com says "the film is much like the band itself; chaotic, unpredictable, and utterly lovable. . . . Those who embrace its peculiarities will find it a rare gem of a film that defies expectations and celebrates inventiveness above all."
Frank opens in Irish cinemas in May 2014. Calvary will be the opening film at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival next month, with a gala screening on February 13th. It goes on general release in Irish cinemas in April.
Commenting on the Irish presence at Sundance, Festival Programmer John Nein said, "The World Cinema program at the Sundance Film Festival features independent voices from international artists. The breadth and diversity of Irish films are well represented, particularly with two of our feature film selections this year: Calvary from John Michael McDonagh and Frank from Lenny Abrahamson."
For more information contact: Louise Ryan, Marketing & Communications Manager, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board: louise.ryan@irishfilmboard.ie / +353 86-329-7819.
About Calvary
Calvary, directed by John Michael McDonagh, is a blackly comic drama about a good priest tormented by his community. It is McDonagh's follow-up to 2011's The Guard and again stars Brendan Gleeson (Albert Nobbs, Studs), along with Chris O'Dowd (The Sapphires, Bridesmaids), Aidan Gillen (Mister John, Shadow Dancer), Dylan Moran (Good Vibrations, A Film with Me In It), Domhnall Gleeson (Sensation, Shadow Dancer) and Killian Scott (Good Vibrations, Black Ice). Calvary is an Octagon Films and Reprisal Films production, presented by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) and the BFI in association with LipSync Productions. International sales are being handled by Protagonist Pictures.
It was shot in Sligo and Dublin.
About Frank
Frank, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Adam & Paul, What Richard Did) is a comedy about a wannabe musician who joins a band of eccentric pop stars led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara. It was written by Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare at Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and stars Michael Fassbender (Haywire, Shame), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, Secretary) and Domhnall Gleeson (Sensation, Shadow Dancer). Frank is an Element Pictures and Runaway Fridge production, developed by Film4 and financed by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB), Film4 and the BFI. International sales are being handled by Protagonist Pictures. It was filmed in Wicklow and Dublin.
The Irish at Sundance 2013
In 2013, the IFB-funded documentary The Summit and short film Irish Folk Furniture screened at Sundance, where both picked up prizes - the Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary and the Short Film Jury Award for Animation, respectively. The Summit was also snapped up by the major American distributor Sundance Selects during the 2013 festival and is currently on release in select Irish cinemas.
About the Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival, a program of the Sundance Institute, is one of the largest independent film festivals in the United States and takes place annually in Park City, Utah. The 2014 festival will be held from January 16th to 26th. The festival awards jury and audience awards across drama, documentary and short film. One hundred and nineteen feature-length films, representing 32 countries and 51 first-time filmmakers, and 65 shorts were screened at the 2013 festival. For more information, see www.sundance.org/festival.