Indie and Irish at Tribeca Film Festival
IFQ’s Briege McGarrity with Noel Kilkenny, the Irish Consul General of New York
Irish Film New York (IFNY) and the Irish Film Board in association with the Irish Consulate in New York hosted a wonderful reception to celebrate five great Irish films selected to screen as part of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Noel Kilkenny, the Irish Consul General of New York and his charming wife Hanora welcomed guests at the door of their stunning Midtown residence with panoramic views of Manhattan and the East River.
All successful party components were in place and relaxed networking and mingling was in full swing by 7pm. The well-attended event was a mix of filmmakers and Irish film industry executives led by Niall McKay (IFNY’s Executive Director); Teresa McGrane deputy CEO of the Irish Film Board) and Geoff Gilmore (Chief Creative Office for Tribeca). Terence Mulligan director of The Craic Fest was giving tips to filmmakers while PR Director Amy Mulcair did a great job of connecting film industry/press with filmmakers and indie film fans.
In a press release McKay commented, “This is an exciting time for Irish film. We are seeing a new generation of commercially minded Irish directors developing films that will do very well in the US. ”
Guests were treated to a full bar and whiskey infused Irish cheddar, marinated steak, delicious mini shepherd’s pies, sliders and fries, coconut shrimp and addictive Irish cocktail sausages! The breathtaking views of the city were a good ice breaker indeed the angle your writer used when chatting to an enigmatic young photog with a killer smile and a keen eye for action shots!
Impressively, the Irish screenings were packed at this year’s Tribeca and Irish filmmakers seemed to have a valuable festival experience. John Lalor, a native of Dublin and writer/director of the well-received avant-garde short, Incident Urbain, commented, “Tribeca was a fantastic experience, regarding the organization, management and being taken care of i.e. the filmmakers lounge, meetings, access to all the parties, press lunches, the very practical things which can help the less wealthy filmmakers feel comfortable and busy, in a foreign environment.” Lalor continued, “I had the feeling, that the Tribeca film festival creates the stakes by trying to place your film in a context and then work hard at bringing people into the cinema.”
Good luck to all the filmmakers on their festival journey. Until next year! Slán go fóill.
Below are descriptions of the Irish films, two features and three shorts that made the cut.
The Bachelor Weekend takes some unexpected detours in this hilarious and heartfelt Irish comedy, about a foppish groom-to-be who reluctantly agrees to go on a camping trip before his nuptials. But when his fiancé’s alpha-male brother, nicknamed ‘The Machine’, unexpectedly turns up, all concepts of masculinity are challenged – and a leisurely weekend in the great outdoors takes a turn for the worst. It is written by John Butler and Peter McDonald, directed by John Butler and the cast include Andrew Scott, Hugh O’Conor, Peter McDonald, Brian Gleeson, Michael Legge, Andrew Bennet and Amy Huberman.
The Canal tells the ghostly story of David, his wife and son who are perfectly happy – or so he believes. When he discovers their home was the scene of a turn-of-the-century murder, he dismisses it as ancient history. That is, until the sinister past ripples into the present and cast a shadow over life as he knows it. And when a looming secret threatens his marriage David can’t help but suspect the dark spirits of the house are somehow involved. In his drive to unveil the spirits David descends into insanity, threatening the lives of those around him. Written and directed by Ivan Kavanagh, the cast includes Rupert Evans, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Hannah Hoekstra, Steve Oram and Kelly Byrne.
Scratch follows Eoin who works the night shift in a quiet gas station and his main source of distraction, night after night, is regular customer, Ger, who believes he has a system for picking the winning lottery card. Directed and written by Philip Kelly and co-written by Liam Ryan. Cast members include, Conor Drumm, Stephen Jone, Sam Keely, Ian Lloyd Anderson and Cara Christie.
In Ruby (Rubai in Irish), the class prepares for First Communion but eight-year-old Ruby flatly refuses to be part of it. She’s an ‘atheist’ and proud of it, but faces emotional blackmail, religious and philosophical debate, and overt intolerance in today’s supposedly diverse and modern Ireland. Directed by Louise Ni Fhiannachta and written by Antoin Beag O’Colla. The cast includes Doireann Ni Fhoighil, Bridin Nic Dhonncha, Dara Devaney and Donncha Crowley.
Incident Urbain follows two enigmatic characters, with code names Costello and the Colonel, seemingly bound by some mysterious revolutionary past. On a Parisian esplanade they engage in an intense conversation concerning cinema, revolutionary politics and the architecture surrounding them, with possible catastrophic consequences. Written and directed by John Lalor and starring Jean-Francois Stevenin and Andre S. Labarthe.
Descriptions are borrowed from Tribeca official program.