04/07/2007

Cristiano Bortone’s Red Like the Sky [+see also:
trailer
film profile] will open the 19th Galway Film Fleadh that runs July 10-15. The film, which won the Audience Award at Flanders, is inspired by the life of Italian sound editor Mirco Mencacci, who lost his eyesight in a childhood accident.

David Von Ancken’s Civil War-set psychological western Seraphim Falls, featuring Irish luminaries Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson, will close the festival.

Other notable films in the line-up include Anand Tucker’s And When Did You Last See Your Father? [+see also:
trailer
film profile], starring Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent, Sarah Polley’s Away From Her and Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Galway has long been a showcase for homegrown Irish talent and fresh off its successful Cannes premiere, Leonard Abrahamson’s Garage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ed Guiney
interview: Jean-François Deveau
interview: Lenny Abrahamson
film profile] leads the Irish charge. Legendary filmmaker Nicolas Roeg’s supernatural thriller Puffball [+see also:
trailer
film profile] gets an Irish outing while Tommy Collins’ touching Kings, starring Colm Meaney, will also delight Galway audiences.

Other noteworthy films in the strand are Brendan Grant’s post-Kosovo drama Tonight is Cancelled, Brian Launders’ comic Bitterness and Marian Quinn’s coming-of-age 32A [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Bob Quinn’s acclaimed Poitin gets its 30th anniversary screening at the festival complete with a digitally restored print and a new score by Bill Whelan.

Poland will be the country in focus this year and the festival will screen seminal works of Kieslowski, Polanski, Wajda and Fabicki.

Irish actress Fionulla Flanagan will be the focus of this year’s Irish tribute. In addition, Jeremy Irons will also be honoured. Irish screenwriter Terry George (Hotel Rwanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Don Cheadle
interview: Terry George
film profile], In the Name of the Father) will be honoured in the 2007 Screenwriters tribute while Volker Schlöndorff will be the focus of the Director tribute.

There will also be an informal discussion with Irish Film Board executives about the latest development and production funding initiatives. This event will be introduced by James Morris, Chairman IFB and chaired by Simon Perry CEO, IFB.