05/12/2008

British director Anand Tucker (And When Did You Last See Your Father? [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) will direct romantic comedy Leap Year for Spyglass Entertainment.

The film is written by Harry Elfont and Deb Kaplan and will star Amy Adams as a woman who plans to propose to her boyfriend on February 29, the leap day. According to Irish tradition, a man receiving a proposal on that day must say yes.

The Irish Film Board (IFB) has said that an Irish co-producer is currently in discussions with Spyglass and co-producers Benderspink, to secure filming in Ireland in spring 2009.

Meanwhile, Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Five Minutes Of Heaven starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt and written by BAFTA winner Guy Hibbert, which was shot in Belfast this summer will enjoy its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, 2009.

Co-financed by Northern Ireland Screen, the film is produced by Big Fish Films and BBC NI Drama, with executive producers at Ruby Films. Pathé handling international sales. Pathé are also backing the film along with the IFB and Element Pictures, who is the Irish distributor.

The compete with Nicolas Winding’s Bronson, Josiane Balasko’s A French Gigolo and Lone Scherfig’s An Education in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

In other news, Steve McQueen’s Irish/UK co-production Hunger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Hastings-Smith Rob…
interview: Steve McQueen
film profile] will compete with Laurent Cantet’s The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile], Matteo Garrone’s Gomorra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile], Abdellatif Kechiche’s Secret of the Grain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hafsia Herzi
film profile] and Carlos Reygadas’ Silent Light [+see also:
trailer
film profile] for the Independent Spirit awards’ Best Foreign Film honour.