Neasa Ni Chianain’s controversial documentary ‘Fairytale of Kathmandu’ is set to screen in the Document category of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which takes place from 18th-29th June 2008.
‘Fairytale of Kathmandu’, produced by David Rane, deals with Irish language poet Cathal O’Searcaigh’s annual trips to Nepal and his relationships there with many young men whom he has been financially supporting over the last ten years. The film already screened at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2007 and to sold-out audiences at the Dublin Film Festival 2008.
The doco is part of a line-up of 22 documentaries from 11 different countries that include Chris Waitt’s ‘A Complete History of My Sexual Failures’, James Marsh’s ‘Man on Wire’, which won the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award and Peter Geyer’s ‘Jesus Christ Savior’ (Jesus Christus Erloser).
The film will compete for the Best Documentary Feature prize, which recognizes a singular and compelling achievement in non-fiction filmmaking.
Edinburgh is the tenth international festival selection for Ni Chianain’s film. As well as screening at IDFA and Dublin, the documentary has already traveled to Docs Thessaloniki, DocAviv and the 23rd Turin GLBT Festival, and in May, June and July will screen in Documenta Madrid, Seattle International Film Festival – for its North American premiere, San Francisco GLBT Festival, NewFest in New York and the Durban International Film Festival.
The film has also been selected as one of three Irish films for the INPUT conference in Johannesburg, which kicks off next weekend.
