The Cannes Film Festival & Market have become a major date in the Irish film production diary in recent years.
Over 27 projects are in attendance at this year’s festival in search of worldwide distribution representation and sales at the Cannes Marketplace, while IFB funded projects ‘Black 47’ by Lance Daly and David Gleeson’s thriller ‘Don’t Go’ are set to feature in the film festival itself after earning coveted screenings.
Screenings
‘Black 47’, a revenge western set during the Great Irish Famine, stars Hugo Weaving (‘Hacksaw Ridge’, ‘The Matrix’), Jim Broadbent, (Oscar® winner for ‘Iris’), and the prolific Irish screen and stage actor Stephen Rea (‘The Crying Game’, ‘Michael Collins’). The film follows a hardened Irish ranger who returns home from fighting for the British Army abroad, only to find his family has perished at the hands of the brutal British rule in Ireland. With little else to live for, he sets off on a destructive path to avenge his family.
‘Don’t Go’ tells the story of a bereft dad who begins to believe he can resurrect his daughter who has recently passed following a recurring dream. The film stars Stephen Dorff (‘Blade’, ‘Imortals’), Melissa George (‘Hme & Away’, ‘Hunted’), Simon Delaney (‘This Must Be The Place’, Delivery Man’), and Aoibhinn McGinnity (‘Quarry, ‘Love/Hate’).
The Pavilion
Irish industry members attending Cannes are encouraged to register with the IFB’s ‘Irish Pavilion’, which supplies a central hub for Irish productions screening or selling at the festival as well as providing business, information or social elements to festival and market attendees. The Pavilion will be located at No. 131 in the International Village.
Selling at the Market
IFB funded projects that will be selling at Cannes and will feature at The Pavilion this year include: Sophie Hyde’s ‘Animals’, Hugh O’Connor’s ‘Metal Heart’, John Butlers’ ‘Papi Chulo’, Lee Cronin’s ‘The Hole in the Ground’, Alexandra McGuiness’ ‘Highway’, and Andy Quirke’s comedy ‘Damo & Ivor’.
Another film that is currently still in production but will be selling under the IFB slate at this year’s festival is Fastnet Films’ Vivarium’, which is directed by Lorcan Finnegan and produced by Garet Shanley. A full list of projects selling at Cannes can be found below.
‘Women and Film, Ireland’
The Film Board are also set to host a ‘Women & Hollywood’ event on May 14th, which is set to focus on the next steps needed to help the film industry in its fight for inclusion and equality. The event will be hosted by IFB Chairwomen, Annie Doona, and feature panellist Annabelle Sheehan (New Zealand Film Commission), Iris Zappe-Heller (Austrian Film Institute), and Lizzie Francke (BFI).
Speaking about this year’s Pavilion & festival plans, the IFB said:
“At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the IFB is also celebrating the female film-makers who play a vital role in making Irish film what it is today. Among the artwork decorating the pavilion is a special feature wall, entitled ‘Women and Film, Ireland’, which captures and illustrates just some of the incredible talent — both in front of and behind the camera — working in Ireland today.
Focusing our gaze on Academy Award-nominated acting talents and costume designers, as well as critically acclaimed cinematographers and producers, ‘Women and Film, Ireland’ offers a representation of the breadth of Irish female film-making talent. It is also homage to, and a celebration of, the distinct and visionary female voices which we are proud to call our own. It is a celebration of visibility, diversity and empowerment.”
Full list of projects selling at Cannes:
(Project – Production Company – Sales Agent)
A Cambodian Spring – Little Ease Films / Zanzibar Films - Little Ease Films
A Girl From Mogadishu – Pembridge - The Exchange
A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot - Blinder Films - CAT&Docs
Animals - Vico Films - Cornerstone Films - Cornerstone Films
Birthmarked - Parallel Film Productions - Aqute Media
Cellar Door - Samson Films - XYZ Films
Damo & Ivor: The Movie - Parallel Films / Blue Ink Films - Carnaby International
Dark Lies the Island - Grand Pictures - Independent Film Sales
Dirty God - Savage Productions - Independent Film
(Project – Production Company – Sales Agent)
Float Like A Butterfly - Samson Films - WestEnd Films
Highway - Ripple World Pictures - Carnaby International
I, Dolours - New Decade TV - Kew Media
JUSTICE DOT NET - Ripple World Pictures - Iris Group
Limbo - Blank Page - Kew Media
Losing Alaska - Company Marcie Films - Marcie Films
Metal Heart - Treasure Entertainment - Bankside Films, XYZ
Muse - Fantastic Films - Filmax International
Never Grow Old - Ripple World Pictures - Metro International Entertainment
(Project – Production Company – Sales Agent)
One Million American Dreams - Fine Point Films - Kew Media
Papi Chulo - Treasure Entertainment - Bankside Films
Sonja: The White Swan – Subotica – TrustNordisk
The Cured - Tilted Pictures - Bac Films Distribution
The Drummer & The Keeper - Calico Pictures - Film Sales Co
The Hole In The Ground - Savage Productions - Bankside Films
The Life After - Marcie Films, Century Films - Century Films, Marcie Films
The Little Stranger - Element Pictures - Pathé International
Igloo Productions - Igloo Productions - Content Media Corporation International
The 2018 Cannes Film Festival runs from May 8th – May 19th, while the Film Market ends two days earlier on May 17th.