There's something fresh and, dare I say, not traditional about this years Miller Genuine Draft 15th Dublin Film Festival programme. You turn each page and feel surprised every time. My advice? Pick up a copy - It's going to be a classic. Gary Quinn reports.
An hour spent reading the programme of the Miller Genuine Draft Dublin Film Festival programme is a quietly enjoyable experience and leaves you eager to view. The 10 days of April are jam-packed with choice - Important for a city where the option of choice is not often tested. Heavily dominated as our screens are with supposedly 'blockbuster' fare, a chance to experience good stories told well is a rare tale in itself.
That's not to say that this year's festival doesn't offer box office clout. Ewan McGregor steps out to a world premier in Pat Murphy's Nora on opening night. But, attractive as the man is, all eyes will be on Northerner Susan Lynch in the title role. Also grabbing the limelight will be the Oscar contender Boys Don't Cry starring Hillary Swank. Rob Reiner brings another guaranteed full house with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer starring in The Story of Us, a US romantic comedy. Also starring Bruce Willis is the lower budget US fare Breakfast of Champions with Albert Finney, Nick Nolte and Barbara Hershey.
But it is the lesser known titles, like the Croatian feature Madonna by Neven Hitric or the James Marsh docudrama Wisconsin Death Trip which will convince this writer to queue for tickets. Mike Figgis brings Miss Julie to the Dublin screen with an adaptation of the Strindberg play of the same name. Set in 1890's Sweden it stars Saffron Burrows and Maria Doyle Kennedy. Staying in Scandanavia, this time Denmark, sees director Nicholas Winding Refn follow his debut feature Pushers with another tense drama, Bleeders. Again set in Copenhagen it charts a disintegrating relationship between the pregnant Lousie and the angry Leo.
With a specific strand related to Israeli film, Programme Director Paul Taylor poses the question, 'A New Wave?' He certainly thinks so. Confident that they represent some of the best films he has seen this year, Yanas Friends by Arak Kaplun and Kadosh directed by Amos Gitai are joined by Circus Palestina by Eyal Halfon and Jonathon Sagall's Urban Feel. Undoubtedly a popular section they are sure to cause a sensation when they screen here.
Apart from Nora, other Irish interest includes the eagerly awaited Vinnie Murphy debut feature Accelerator. Starring Stuart Sinclair Blyth, Gavin Kelty and Aisling O'Neill it follows a group of 'joy-riders' racing from Belfast to Dublin. A road movie in the true sense of the phrase, start queuing now, it's a clear favourite. Also charting more traditional Irish themes is The Divine Ryans, starring Pete Postlethwaite and directed by Stephan Reynolds. A black comedy set in 1960's Newfoundland it centres on a family, a trauma scarred young boy, a sadistic priest and an authoritarian nun. "A sort of Catholic Adams family without a laughter track." explains Paul Taylors footnote to the film. Also showing is Myles Connell's new feature The Opportunists. Developed at the Sundance Filmmakers Lab in 1995 it details a New York crime story with a heart and stars Christopher Walken playing against his traditional hard line image.
Roman Polanski makes a welcome return with his latest release, the Johnny Depp and Frank Langella starring, The Ninth Gate. A horror which casts glances towards Polanski's 1970's classic Rosemary's Baby, it centres around the search for a lost 17th Century text and is based on a cult Spanish novel, Fantastique.
Paul Taylor has chosen a personal favourite for a retrospective this year. The work of Hollywood director Ron Shelton will be showcased with a personal appearance by the director himself to introduce his new film Play It To the Bone which opens the series. Starring Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson and the director's wife Lolita Davidovich it continues a sporting trend in Ron Sheltons work already seen in Bull Durham, Tin Cup and White Men Can't Jump.
Introducing a mini-retrospective of the work of Marlene Dietrich Paul Taylor explains "There's no rationale - and no real introduction - required for this." Tying in with the current exhibition of Dietrichs work at the Gallery of Photography it includes Blau Engel's 1930's The Blue Angel, and Rancho Notorious alongside Orson Welle's Touch of Evil from 1958.
The Shorts programme is extensive, including an International section, New Irish Shorts Programme and the Shortcuts series. Animation finds itself a new showcase at the Dublin festival this year with the winners of the British Animation Awards 2000. This innovative programme is sponsored by the Dublin animation studio Brown Bag Films and includes all the winners and finalists of the award. The Dublin festival will also be an opportunity to launch an online database for a new Dublin festival, The Irish Animation Festival which will be held this November in the IFC.
Lets cut to the chase. So who's really going? Well alongside director Ron Shelton you are likely to bump into Vinnie Murphy and Michael Garland (Accelerator) Pat Murphy, Susan Lynch and Brenda Maddox (Nora) Mike Figgis (Miss Julie) Jonathon Sagall (Urban Feel) Vladimir Friedman (Yanas Friends and Circus Palestina) and Nathalie Baye (Une Liasion Pornographique) among others. Michael Dwyer will be hosting a series of celebrity interviews and featured directors will hold masterclasses and workshops. With a planned digital focus also en route the pace is quickening. Its only two weeks away. See you there!
Running form the 6-16th April, the venues for this year's festival remain the same. Branching out from the UGC on Parnell St. (formerly the Virgin) it takes in the IFC and all three UCI cinemas. Booking is available from the box office, which opens to the general public from 23rd March. - details below.
The Miller Genuine Draft Dublin Film Festival webpage will go live soon at: www.iol.ie/dff
The box office can be contacted at: 01-671 98 00
