After months of careful viewing and selecting the organizers of the Murphy's Cork Film Festival today announced details of the festival programme. This year's festival, the 46th, runs from Sunday October 7th to Sunday October 14th and its main venues are Cork Opera House, Kino Arthouse Cinema, Triskel Arts Centre and for the first time, an outreach programme into Cork county, though the use of the Cinemobile.
Festival Director, Mick Hannigan said at the launch of the Dublin launch of the Festival that he was particularly excited that the festival would be opening with 'Disco Pigs'. 'It is a very powerful film with so many Cork connections', he said. 'The original play was produced by Corcadorca here in Cork, it is set here and of course features Cillian Murphy as one of the leads.' 'Disco Pigs is the perfect start to what we expect will be a great festival.' he continued. ' We have a wonderful line up of films, both features and documentaries, as well as our usual blend of the best in shorts, animation and digital work - itıs a very packed programme.'
Speaking at the launch, Kevin Cullinane, Brand Manager, Murphy's, commented on the growing stature and scope of the festival. 'Just like its host city Cork, the Festival is open to all that is new and exciting, allowing us to experience, through the art of film, a world of diverse cultures, societies and traditions. Whether a producer, director, actor, film buff, or an occasional cinemagoer, this is a week full of promise, and no doubt, pints of the 'reel' classic, Murphyıs.'
Across the city venues there will be many special events happening in addition to the film screenings, with exhibitions, book launches and seminars. The 'Ireland into Film' series will also be launched at the Festival. This, the first project in a number of planned collaborations between Cork University Press and the Film Institute of Ireland, is aimed at increasing the critical understanding of Irish Film.
The festival's Digital Intelligence programme, showcasing the best in new media works, makes a welcome return and there is also a special focus on award-winning English filmmaker John Smith, whose film 'Blight' won the award for Best European Short Film at Cork in 1997.
The Closing Gala film is 'Dark Blue World', a romantic wartime drama by Jan Sverak, and is his follow up to the much loved 'Kolya'. In addition to directing, Sverák plays the entire crew of a damaged B-25 bomber (in flight) thanks to computer added effects - he's the pilot, navigator and the gunners at the same time. This year Cork will also present a midweek Gala screening of 'The Deep End', starring Tilda Swinton and ER's Goran Visnjic. Other feature highlights include Nicole Kidman in 'The Others', 'Ghost World', 'Hedwig And The Angry Inch', 'No Man's Land', and new features from directors such as Sean Penn, Jan Svankmajer, and Werner Herzog.
Irish Film is well represented at the Cork festival, not only with 'Disco Pigs' (directed by Kirsten Sheridan, a two time winner in Cork), but by new editions of the Irish Film Boardıs Short Cuts, Oscailt and Irish Flash schemes for young filmmakers. The very popular 'Made In Cork' programme continues this year and features the 'Love's Elusives' the new feature from prolific Cork filmmaker Cathal Condon. Other Irish premieres include 'Road 2' and 'The Last Days of Dublin'.
Cork will this year give audiences a chance to view the best in contemporary South African Film. During the years of apartheid distributors boycotted South African film but the immense changes that have been made there enables Cork to now showcase some of the best of post-apartheid productions in this programme by Trevor Steele Taylor of Cape Town Film Festival. Emphasis is placed on exciting new talent and on the emergence of black filmmakers now taking their place in an industry they were previously excluded from.
The festival will also feature the work of Australian animator Adam Elliot who has become one of Australia's most recognised filmmakers. His trilogy of "Uncle", "Cousin" and "Brother' are among the country's most successful animated shorts having garnered over fifty awards, including an award for Best international Short in Cork last year. Animation from a very different sphere will also be featured as part of a major exposition of Estonian animated works which features some of the world's foremost animators.
Booking for the 46th Murphyıs Cork Film Festival opens on Wednesday 26th September, details on the programme are available on the festivalıs website www.corkfilmfest.org or email info@corkfilmfest.org.
