Two recent documentary productions from Dublin based Esras Films are set to be screened at International festivals in California and Qatar this month - ‘Fíniúin Inis Meáin’ and ‘The Search for Tristan’s Mum’ respectively.
‘The Search for Tristan’s Mum’ (an Esras production for RTÉ) follows journalist Ann McElhinney to Indonesia to try and find Suryani, the natural mother of Tristan Dowse, an Irish child, illegally adopted and then abandoned in an Indonesian orphanage. This 52-minute film is in competition at the Al-Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival in Doha, Qatar that takes place from 23 – 26 April.
Meanwhile, ‘Fíniúin Inis Meáin’, (an Esras production for TG4) is the story of James Concannon who left the Aran Islands after the Great Famine and who founded first Irish American vineyard. The Concannon legacy still thrives at Concannon’s Vineyard in the Livermore Valley, California today - one of America’s oldest wineries. This half hour documentary, filmed on the Aran Islands, in Mexico and California, has been entered for Best Documentary in the California Independent Film Festival on April 19th.
Speaking about the screenings, Esras Director Neal Boyle said “It’s great that two Irish stories, produced by Esras for TV in Ireland, can have an impact on audiences around the world and are of a standard to compete internationally. I’ve always believed that with a small amount of support, Irish producers can develop and maintain a viable international industry that will open the world’s eyes to other aspects of Ireland and our broader culture.”
www.esras.com
