Declan Recks’ latest feature film ‘Eden’, written by Eugene O’Brien, will receive its US premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, New York (23 April – 4 May). The pic, which will be broadcast on RTÉ One on 17 March, is one of 122 films to screen at the fest, chosen from 2,328 film submissions.
The feature recently received its Irish premiere at the Dublin Film Festival, takes a frank look at the slow disintegration of a marriage during the week before a couple's 10th anniversary.
Produced by David Collins’ Samson Films, ‘Eden’ stars Aidan Kelly (Kitchen, The Clinic), IFTA winning actress Eileen Walsh (Pure Mule, The Magdalene Sisters), Karl Shiels (Prosperity, W.C.), Padraic Delaney (The Tudors, Legend) and Lesley Conroy (The Clinic, The Running Mate).
‘Eden’ will screen in the World Narrative Feature Competition, going head to head with 11 feature films from around the globe for the coveted prizes of Best New Narrative Film, Best New Narrative Filmmaker and Best Actor and Actress prizes.
Films to screen include Delphine Kreuter’s ‘57,000 Kilometers Between Us’ (France), Tomas Alfredson’s ‘Let The Right One In’ (Sweden); Alfonso Pined-Ulloa’s ‘Pain and Vice Versa’ (Mexico), Hüseyin Karabey’s ‘My Marlon and Brando’; Dan Castle’s ‘Newcastle’ (Australia), Antonello Grimaldi’s ‘Quiet Chaos’ (Italy); Shane Meadow’s ‘Somers Town’ (UK) and James Mottern ‘Trucker’ (USA).
Tribeca will open with Michael McCuller’s feature film debut ‘Baby Mama’. The comedy, which features Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Sigourney Weaver (Aliens), tells the story of two women, one apartment and the nine months that will change their lives.
The fest has also revealed its World Documentary Feature Competition line-up, with a dozen films competing for the titles of Best Documentary Film and Best New Documentary Filmmaker.
Films include Ivan O’Mahoney and Laura Winter’s ‘Baghdad High’ (UK), which documents four Badghdad classmate’s last year in high school against a background of sectarian violence; from Australia comes Faramarz K-Rahber’s ‘Donkey in Lahore’, a love story between an Australian puppeteer and a traditional Muslim girl and John Walter’s ‘Theater of War’ from the USA, which documents the life and ideas of Bertolt Brecht, giving a behind-the-scenes look at The Public Theater’s staging of ‘Mother Courage’, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline.
Also up for grabs in both these categories are cash prizes amounting to $100,000, including prizes totaling $50,000 from American Express for the Best New Narrative and Documentary Filmmakers.
The fest's noncompetitive Encounters section was also unveiled, with 11 narrative pics and 10 docs to screen.
Features to screen include Perry Moore and Hunter Hill’s ‘Lake City’ (USA) starring Sissy Spacek; Tracey Hecht’s ‘Life in Flight’, starring Patrick Wilson (Little Children) and Amy Smart (Just Friends) and Aristomenis Tsirbas’ ‘Terra’, starring Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson and Brian Cox.
Documentaries featured in this category include Nathan Rissman’s ‘I Am Because We Are’, (UK), a doco exposing the tragic stories of Malawi children orphaned by AIDS and featuring interviews with Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu; Robert Drew’s ‘A President to Remember’, (USA) featuring behind the scenes footage of John F. Kennedy at work in the Oval Office and Jonah Quickmire Pettigrew’s ‘The Zen of Bobby V’ (USA), following a season in the life of former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
For more info go to www.tribecafilmfestival.org
