Film fans have flocked to the coast of Kerry this weekend for the Dingle Film Festival which kicked off on last night with a screening of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ by Dublin born author John Boyne.
Highlights from the festival, which runs until 14 September, will include Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) receiving the inaugural Gregory Peck Excellence in the Art of Film Award and Garrett Brown, inventor of the Steadicam (and steadicam operator on 'Rocky' and 'The Shining') will give a talk on ‘The Moving Camera’.
Maurice Galway, CEO and Artistic director of the festival explains, “People ask me what is the difference with this festival compared to all the other festivals in Ireland. The difference is there is no destination like it from a film point of view and a tourist point of view, you're inviting people to Dingle, there’s no place like it in the world.”
Other events and guests at this years festival will include Oscar winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple (American Dream; producer Anthony Wall (No Direction Home, Arena) and producer Ned Dowd (Apocalypto).
Gregory Peck’s director daughter Cecilia will see her documentary ‘Shut Up and Sing’ screen as well as closing the festival with a screening of her film ‘A Conversation with Gregory Peck’– an intimate portrait of the man talking about his career and life.
