Sonya Gildea’s short film ‘Bua’ will feature alongside Declan Reck’s drama ‘Eden’ on the Opening Night of the inaugural Los Angeles Irish Film Festival, running from 2 – 5 October at the Clarity Theatre in LA.
The 35mm short film ’BUA’ (Victory) is a Blindside Production produced by Kirsten Sheridan (August Rush) and written and directed by Sonya Gildea. The short features the young newcomer, Jemma Harris, and Irish veteran actor Mick Lally (Middletown, Glenroe) and explores a moment of darkness between a grandfather and his granddaughter.
’Bua’ picked up Best Short Screenplay Columbine Award at the Moondance International Film Festival and the Best Short Screenplay Bronze Award and the International Screenwriter’s Awards in the US.
An award winning crew is behind the film including DOP: PJ Dillon (Kings) and costume design by IFTA winning Joan Bergin (The Tudors)
‘Eden’, produced by David Collins/Samson Films, has been enjoying huge success after actress Eileen Walsh picked up the Best Actress award at the Tribeca Film Festival and has been picked up by LA based distributors Liberation Entertainment.
Other films to screen at the LA fest include Tom Collins’ IFTA winner ‘Kings’; Cathal Black’s ‘Learning Gravity’, about the poet/undertaker Thomas Lynch, and Irvin Kershner’s ‘The Luck of Ginger Coffey’,starring Robert Shaw (Jaws).
U.S. Premieres of ‘The Pride’ directed by Gerard Hurley and ‘Dick Dickman P.I.’ directed by Barry O’Neill will also take place and the festival screens two films based on the Jewish Irish Experience; ‘Grandpa Speak to Me in Russian’ by Louis Lentin and ‘Shalom Ireland’ by Valerie Lapin Ganley.
Closing the festival is the screening of two silent films ‘The Lad from Old Ireland’ directed by Sidney Olcott and ‘In the Days of St. Patrick’ directed by Norman Whitten. Both silent films will be accompanied by live orchestral instruments.