The Sundance Institute last night announced the films selected to screen in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival out-of-competition sections Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT and New Frontier.
As part of the selection for ‘Park City at Midnight’ - a programme dedicated to anything from horror flicks to comedies to designed to keep you edge-seated and wide awake - is Irish feature ‘Grabbers’ directed by Jon Wright (Tormented, Fancy Dress) and written by Kevin Lehane (The Fourth Wall, Gonnabes).
‘Grabbers’ follows residents of an idyllic Irish fishing village are attacked by mysterious, blood-sucking sea creatures and stars Richard Coyle (W.E., Five Days of War), Ruth Bradley ( Love/Hate, Primeval), Russell Tovey ( Sherlock, Him and Her) and Bronagh Gallagher (Albert Nobbs, The Field of Bloom).
Producers previously described the film as “a monster comedy of ‘Tremors’ with the charm, characters and authenticity of ‘Waking Ned’.”
The movie was shot on location in Belfast and Donegal in December 2010 and was produced by Forward Films in the UK, Samson Films in Dublin, in association with High Treason Productions, Nvizible and The Salt Company with finance from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ Irish Film Board, the UK Film Council, High Treason, LimeLight and Northern Ireland Screen.
International sales are being handled by The Salt Company whilst Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has acquired UK rights to the project. It is expected that audiences will have an opportunity to see the film in Irish cinemas next year.
Commenting on the selection, producer Tracy Brimm said “Being invited to screen the film in Sundance is an incredible honour and we could not dream of a better platform to launch the film. We have no doubt that this will put Ireland in the spotlight and will certainly shine a light on some great Irish talent with a big future ahead of them especially screenwriter Kevin Lehane and actress Ruth Bradley.”
The film will have its world premiere at the festival. The Sundance Film Festival will take place January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. For more information about the Sundance programme for 2012 you can click here
