Four Irish feature films have been selected to screen at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, taking place in New York from 18 - 29 April. The Irish films selected are Terry George's 'Whole Lotta Sole', Macdara Vallely’s ‘Babygirl’, Ian Fitzgibbon’s ‘Death of a Superhero’ and Safinez Bousbia’s documentary ‘El Gusto’.
Terry George's 'Whole Lotta Sole' received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It was written by Thomas Gallagher and Terry George and directed by Terry George. The film stars Brendan Fraser, local actor Martin McCann, Colm Meaney, Yaya Dacosta and David O'Hara.
Also receiving its world premiere at the festival, ‘Babygirl’ is the second feature film from ‘Peacefire’ writer/director Macdara Vallely. It tells the story of Bronx teenager Lena has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on Lena, she sets up a trap to expose Victor for the creep he is… but the plan backfires. Macdara Vallely crafts a heartfelt drama about the emotional highs and lows in the moment between childhood and adulthood. Produced by David Collins, Paul Miller and Gigi Dement for Samson Films and Escape Pictures, Babygirl was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Werner Films.
‘Death of a Superhero’, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and written by Anthony McCarten will receive it’s US premiere in Tribeca. Starring Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), Michael McElhatton and Thomas Brodie Sangster (Love Actually) the drama has screened previously at the Toronto and Dublin Film Festivals. ‘Death of a Superhero’ is a co-production between Irish production company Grand Pictures and Germany’s Bavaria Pictures and was produced by Michael Garland, Astrid Kahmke and Philipp Kreuzer.
Finally, documentary ‘El Gusto’ is an Algerian/Irish/UAE co-production directed and written by Safinez Bousbia. The film receives its North American bow at Tribeca. ‘El Gusto’ enters the world European and Arabic traditions, where chaabi music was the heart and soul of cosmopolitan Algiers in the 1940s, but the war of independence with France tore apart the peaceful Muslim and Jewish communities that came together to play this unique music. A group of over-the-hill but still fiery musicians reunites after five decades apart in this spirited, gorgeously shot documentary about music’s power to transcend cultural boundaries. The feature documentary is produced by Bousbia and Heidi Egger for Dublin based Quidam Productions, the film was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, ENTV, ONDA and CCF.
