‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’ - an Irish co-production by Newgrange Pictures, supported by the Irish Film Board and partly filmed in Dublin - has won the Grand Prix jury award at the Montreal Film Festival.
The film stars Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche (‘The English Patient, ‘Chocolat’) as a war photographer who is seriously injured in Afghanistan, and Danish actor Nicolaj Coster-Waldu, best known for playing Jaime Lannister in ‘Game of Thrones’.
Irish cast members include Maria Doyle Kennedy (‘Byzantium’, ‘The Tudors’); U2’s Larry Mullen Jnr and newcomer Lauryn Canny.
Jackie Larkin and Lesley McKimm produced for Newgrange, with the film shooting for five weeks in Dublin last October and November - followed by two weeks in Morocco.
Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Erik Poppe, the film premiered in Montreal on Saturday where it received a standing ovation from the 1,500 audience.
‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’ is a co-production between Newgrange Pictures, Paradox in Norway and Zentropa International Sweden.
Newgrange Pictures also co-produced Swedish thriller ‘Call Girl’, which won the Fipresci award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The production company won five IFTA awards for ‘Kings’, starring Colm Meaney, in 2008 and the IFTA for Best Drama in 2009 for ‘Whistleblower’.
Irish Short ‘Blink’ nominated for Best Short Film
In other Irish Montreal news, Irish short ‘Blink’, which was nominated for Best Short Film, also screened over the weekend.
’Blink’ is directed by Conor Maloney and written, produced & acted in by Gavin O’Connor (‘The Tudors’) and also produced by Tony Callaly for Cashmere Media.
The plot follows one man’s chance encounter with a woman which triggers repressed memories within his subconscious.
Cast members include Gavin O'Connor (‘The Tudors’), Roisin Murphy (‘What Richard Did’) and Luke Griffin (‘Band of Brothers’).