The 24th Foyle Film Festival will mark the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and other significant events which had a global political impact. The theme of this years festival is, ‘On Film-Events That Shook The World’ . Some of the events that will also be in the festival spotlight include the Holocaust, the Civil Rights Movement (both domestic and international), Bloody Sunday, the Omagh bombing, the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the Rwandan genocide.
The festival which runs from Wednesday the 23rd to Sunday the 27th of November opens with the Irish premiere of ‘The Artist’, a black and white movie which pays homage to the romantic age of silent film in the 1920s. Lead actor Jean Dujardin who received the Best Actor Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for his performance, has also been tipped for the Oscars in 2012.
Guests at this year’s festival include writer and director Terry George (In The Name Of The Father, Hotel Rwanda), and Emmy winning Irish actor Brendan Gleeson (The Guard, In Bruges). Both men have films competing in this years Light In Motion (LIM) award for best short film on the Sunday of the festival. Terry George is competing with film ‘The Shore’ which he directs; and Brendan Gleeson stars alongside his sons Brian Gleeson in ‘Noreen’, a film written and directed by Domhnall Gleeson. It is also hoped that both George and Gleeson will be able to introduce and conduct a Q&A session for their respective movies. ‘Hotel Rwanda’ is due to be screened on Saturday 26th and ‘The Guard’ on Sunday 27th.
Attendees of the festival can also expect an eclectic animation and documentaries, as well as workshops and industry events. There will be a kid’s film club provided throughout the weekend offering screenings and workshops for all the family.
Closing the festival will be Steve McQueen’s latest film, ‘Shame’ which is collaboration with actor Irish actor Michael Fassbender (Jane Eyre, X-men; First Class). Fassbender plays a young man, Brandon, who lives in New York and struggles with sexual addiction.
For more information on events taking place during the festival you can find out more at www.foylefilmfestival.org
