An acclaimed Oscar-nominated director and a diverse selection of Irish screenwriters will put filmmaking firmly in focus at two of the standout industry events at the John Ford Ireland Film Symposium this Saturday (June 9).
British director Stephen Frears (The Queen) and writers Pat McCabe (Breakfast on Pluto), Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack), Eoghan Harris (Sharpe) and Ian Power (The Runway) will all discuss their craft and the ongoing influence of John Ford across cinema today in an event run in association with Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ Irish Film Board.
Frears will take part in a public interview with respected RTÉ Guide journalist Michael Doherty, which will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to hear Frears discuss his work and offer insights on filmmaking. The event will take place in the Project Arts Centre at 12:00noon on Saturday.
Frears’ public interview will be followed by a panel discussion with a diverse group of Irish screenwriters in Dublin’s IFI at 2pm.
Pat McCabe, Colin Bateman, Eoghan Harris and Ian Power will meet to discuss the legacy of John Ford, and how filmmakers and writers can still learn lessons from this master filmmaker.
Limited tickets are still available from the John Ford Ireland website.
Stephen Frears is a familiar and well-respected figure among all filmmakers thanks to a rich and varied career (High Fidelity, The Queen, The Snapper and Dangerous Liaisons) that has found him criss-crossing genres and media with effortless style and winning results.
He has received Oscar nominations for films as diverse as neo-noir ‘The Grifters’ and biopic ‘The Queen’, and won plaudits for television dramas such as the politically-charged ‘The Deal’ and live teleplay ‘Fail Safe’ starring George Clooney.
Frears has also made a number of contributions to Irish cinema, including classics ‘The Snapper’ and ‘The Van,’ and he helped launch the career of Daniel Day Lewis with ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’.
On the occasion of the John Ford Ireland Film Symposium, Frears will also discuss his entry to the Western canon, ‘The Hi-Lo Country’.
McCabe’s novels ‘The Butcher Boy’ and ‘Breakfast on Pluto’ have both been adapted into equally lauded films, while Colin Bateman is the best-selling author who has adapted a number of his darkly humorous crime stories for the screen, including ‘Murphy’s Law’ and ‘Divorcing Jack’.
Ian Power wrote and directed the heart-warming Irish film ‘The Runway,’ which, like ‘The Quiet Man,’ featured a small Irish town rocked by an exotic visitor.
Writer, columnist and politician Eoghan Harris penned the acclaimed, award-winning TV series ‘Sharpe’ for ITV. He also lectures in screenwriting at the National Film School.
Through the use of specially selected clips from a host of Ford’s classics these writers will discuss the director’s films and lasting influence in a panel discussion at the IFI at 2pm facilitated by Seán Rocks, presenter of Arena on RTÉ Radio 1. Audience members will also be afforded an opportunity to pose questions to the panel.
Limited tickets for both events as well as all the events and details for the John Ford Ireland Film Symposium are still available through the John Ford Ireland website.
