Exciting news for Irish films as an Irish Cinema Review will take place during the 25th edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE.
This will be another edition of the long-lasting Camerimage initiative of bringing to the festival’s participants interesting films from all over Europe that demonstrate the cinematic richness of the Old Continent. The Irish Culture Foundation and the Consulate of Ireland in Poznań are the official partners of the Review’s screenings of five recognized Irish films from the last two years.
As a part of the Review we will screen:
Date for Mad Mary, A
Director: Darren Thornton
Cinematographer: Ole Bratt Birkeland
‘Mad’ Mary McArdle returns to Drogheda after a short spell in prison she’d rather forget. Back home, everything and everyone has changed. Her best friend Charlene is about to get married, and Mary is maid of honour. When Charlene refuses Mary a ‘plus one’ on the grounds that she probably wouldn’t find a date anyway, Mary becomes determined to prove her wrong.
Handsome Devil
Director: John Butler
Cinematographer: Cathal Watters
Ned is a sensitive Irish teenager. He hates high school – a place where everyone is obsessed with rugby and people constantly take him for a gay outsider. Being an optimist, he patiently bears the humiliation. That is, until one day he decides he’s had enough when he finds out that he’ll have to share his boarding school room with a newly admitted student. Conor is a great rugby player and seems to embody everything that is ruining Ned’s life. At first glance, there’s no way the boys will get along. But then a wise English teacher gets involved. A surprisingly serene film about adolescence complemented by a wonderful soundtrack.
Sanctuary
Director: Len Collin
Cinematographer: Russell Gleeson
Larry and Sophie are in love. What could be more natural for them than to want to be alone together? They convince the feckless Tom to book them into a hotel for an afternoon’s tryst and look forward to getting to know each other, like countless couples before them. But Larry and Sophie aren’t just any couple – they both have intellectual disabilities and Tom is their care worker. Both hilarious and heartbreaking, Sanctuary is a truly subversive piece of cinema about two young people trying to be together in a world doing everything to keep them apart.
Sing Street
Director: John Carney
Cinematographer: Yaron Orbach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_YqJ_aimkM
Dublin, 1985. Conor is an average Irish guy. He goes to a private school, loves playing guitar, and even composes a bit. Than he learns that due to his family’s financial problems he needs to change school – to a worse one. Everything changes once he meets the extraordinary Raphine. Under her influence he starts to seriously consider forming a band. Shortly afterwards, he changes his image, chooses a stage name, and becomes increasingly successful. He soon finds out, though, that local fame just isn’t enough for him.
South
Director: Gerard Walsh
Cinematographer: Kevin Treacy
South tells the story of Tom, a young man struggling with the recent death of his father. After finding a note from his estranged mother, he decides to hit the road and try to find her. Throughout this journey Tom also tries to overcome his crippling stage fright as a musician. Somewhere along the way he meets Jess, a free-spirited young woman who captivates his heart and mind.
The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE is the greatest and most recognized festival dedicated to the art of cinematography and its creators – cinematographers. CAMERIMAGE contributes to the growth of cinematographers’ prestige. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, has turned out to be an alternative for traditional film festivals. As all our guests emphasize – CAMERIMAGE is unique. The Festival proves to be a great forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. CAMERIMAGE helps young filmmakers and integrates the community of those already recognized, allowing them to explore new artistic areas.
25th edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE takes place from November 11th to 18th in Bydgoszcz, Poland.