Lenny Abrahamson

#IrishAbroad: 6th Irish Film Festival London announces An Audience with Lenny Abrahamson

The Irish Film Festival London will present an audience with Festival Patron Lenny Abrahamson, the Academy Award nominated director of Room, Adam & Paul, Garage, What Richard Did, and Frank, at the Regent Street Cinema at 9pm on November 25th.

Born in Dublin in 1966, Abrahamson studied physics and philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and then changed paths to pursue his passion for Film. After a successful few years working on short films and commercials in Ireland and abroad, he completed his first feature film Adam & Paul.

His second feature, Garage, was selected for Director’s Fortnight at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. This was followed by What Richard Did, which screened at Toronto, London BFI and Tribeca. His fourth feature, Frank, starring Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The director’s latest film, Room, was released in 2015 and received more than one hundred awards and nominations, including four Academy Awards nominations for Best Film Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Achievement in directing, with Brie Larson winning the Oscar for Best Actress.

Abrahamson will discuss his career highlights, the challenges he has faced and his inspirations, and will be on hand to answer questions from the audience. Tickets are £15 and are available from www.regentstreetcinema.com

Speaking about the event, Festival Director Kelly O’Connor said:

This will be a great opportunity for film fans to hear first-hand about Lenny’s rise to Oscars success. It will be a special treat, as Lenny is one of those rare filmmakers who has remained true to his roots, despite his global recognition.

In addition to the discussion, Abrahamson will host a workshop with the Film and Screenwriting MA students at the London Film School. Interested parties can contact the LFS directly at: v.fricke@lfs.org.uk

Returning to the capital’s cinemas this November for the 6th year, the Irish Film Festival London (IFFL) will bring an exciting line-up of the very best in contemporary Irish cinema to London audiences. The five-day festival, which counts Abrahamson and Casting Director Ros Hubbard (Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Ultimatum) among its patrons, brings together industry professionals, film fans and fans of Irish Arts & Culture alike. Focusing on Irish productions, scripts and casts, it provides a significant platform for Irish Film in London, and ensures that the best of Irish creative talent is promoted here in the UK. Irish films and filmmakers also have the opportunity to walk away with one of their coveted festival awards. The festival gets support from the Emigrant’s Support Programme, Irish Film Board, the IFI, Film London and Culture Ireland. Irish Film London also runs events throughout the year, including the film section of the St. Patrick’s Day Festival with the GLA, children’s cinema programmes, networking and film industry talks/ workshops.

The Irish Film Festival London runs from 23rd to 27th November 2016. See www.irishfilmlondon.com for more details.