Irish Abroad: Room to compete at Los Cabos International Film Festival

Los Cabos International Film Festival has announced the films chosen for its fourth edition’s Official Selection, which is composed of Competencia Los Cabos (open to films from Mexico, USA, and Canada) and México Primero sections. Irish/Canadian co-production Room, from director Lenny Abrahamson, will compete in Competencia Los Cabos against 8 other productions and co-productions from North America, including Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar, Sundance favourite Tangerine and Sundance prize-winner James White.

Room sees writer Emma O’Donoghue adapt her own best-selling novel, which is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. To him the room is his world, but his mother knows different having been held there for 7 years. The film stars Brie Larson (Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now), Jacob Tremblay (The Smurfs 2, Somnia), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy, Nixon) and William H. Macy (Shameless, Magnolia). The film also features Sean Bridgers (Rectify), Tom McCamus (The Samaritan) and Megan Park (What If).

Room is an Element Pictures and No Trace Camping production, in association with Telefilm Canada, Film4, and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. It will be released in Irish cinemas on January 15th.

The festival will close with a gala screening of the Michael Fassbender starring Steve Jobs. The festival draws attendees and filmmakers from across Mexico, the United States and around the world. 2014 festival honourees and special guests included Reese Witherspoon, Rosario Dawson, Diego Luna, and Atom Egoyan. Held in Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos International Film Festival runs from November 11th to 15th.