Foyle Film Festival
The theme of the 21st Foyle Film Festival is ‘Cinema Closeup’, and reflects the tone of many of the films in the 2008 programme. All the movies screening in this year’s festival give fascinating glimpses into extraordinary stories – real and fictional. 
While the workshops and presentations take the audience on a unique journey inside the world of filmmaking.
Films such as Terence Davies’ poignant ‘Of Time And The City’ provides insights into the director’s life growing up in Liverpool. While ‘At Home With The Clearys’ is a closeup look at the life and legend of Father Michael Cleary, with the director Alison Millar providing an introduction, and answering questions after the screening. Anti-nuclear campaigner Adi Roche will be attending the screening of the ‘The Children Beyond Chernobyl’ which documents her journey back to this radioactive exclusion zone.
Filmmaker Neasa Ni Chianáin will introduce ‘Fairytale Of Kathmandu’, which follows Irish poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh on one of his annual trips to Nepal. The film provides a personal and unexpected glimpse into the life of this celebrated man. James Marsh’s documentary ‘Man On Wire’ is the extraordinary story of Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. Sandhya Suri’s bitter-sweet film ‘I For India’ is a chronicle of immigration in sixties Britain, as seen through the eyes of one Asian family and their movie camera.
The festival gets off to an epic start with the Northern Ireland Premiere of ‘Brideshead Revisited’ starring Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, Matthew Goode, and Ben Whishaw. While the Closing Night film is the Irish Premiere of Michael Winterbottom’s latest movie ‘Genova’, starring Colin Firth. The programme also includes the Irish, UK, and European Premiere of Deborah Kampmeier’s controversial film ‘Hounddog’ (Dakota Fanning), and the director will introduce this screening.
Foreign Language films to look out for are ‘The Wave’, ‘Three Monkeys’, and ‘Princesses’. While movies such as ‘The Black Balloon’, ‘Hamlet 2’, ‘Man On Wire’, ‘My Winnipeg’, and ‘Religulous’ are not to be missed. Classic films include ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’. The festival programme also includes the first screenings in Northern Ireland of three Irish films: ‘Eden’, ‘Kisses’, and ‘Anton’.
Special presentations and workshops include established screenwriter Deborah Moggach, who recently received a BAFTA nomination for her screenplay for ‘Pride & Prejudice’. The programme also includes a Masterclass with Casting Director Lucy Bevan, who has been involved in some of the most successful movies produced over the last few years – including ‘His Dark Materials:The Golden Compass’, ‘Elizabeth The Golden Age’, and ‘The Libertine’. Visual FX Company Double Negative return to the festival to deliver a presentation on the film ‘Hellyboy II:The Golden Army’. We are also delighted that up and coming young Belfast actor Martin McCann (‘Closing The Ring’, ‘Band Of Brothers 2’), will be delivering an acting masterclass.
Moving Image Arts Showcase :
Sample piece from the Moving Image Arts Showcase.
The Foyle Film Festival also boasts a stand alone education programme which provides curriculum focused screenings and events targeted at all local schools and colleges. There are also outreach events taking place at the Strule Arts Centre, the Alley Arts Centre, and the Letterkenny Arts Centre.
Winners of the Light In Motion (LIM) Film Awards will be announced on Saturday 29 November after the Closing Night Film (‘Genova’). Recipients of the LIM Award qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.
The main venues for the festival are the Omniplex, the Orchard Cinema at the Playhouse, and the Nerve Centre in Londonderry.
The festival programme will be officially launched on Tuesday 21 October @ 6pm-7.30pm in the City Hotel, Queen’s Quay, Derry. All Welcome – come along and help celebrate 21 years of the Foyle Film Festival,
Links:
Foyle Film Festival
