Irish director John Carney’s FLORA AND SON, is a US-Ireland co-production from Dublin-based Treasure Entertainment. BAD SISTERS star Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in the film about a woman inspired by a guitar she finds in a bin for her teenage son. Carney is the filmmaker behind ONCE and SING STREET, both of which garnered critical acclaim upon release.
An animated featuring the vocal talents of Irish actor Gabriel Byrne has proved a ratings hit for the BBC over the holidays, melting the hearts of viewers in the process. THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX and THE HORSE is a hand-drawn traditionally animated film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book. Byrne voices the Horse, while he is joined by stars Idris Elba (the Fox) and Tom Hollander (the Mole) with newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll voicing the Boy.
The director of THE QUIET GIRL, Colm Bairéad, has said he feels ‘honoured’ after being named as one of the ‘British & Irish Film and TV Breakouts of 2022’ by The Hollywood Reporter. The film is one of 15 movies shortlisted in Los Angeles for an Oscar nomination in the best international feature film category earlier this month. The American magazine said the momentum that the film has gathered since release has been ‘extraordinary’.
The first-ever Irish language film to be shortlisted for an Oscar has strong Donegal connections. There are a number of connections between the film and Donegal with producer Cleona Ní Chrualaoi’s mother hailing from the Downings area. Cleona’s uncle Michael Doherty and family own the well-known pub The Singing Pub (Síbín Ceoil) on the Atlantic Drive near Downings. he mother of actor, Carrie Crowley (above) Nodhlaig was a teacher was originally from The Rosses and her father Con (originally from Cork) was a garda, while she also has one sister, Bríd.
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN is now available to stream from home. The film follows the complicated friendship of Pádraic, played by Colin Farrell, and Colm, played by Brendan Gleeson, in 1920s Ireland. The two men were best friends until, suddenly, Colm breaks off contact with Pádraic with the desire to end their friendship. Naturally, Pádraic is initially dumbfounded, thinking it is all a joke. That is, until Colm says each time Pádraic speaks to him, he will cut off one of his own fingers. Pádraic remains skeptical until fingers start getting thrown at his front door following his interactions with Colm.
DERRY GIRLS actress Síobhán McSweeney is recording Christmas messages for fans – and raising money for charity in the process. The Aherla native, who shot to fame for her role as Sister Michael in Derry Girls, has joined Cameo “for a limited time” ahead of Christmas Day. The actress, who is also known for her role in the telly adaption of Graham Norton’s novel HOLDING and for presenting THE GREAT POTTERY THROW DOWN, said she gets “so many requests for video messages” so she decided to join the platform for a limited time and raise money for charity in the process.
A Northern Ireland short film, AN IRISH GOODBYE, has made it one step closer to an Academy Award. Two hundred short films qualified to be considered for the live-action short category and now An Irish Goodbye is one of fifteen that have been selected for a shortlist. The Academy of Motion Pictures will choose between three and five short films to go forward and compete at the Oscars in March.
Cillian Murphy takes centre stage in the new OPPENHEIMER trailer, released Dec 18. The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project mastermind who helped develop the atomic bomb. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, the film also features Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer.