Galway Film Fleadh to screen best in Irish and World Cinema

Galway Film Fleadh (pronounced " FLAH" meaning feast or festival in Irish) has announced the 2010 line-up of films for its 22nd annual Fleadh, which runs July 6-11th, 2010 in Galway, Ireland. The Fleadh is excited to present 100 feature films, 115 shorts films, eight World Premiers and 53 Irish Premieres during the six-day Fleadh.

"We are thrilled to continue our tradition of offering the very best in world cinema and Irish films. The diversity of the Fleadh's offerings is what has continued our growth over the past 22 years and 2010 is our most aggressive program yet. Each year our audience base is expanding beyond the UK and Ireland . People don't just come for the Craic (party in Irish), they come for the brilliant cinema! And as a result we have more and more international audiences attending. We are excited to welcome both new and returning audiences to the Fleadh this year" said Miriam Allen, Galway Film Fleadh's Managing Director.

"What is exciting for the Fleadh is that more and more filmmakers are using the Fleadh as a world launch for their films and as a result we had an amazing number of exceptional submissions this year." stated Felim Mac Dermott, Programmer.

The opening night film on Tuesday, July 6th, marks Award-winning writer Paul Fraser's (writer Somerstown, Dead Man's Shoes) directorial debut with MY BROTHERS based on the script by Will Collins. The story surrounds three young brothers' eccentric quest to replace their dying father's watch. The film stars Timmy Creed, Paul Courtney, T. J . Griffin, Don Wycherley & Kate Ashfield and is produced by Rebecca O'Flanagan & Robert Walpole. What makes this a very special opening for the Fleadh is that native Will Collins's script won the Pitching Award three years ago in Galway.

The Feature Documentary section offers up several world premieres including THE PIPE, Richard Domhnaill's highly-charged and extremely topical documentary, which follows three very different characters as a local community is plunged into turmoil when faced with the prospect of a gas pipeline in their community. Also premiering is COUNTING SHEEP, by Galway-based filmmaker, Dieter Auner is a tender and beautifully observed documentary on Romanian rural life.

The New Irish Cinema section boasts several world premieres including Finola Geraghty's COME ON EILEEN, a dark comedy about a mother and ex-dancer who for a brief moment experiences love only to be drawn back into a world she thought she had overcome. Ian Power's THE RUNAWAY which recounts the story of a west Cork community coming together to help a Cuban pilot return home. The story was inspired by true events that happened outside Mallow, Ireland in 1983 that captured the imagination of the nation. The sexually charged comedy/drama SENSATION, directed by Tom Hall a film wherein a young entrepreneur partners with an ex-call girl and in the process finds more than he had bargained for. WHERE THE SEA USED TO BE, a comedy of relationships concerning two brothers wherein the kept promise of 'a Christmas drink' devolves into more than mere platitudes. THE LOOKING GLASS is a compelling portrait of a young man on the brink of fatherhood that quickly becomes a dark fairytale. A mother must confront her demons with the demons created by her own misconceptions of life in PJ Dillon's scintillating drama REWIND

The Fleadh's Out on Film section, which provides a platform for films focusing on gay-themed stories, will host the world premiere of Maurice Linnanes documentary, STAND UP: MY BEST FRIEND, a series of interviews with young Irish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and their straight friends and family. It highlights how far Ireland has come in terms of sexuality and social inclusion.

Now in its third year, the Fleadh's highly successful Wild Card section will host the world premiere of six extraordinary low-budget Irish films made without assistance from outside funding sources. The goal of the "Wild Card" section is to provide a platform for these filmmakers to present their films to an audience and outlet that might otherwise not be possible, as well as encouraging these filmmakers future endeavors.

The New Irish Shorts, Animated Shorts and Short Documentaries sections are a collection of 115 shorts which have become the launching pad for up-and-coming Irish filmmakers, such as last year's Academy Award nominees Nicky Pheland and Darragh O'Connell for Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty. The entire offering can be found on the Fleadh's website.

The World Cinema section will host co-productions from Australia, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Iran, Ireland, Romania, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the USA including THE DOUBLE HOUR, a mysterious thriller with great twists and the wonderful animated feature THE ILLUSIONIST which explores the relationship between an aged magician and a young girl .

In addition to the Fleadh, Galway offers two sidebar events; the14th Annual Galway Film Fair (July 8th-10th, 2010) which co-ordinates pre-scheduled meetings between filmmakers with projects in development and invited film financiers, distributors and major producers. Galway also offers its extremely popular Master Classes; this year's Screenwriting Master Class, will be hosted by Academy Award Winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood (THE PIANIST, AUSTRALIA). Other honorees and mentors will be named shortly.

The Fleadh comes to a close July 11th with Dren Moverman's THE MESSENGER, written by Alessandro Camon and starring Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker and Woody Harrelson. Immediately following is the Closing Night Awards Ceremony and Gala, with Awards going to Best Feature Documentary, Best First Feature, Best Irish Feature, Best First Animation, Best Animation, Best Short Documentary, Best First Short Drama, Best Short Drama and The Pitching Award. Past Award winners have gone on to gain worldwide acclaim including last year's Best Feature Documentary winner "The Cove", which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

For the full 2010 schedule please visit: http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com

SECTIONS AT A GLANCE

OPENING FILM MY BROTHERS Ireland (Director Paul Fraser)

MIDWEEK GALA TOY STORY III USA (Director Lee Unkrich)

CLOSING NIGHT FILM THE MESSENGER USA (Director Oren Moverman)

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

1916:SEACHTAR NA CASCA Ireland (Director Dathai Keane)

A PRAYER FOR THE

WIND HORSE Ireland (Director John Murray)

BROKEN TAIL Ireland (Directors John Murray & Colin Stafford-Johnson)

BURMA SOLDIER USA (Directors Nic Dunlop,Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern)

COLONY Ireland (Directors Carter Gunn & Ross McDonnell)

COUNTING SHEEP Ireland & Romania (Director Dieter Auner)

DANCE THE RHYTHM Switzerland (Director Gitta Gsell)

EXIT THROUGH THE

SHOP USA & UK (Director Banksy)

GOOD HAIR USA (Director Jeff Stilson)

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE

OF WORK USA(Directors Ricki Stern & Anne Sundberg)

JIMMY MURAKAMI-

NON ALIEN Ireland (Director Se Merry Doyle)

KINGS OF USA,UK,The Netherlands & France

PASTRY (Directors Chris Hegedus & DA Pennebacker)

LAST TRAIN HOME Canada, China, UK (Director Lixin Fain)

LEONARD COHEN: USA (Director Murray Lerner)

Live at the Isle of Wright 1970

MAN OF ARAN Ireland (1934) (Director Robert J. Flaherty) *Double Bill

MEETING ROOM Ireland (Directors James Davis & Brian Gray)

MEN WHO SWIM Sweden & UK (Dylan Williams)

MONICA ANDDAVID USA (Director Alexandra Codina)

NO IMPACT MAN USA (Director Laura Gabbert & Justin Schein)

ONE NIGHT IN TURIN UK (Director James Erskine)

STEAM OF LIFE Finland, Sweden (Directors Joonas Berghall & Mika Hotakainen)

THE PIPE Ireland (Director Risteard O'Domhnaill) WORLD PREMIERE

An T'EIREANNACH FAIN Ireland (Director mac Dara O'Curraidhin)

The Wandering Irishman * Double Bill

WE LIVE IN PUBLIC USA (Director Ondi Timoner)

WILLIAM KUNSTLER: USA (Directors Emily & Sara Kunstler)

DISTURBING UNIVERSE

NEW IRISH CINEMA

ALL GOOD CHILDREN Ireland & UK (Director Alicia Duffy)

BETWEEN THE CANALS Ireland (Director Mark O'Connor)

COME ON EILEEN Ireland (Director Finola Geraghty) WORLD PREMIERE

FIVE DAY SHELTER Ireland (Director Ger Leonard)

JACK TAYLOR Ireland (Director Stuart Orme)

NA CLOIGNE Ireland (Director Robert Quinn)

NOTHING PERSONAL The Netherlands & Ireland (Director Urszula Antoniak)

OUTCAST Ireland & UK (Director Colm McCarthy)

REWIND Ireland (Director PJ Dillon) WORLD PREMIERE

SEASIDE STORIES Ireland (Director Fergus Tighe)

SENSATION Ireland (Director Tom Hall) WORLD PREMIER

SNAP Ireland (Director Carmel Winters)

THE FADING LIGHT Ireland (Director Ivan Kavanagh)

THE LOOKING GLASS Ireland (Director Colin Downey)

THE RUNAWAY Ireland (Director Ian Power) WORLD PREMIERE

WHERE THE SEA Ireland (Director Paul Farren)

USED TO BE

OUT ON FILM

EDDIE & THEA: A VERY LONG USA (Directors Susan muska & Greta Olafsdottir)

ENGAGEMENT *Double Bill

GIVE ME YOUR HAND France, Germany (Director Pascal-Alex Vincent)

STAND UP: MY BEST FRIEND Ireland (Director Maurice Linnane) WORLD PREMIERE

STONEWALL UPRISING USA (Directors Kate Davis & David heilbroner)

THE TOPP TWINS:

UNDERTOW Peru, Colombia,France,Germany (D. JavierFuentes-Leon)

UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS New Zealand (Director Leanne Pooley)

WILD CARDS - All World Premieres

BEYOND THE WALL Ireland (Directors Maryk Byrne & Rob Dennis)

COVIES Ireland (Director Len Collins)

DITCHING Northern Ireland (Director Stephen Hackett & Richard West)

EMPIRE Northern Ireland (Director Michael McNulty)

MICKEY B Northern Ireland (Directors Tom Magill,Simon Wood)

SEER Ireland (Directors Eric Courtney)

WORLD CINEMA

A PROPHET France & Italy (Director Jacques Audiard)

A STEPINTO DARKNESS Turkey (Director Atil Inac)

BLINDSPOT Germay (Director Wolfgang Weigl)

CHAMELEON Hungary (Director Kristina Goda)

DOWN TERRACE UK (Director Ben Wheatley)

El SECRETO DE SUS OJOS

HEADHUNTER Denmark (Director Rumle Hammerich)

HERE AND THERE Serbia, USA & Germany (Director Darko Lunggulov)

I AM LOVE Italy (Director Luca Guadagnino)

LIONS DEN Argentina, South Korea, Brazil (Director Pablo Trapero)

LONDON CINEMA UK, France, Algeria (Director Rachid Bouchareb)

MEDITERRANEAND FOOD Spain (Director Joaquin Oristrell)

NEW YORK I LOVE YOU USA, France

SAMSON AND DELILAH Australia (Director Warwick Thornton)

SUBMARINO Denmark (Director Thomas Vinterberg)

TEHROUN Iran, France (Director Nader T. Homayoun

THE CLOUD PAINTING

MACHINE Spain (Directors Aitor Mazo & Patxo Telleria)

THE DISAPPERANCE OF

ALICE CREED UK (Director J.Blakeson)

THE DOUBLE HOUR Italy (Director Giuseppe Capotondi)

THE ILLUSIONIST UK , France (Director Sylvain Chomet)

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT US (Director Lisa Cholodenko)

THE MAN WHO WILL COME Italy (Director Giorgio Diritti)

THE OTHER IRENE Romania (Director Andrei Gruzsnizki)

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Argentina, Spain (Director Juan Jose Campanella)

THE TWO HORSS OF GENGHIS KAHN Germany (Byambasuren Davaa)

THE UNLOVED UK (Director Samantha Morton)

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS UK (Director Jimmy Murakami)

FOR A LIST OF THE NEW IRISH SHORTS: WAY OUT WEST, NEW IRISH SHORTS:DRAMA PROGRAMME 1; NEW IRISH SHORTS: DOCUMENTARIES AND NEW IRISH SHORTS: ANIMATION Please visit http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com