Some of the biggest names in Hollywood are arriving in Derry to attend the eagerly-awaited Foyle Film Festival which opens tomorrow night and runs until Sunday next, 24 November.
Martin Kemp.
Among those attending will Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, BAFTA nominated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and actor Sam Shepard, Academy-winning actor Jeremy Irons.
Former Eastenders star Martin Kemp will also be in the city to present and discuss, The Best Years, written and directed by Derry man Danny Patrick, from Galliagh.
Set in Derry following the Peace Process, the plot centres around a group of gangsters who set out to use the Apprentice Boys march to further their own get-rich-quick scheme.
The five-day festival features a packed programme of gala premieres, screenings and special events.
“An Evening with Danny Boyle and Frank Cottrell Boyce, being held in St Columb’s Hall this Saturday, will see two friends revisit some of their most acclaimed films, and discuss the books, music and films that have inspired them.
The event is being presented by Culture Company and the Nerve Centre, in association with BAFTA.
Pulitzer Prize winning writer and actor Sam Shepard will attend a screening of his classic movie, Paris, Texas in Brunswick Moviebowl on Friday while Academy Award winning actor Jeremy Irons will also present his new environmental documentary feature film, Trashed.
The annual festival, a flagship project of the Nerve Centre, will launch tomorrow night in the Brunswick Moviebowl with the premiere gala screening of Big Bad Wolves, described by Quentin Tarantino as, ‘The best film of the year.”
Other highlights include a special 40th anniversary, never-before-seen in UK cinemas, screening of The Wicker Man.
An exciting new element to the festival will be the screening of the Hitchcock classic Psycho with the original score played live by the Ulster Orchestra.
The role of music in film will be examined in a series of free industry-led workshops. Portmanteau, the UK music agency, which has placed music in box office hits such as, The Fast and The Furious and The Iron Lady together with Ian Neil, music supervisor on Snatch, Kick Ass and 127 Hours, will share their experiences of music placement in films.
Aspiring film-makers will also want to avail of the Directors Masterclass with Lenny Abrahamson, described by the Financial Times as ‘may be the best thing that ever happened to Irish cinema’.
The Foyle Film Festival is one of only a handful of Oscar affiliated festivals, and this year’s Light in Motion (LIM) awards, sponsored by City of Derry Crystal, will offer an exciting programme of documentaries, short films and animations from across the world.
Previous winners include Grant Orchard’s, A Morning Stroll, which went on to receive an Academy Award nomination last year. The 2013 winners will be announced on the closing night at Brunswick Moviebowl.
For programme and booking information visit www.foylefilmfestival.org or call the festival box office on 028 7126 0562.
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