Irish film will be well represented at Sundance 2014 with Irish director John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary, his second film after the hugely 2011 feature The Guard. This is in addition to the premiere that Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank will get at the prestigious film festival.
Cavalry sees McDonagh team up again with his The Guard star Brendan Gleeson as a man of the cloth who has fallen out of favour with his flock. The film also features a host of great Irish talent with Chris O’Dowd, Aidan Gillen, Brendan’s son Domhnall Gleeson, Dylan Moran, David Wilmot and Pat Shortt joining international names such as Kelly Reilly, Marie Josée Crozé, and Isaach De Bankolé.
The film is a blackly comedic drama about a priest tormented by his community. Father James is a good man intent on making the world a better place. When his life is threatened one day during confession, he finds he has to battle the dark forces closing in around him.
Commenting on the selection James Hickey, Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board said: [quote]Irish film has performed very well at Sundance over the last number of years. Films such as The Guard, Once, His & Hers, and The Summit have all been discovered at the festival and have gone on from there to be distributed internationally. Both Frank and Calvary showcase the excellent work happening right now in the Irish industry and they include a world-class line-up of Irish stars including Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson. Chris O’Dowd, Domhnall Gleeson, Aidan Gillen & Killian Scott. It is a very positive start to 2014 for the industry and a great representation for Ireland internationally.[/quote]
Cavalry is out in Ireland on April 11th.