Every October since 1990 the Brittany town of Dinard, known to many as the Cannes of the north, holds an annual film festival dedicated to the best in British cinema. Last year they featured a number of films from Ireland too, and they continue that new tradition with screenings of Niall Heery’s Gold and Stephen Fingleton’s The Survivalist. These are among the first films announced, with more to come soon.
Gold follows Ray, a man on a mission, after being out of their lives for 12 years, to re-connect with his ex-girlfriend and teenage daughter who live with his former controlling and regimented P.E. teacher. Unfortunately his efforts to bridge the gap with his daughter seem to lead to chaos turning any good intentions he may have into comic catastrophe.
Gold ,which Heery co-wrote with his brother Brendan, stars Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, David Wilmot (Calvary), Kerry Condon (The Runway) and James Nesbitt (The Hobbit). It also boasts a strong supporting cast including Steven Mackintosh (Kick Ass 2), Martin Maloney (The Hardy Bucks), Irish comedian David McSavage (The Savage Eye) and Missy Keating, daughter of Ronan Keating. It was produced by Tristan Orpen Lynch and Aoife O’Sullivan for Irish production company Subotica (Jimi: All is By my Side) in association with Gloucester Place Films with funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board and the BAI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CtPlgu3xo
The Survivalist is a dystopian thriller set in a time of starvation, where a lone man lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest, protecting his crop from intruders with his shotgun and improvised traps. But the long years alone have taken their toll on him, and he is beginning to lose his grip on reality.
The Survivalist stars Irish actors Martin McCann (’71), Andrew Simpson (Good Vibrations), and Olwen Fouere (This Must be the Place), as well as Mia Goth (Nymphomaniac). Derry native Fingleton was shortlisted for Oscar with his most recent short film SLR, and developed the script through Northern Ireland Screen’s New Talent Focus scheme. Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones and David Gilbery produced and financed the film through The Fyzz Facility, with support from NI Screen and the BFI.
Acting as a showcase for an eclectic, vibrant, modern British [and Irish] film industry, the Dinard British Film Festival will feature about thirty competition as well as out-of-competition films and preview screenings. Moreover, the programme – a mixture of comedies, thrillers, romantic films and dramas – will be complemented with tributes attended by personalities, masterclasses, film workshops, live movie concerts, animated films and other events aimed at all types of audience.
The 26th Dinard British Film Festival will run from September 30th to October 4th. Official Website