Irish Abroad: Capri-Hollywood Film Festival to honour Irish director Jim Sheridan

The 20th edition of the Capri-Hollywood film festival is set to honour Irish director Jim Sheridan by bestowing the 2015 Legend Award upon the six-time Academy Award nominee.

The Wicklow born director, who is best known for My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer, and In America, will attend the festival to receive the award on December 30th. He is also set to take part in one of the festival’s symposia, titled “The influence of the Internet in the future of motion pictures while Netflix is rocking the boat of old production and distribution rules.”

Sheridan’s next feature is The Secret Scripture, an adaptation of Sebastian Barry’s 2008 Man Booker Prize nominated novel of the same name. The film is the story of a one-hundred-year-old woman, Roseanne McNulty, who now residing in Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital decides to write her autobiography. Irish actors Jack Reynor and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor feature alongside international stars Rooney Mara, Theo James, Vanessa Redgrave, and Eric Bana. It is due out next year.

Fellow Irish filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson’s latest film Room will have its Italian premiere at the festival, with star Brie Larson set to receive an award for Best Actress of the Year. Room is one of the front-runners for Oscar and it is joined by Ireland’s other heavyweight contender, John Crowley’s emigration drama Brooklyn, at the festival.

The Capri-Hollywood film festival will run December 27th to January 2nd.