Irish Abroad: Mark Noonan’s You’re Ugly Too wins in Japan

Great news from the Far East, where Mark Noonan’s directorial debut You’re Ugly Too (????) has picked up an award for Best Screenplay at the 12th Skip City International D-Cinema Festival in Japan.

The festival highlights films shot on the digital format, from directors with fewer than four feature credits. It is an international competitive festival created to encourage and contribute to the development of Digital Cinema and to cultivate filmmakers, and has been selected as one of the “50 Unmissable Festivals” by Variety.

Other awards at the festival went to Cuban drama Behavior, which won the grand prix Sony D-Cinema award; Mexican film La Tirisia, which won Best Director; and Japan’s own The Love Of Life: Living For Tomorrow, which won the Skip City award.

The festival also awarded four prizes for animation. Miryan’s Paku’s The Story That Might Be A Dream won Best Picture, with Shigeyosi Tsukahara’s Joseito, Sayaka Kihata’s I Can’t Breathe and Yoriko Mizushiri’s Veil also recognised. In addition three short films won awards; Raita Yabushita’s I’m An Artist, Sayaka Kai’s Ondine’s Curse, and Noriko Yuasa’s Girl, Wavering.

The win in Japan is the second of the month for Mark Noonan and You’re Ugly Too, having scooped Best First Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh. The film, which stars Aiden Gillan and Lauren Kinsella, focuses on a man who is released from prison on compassionate leave to care of his niece, after the death of her mother.

You’re Ugly Too is on release now and playing at venues around the country.

You’re Ugly Too was produced by John Keville and Conor Barry for Savage Productions and was filmed in counties Dublin and Offaly. The film was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. It is distributed by Element Pictures Distribution.