In the first of our series of posts on the films featuring at the 2015 Galway Film Fleadh we take a look at the opening film of the festival, Simon Fitzmaurice’s Irish drama My Name is Emily. The film premieres Tuesday July 7th, at 7.30pm in the Town Hall Theatre.
The story of the making of My Name is Emily is almost cinematic in its own right. In 2008, award-winning film director, writer, and father of 5, Simon Fitzmaurice was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS). The news cae shortly after his 2nd short film The Sound Of People screened at the Sundance Film festival. Despite his illness, Simon remained determined to write and direct a feature film, completing the script for My Name is Emily with the aid of iris-recognition technology. This same technology allowed him to direct the film, as well as write a best-selling book, It’s Not Yet Dark.
The film itself is a road movie and love story between two teens, as Emily escapes from her foster home with the help of Arden, and sets out to find her father Robert, a visionary writer locked up in a psychiatric institution.
Evanna Lynch, best known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, stars in the title role as Emily, with support from acclaimed Irish actor Michael Smiley (Kill List, A Field in England) as her father Robert, and newcomer George Webster as Arden.
My Name is Emily is produced by Irish companies Newgrange Pictures and Kennedy Films, with financing from the Irish Film Board, BAI, TV3, and the Irish tax incentive. Co-production finance comes from Sweden and Norway. Last November the Irish producers ran a highly successful crowd-funding campaign, which raised over €100,000 towards the costs of enabling Fitzmaurice to realise his film.
My Name is Emily will receive its World premiere on Tuesday July 7th, at 7.30pm in the Town Hall Theatre, with cast and crew in attendance. For tickets, further details and information, visit the Fleadh website.
https://youtu.be/Ov8RaC9ORiM