Cork has embraced local comedy The Young Offenders, with news that the film has been unveiled as the best performing film of 2016 in Cork Omniplex at Mahon Point, beating blockbusters such as Finding Dory, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Star Wars Rogue One, Captain America: Civil War and Batman V Superman.
The film grossed over €250k in the Mahon Point cinema alone and despite being released in cinemas across Ireland in mid-September, the film is still selling out screenings in the cinema.
Speaking about the phenomenal success of the film in Cork, Omniplex Director, Mark Anderson said:
I saw a rough cut of The Young Offenders in July and recognized it straight away as an Irish Classic. The economic potential was there too and this small Irish film delivered spectacularly by becoming the highest grossing film in 2016 at our busiest cinema, Cork Omniplex. Everyone associated with the film should feel incredibly proud of this achievement and we were honoured to support it. We look forward to continuing our support for Irish Film and bringing customers the next ‘Irish Blockbuster’.
In a year that was praised for quality Irish film, The Young Offenders not only achieved the highest opening for an Irish film at the Irish Box Office in 2016 but it became the fastest Irish film of the year to break the €1million mark too.
The film is still screening in Omniplex Mahon Point in Cork and Vue Liffey Valley in Dublin. Audiences elsewhere in the country will have the opportunity to see the film on the big screen, as the film will launch its Access Cinema screenings tomorrow Tuesday, 10th January, starting at Linenhall Arts Centre in Mayo. The full schedule can be seen below:
- Linenhall Arts Centre, Mayo – 10th January
- The Source Arts Centre, Tipperary – 18th January
- Visual, Carlow – 7th February
- Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Offaly – 7th February
- Friars Gate Theatre, Limerick – 15th March
- Iontas Arts & Community Resource Centre, Monaghan – 21st April
- Tech Amergin Community Arts & Education Centre, Kerry – 3rd May
Inspired by Ireland’s biggest cocaine seizure of €440 million off the coast of Cork in 2007, The Young Offenders follows two Cork inner-city teenagers, Conor and Jock, as they embark on a 160km road trip on stolen bikes in the hopes of finding an unrecovered bale of cocaine. It’s the debut feature from writer/director Peter Foott and introduces new acting talent Chris Walley and Alex Murphy in the lead roles with comedians Hilary Rose and PJ Gallagher also starring.
Since its premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh last summer where it was awarded Best Irish Feature (sharing with A Date for Mad Mary), The Young Offenders has gone on to charm Irish and international audiences alike. It picked up an Honourable Mention for Best Comedy at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, picked up three awards at the LA Comedy Festival, the largest comedy festival in the US and was well received at the BFI London International Film Festival back in late 2016. The film will soon be seen by audiences across the globe with numerous international distribution deals done, starting with the UK from this weekend.