Irish Abroad: Mark Noonan’s You’re Ugly Too nominated in Berlin

The new Irish film You’re Ugly Too starring Aidan Gillen has been nominated for the Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival next month, where the film will have its World Premiere. The prestigious award is endowed with a €50,000 cash prize.

Written and directed by Mark Noonan, the film stars Aidan Gillen as Will, who is released from prison on compassionate leave to care of his niece Stacey, after the death of her mother. An odd couple of sorts, they leave the city behind to pursue what they both hope will be a fresh start in the sleepy surroundings of the Irish midlands. The two bicker and fight as they adjust to their new life together and make tentative steps towards becoming an improvised family.

You’re Ugly Too will screen in the Generation Kplus category, which is aimed at children from the age of fourteen. You’re Ugly Too was produced by John Keville and Conor Barry for Savage Productions and was filmed in counties Dublin and Offaly.

Actress Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Silence), director Joshua Oppenheimer (Act of Killing) and filmmaker Fernando Eimbcke (Lake Tahoe) make up the three-person jury for this year’s Best First Feature Award. They will screen all 18 directorial debuts in this year’s official program in Berlin, across the competition and sidebar sections. They will vote on the winner, which will be announced at a gala ceremony in Berlin on Feb. 14.

The 2015 Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 5th to 15th.

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.