News from Poland where Paddy Breathnach’s Irish-produced, Cuban-set, Spanish-language drama Viva has won the Audience Award at the 2016 Transatlantyk ?ód? Film Festival.
Directed by Breathnach, Viva is the Havana-based story of young Jesus, who longs to be a glamorous drag queen only to have his dreams take a detour when his estranged and very macho father returns from a long stint in prison.
The film, which is written by Irish actor and screenwriter Mark O’Halloran (Adam & Paul), stars Cuban actors Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García and Héctor Medina. Director of Photography Cathal Watters (One Million Dubliners) won the IFTA for his work on the film, which also features the talents of Production Designer Paki Smith, who worked with Breathnach on Man About Dog.
Rebecca O’Flanagan and Rob Walpole produce for Treasure Entertainment, with funding from the Irish Film Board, Windmill Lane Pictures, RTÉ, and Treasure Entertainment. Nelson Navarro Navarro from Island Films in Cuba co-produced, with actor Benecio Del Toro as acting as executive producer.
Irish and UK audiences will have the opportunity to watch Viva this summer, with Element Pictures Distribution overseeing distribution in the Republic of Ireland, and StudioCanal overseeing the United Kingdom.
The PGNiG Transatlantyk Festival is a new artistic platform aimed at building a stronger relationship between society, art and the environment through music and film. It strives to inspire discussions on current social issues. Academy Award® winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek is the Founder and Director of the Festival.
The awards ceremony took place on Thursday evening at the ?ód? Grand Theatre during the PGNiG Transatlantyk ?ód? 2016 Closing Gala event. The gala was hosted by Grazyna Torbicka and Tomasz Raczek.