INTERNATIONAL DEALS ANNOUNCED FOR IRISH FILMS AT THE CANNES FILM MARKET
The leading lights of the Irish film industry have been making their presence felt at the Cannes Film market, Le Marché du Film, this weekend with a number of international sales deals announced. There are 26 Irish films selling in the market in total.
Irish production company Tilted Films have announced that ‘Juno’ star Ellen Page has joined the cast of the new Irish film ‘Third Wave’ to be directed by David Freyne. The film, also penned by Freyne, is set in the aftermath of a devastating virus that has gripped the continent for six years, transforming humans into zombie-like monsters. The film is produced by Tilted Films with support from the Irish Film Board.
Sales news include deals for Irish prison break story MAZE directed by Stephen Burke. NonStop Entertainment have picked up for Scandinavian rights and a UK deal is understood to be in the works for the true story of the 1983 escape by 38 prisoners from the HMP Maze high security prison in Northern Ireland which was filmed on location in Cork last month. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor stars as Larry Marley, the chief architect behind the break-out. The film is produced by Mammoth Films with support from the Irish Film Board.
North American and Latin American rights to Billy O’Brien’s I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER have been picked up by IFC Midnight. The film, with a screenplay by O’Brien and Christopher Hyde, is based on the novel by Dan Wells, stars Max Records, Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser and Karl Geary. I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER made its world premiere at SXSW earlier this year and was produced by Floodland Pictures.
Ireland will also be represented at the Cannes Film Festival by Irish actress Ruth Negga who will walk the red carpet for her new film LOVING selected for International Competition at the festival. Renowned Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan has two films in international competition in Cannes including Ken Loach’s film I, DANIEL BLAKE which premièred to rapturous applause on Friday evening and AMERICAN HONEY starring Shia LaBeouf.
The Irish Pavilion in Cannes is the focal point for the Irish industry and is set up to promote Irish film to the international market, to promote Ireland as a destination for large international film & TV projects and to provide business support for the Irish industry.