Flicks of the fleadh

Michael Moore's methods come under scrutiny, Garage comes to an Irish screen and Liam Neeson's American Civil War movie. . . Michael Dwyerpreviews the 19th Galway Film Flead h

FRESH from its successful world premiere at Cannes, Lenny Abrahamson's Garage, starring Pat Shortt in a dramatic role, is likely to be the hottest ticket at the 19th Galway Film Fleadh, which runs from Tuesday, July 10th to Sunday, July 15th. The wide-ranging programme includes new Irish and international features and documentaries, dozens of short films competing for prizes, masterclasses and seminars.

WORLD CINEMA

The fleadh opens with Cristiano Bortone's Italian drama, Red Like the Sky, based on the experiences of film sound editor Mirco Menacci who lost his sight in an accident when he was 10 years old. The closing presentation is David Von Ancken's handsomely photographed western Seraphim Falls, set in the aftermath of the American Civil War for an extended chase involving two men from opposing sides, with Pierce Brosnan as the prey and Liam Neeson his dogged pursuer.

Michael Winterbottom's A Mighty Heartstars Angelina Jolie as the wife of journalist Danny Pearl (Dan Futterman), who was abducted and murdered in Karachi. Anand Tucker's And When Did You Last See Your Father?, explores the relationship between author Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) and his ailing father (Jim Broadbent).

Stefan Ruzowitzy's factually-based The Counterfeiters, deals with concentration camp prisoners forced to forge currency for the Nazis. In Jonathan King's New Zealand horror movie Black Sheep, a genetic engineering experiment goes disastrously wrong. Steve Buscemi's US remake of Theo Van Gogh's Dutch movie Interviewfeatures Buscemi as a veteran political journalist irked when assigned to interview a TV soap star (Sienna Miller).

NEW IRISH FEATURES

Along with Garage, this strand includes Kings, directed by Tom Collins, starring Colm Meaney and set among Irish-speaking emigrants reunited for a funeral; Brendan Grant's Tonight is Cancelledwith Garagescreenwriter Mark O'Halloran as a filmmaker following the fate of a young man kidnapped in Kosovo; Marian Quinn's 32A, which takes its title from the bra size of its central character, a 13-year-old girl (Ailish McCarthy), whose parents are played by Aidan Quinn and Orla Brady; Nicolas Roeg's Irish-shot Fay Weldon adaptation Puffball, featuring Kelly Reilly, Miranda Richardson and Donald Sutherland; Robert Quinn's Irish-language feature Cré na Cille; and the remastered version of Bob Quinn's 1977 Poitínwith a new score by Bill Whelan.

DOCUMENTARIES

Michael Moore is on the receiving end for a change in Manufacturing Dissent, a provocative, warts-and-all documentary that examines his methods and his ego.

Arctic Taleillustrates the harsh realities of life for a walrus and her calf, and a polar bear and her cubs.

The winner of two awards at Sundance last year, God Grew Tired of Us, narrated by Nicole Kidman, observes three Sudanese "lost boys" adjusting to a new life in the US.

The War Tapesfeatures footage shot by disillusioned US soldiers on the frontlines in Iraq. The title of John and Janerefers to the western names adopted by Indian workers at a Mumbai call centre. And Caveh Zahedi confronts his personal history of promiscuity in I Am a Sex Addict.

MASTERCLASSES

Jeremy Irons, winner of the 1990 best actor Oscar for Reversal of Fortune, will give the acting masterclass and participate in a public interview.

Volker Schlondorff, the German filmmaker whose many credits include The Tin Drumand Swann in Love(which starred Irons), will give the directing masterclass. Terry George, the writer-director of Hotel Rwanda, will present the screening masterclass.

TRIBUTE PROGRAMME

Fionnula Flanagan, the Dublin-born actress whose credits include over 100 productions for cinema, TV and theatre, will discuss her career in a public interview, and three of her films will be shown: Some Mother's Son, The Othersand Transamerica.

Principal venues are the Town Hall Theatre, the Cinemobile and the Omniplex.

www.galwayfilmfleadh.com