THE New Irish Cinema Showcase, presented by the Irish Film Board in conjunction with Cinema loo, will give punters around the country the chance to see eight recent major Irish films - made with the aid of taxpayers' money but, up to now, hard to catch outside Dublin. Beginning on Friday week (April 26th) and running for nine weeks, the Showcase will visit Galway (Omniplex, April 26th-May 2nd) Sligo (Gaiety Cinema, May 3rd-9th), Derry (Strane Multiplex, May 10th-May 16th), Belfast (MGM, May 17th-23rd), Athlone (Athlone Showcase, May 24th-30th), Monaghan (Diamond Cinema May 31st-June 6th), Tullamore (Tullamore Omniplex June 7th-13th), Waterford (Cineplex, June 14th-20th) and Cork (Cinema World, Douglas, June 21st-27th).
Guiltrip (Friday), directed by Gerard Stembridge, explores the claustrophobic terror of a violent relationship, and has won several prizes, including one for Best Screenplay at the Thassaloniki Film Festival in Greece. Ailsa (Tuesday), directed by Paddy Breathnach, an absorbing psycho drama, won a major award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, and is adapted from a Joe O'Connor story about the hapless Miles, who develops an obsession with a beautiful stranger living in his apartment building.
Korea, directed by Cathal Black (Saturday) is based on a John Mc Gahern short story, and powerfully presents the dreary downside of 1950s Ireland; in fact, both adapation from literature and a 1950s setting are keynotes of the series. Circle of Friends (Sunday), adapted from the novel by Maeve Binchy, and directed by Pat O'Connor, shows an ugly duckling in 1950s Ireland managing to attract the local heartthrob. All Things Bright and Beautiful (Wednesday), directed by Barry Devlin, is another Fifties yarn, the story of an altar boy who has a vision of the Blessed Virgin. Frankie Starlight (Monday), directed by Michael Lindsay Hogg, produced by Noel Pearson, weaves together the unusual sentimental journey of a young French woman who escaped to Ireland from France during the second World War.
Joe My Friend, directed by Chris Bould, tells the story of two children, each of whom dreams of belonging to the other's world (Saturday matinee). The Boy From Mercury (Thursday), directed by Martin Duffy, is the wonderful tale of eight year old Harry Cronin, who is convinced he doesn't belong to this world but was, rather, sent from the planet Mercury.
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