Irish movies go down a storm at Sundance

It’s already been a good year for the Irish at the Sundance Film Festival and there are still three days to go. On Wednesday, we learnt that Tony Donoghue’s Irish Folk Furniture had won the prize for best short animation.

A gorgeous piece of work, Donoghue’s film uses stop-motion and interviews with ordinary citizens to bring life to elderly pieces of furniture. Original music by David

Kitt adds to the experience. Catch it on YouTube and at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival next month.

Nick Ryan’s The Summit has also gone down a storm at the event. The Irish documentary examines an infamous attempt to climb K2 in 2008, during which 11 of 24 highly skilled climbers lost their lives. The screenings were jammed to capacity and reviews of the film have been universally positive.

“The crowd was riveted,” Indiewire raved. The Hollywood Reporter was similarly effusive. “A packed Sunday-night house in the Salt Lake City portion of this festival was spellbound, some viewers clutching their seats while experiencing this mesmeric film,” Duane Byrge of that trade paper commented.

The Summit was subsequently picked up for US distribution by Sundance Selects and will also play at JDIFF.

The Utah bash, considered the most important for independent cinema in the calendar, ends on Sunday night with the main prize-giving hooley.