A RARELY seen 35mm print screening of the film To Kill a Mockingbird, introduced by the daughter of Gregory Peck, is one of the star attractions of the Dingle Film Festival taking place over the next three days.
Much of this year’s festival will revolve around the late Peck, whose grandmother Catherine Ashe, a relative of patriot Thomas Ashe, came from west Kerry.
To Kill a Mockingbird, for which Peck won an Oscar for his role as lawyer Atticus Finch, was his favourite film.
Actor Gabriel Byrne is tonight being presented with the first Gregory Peck award for excellence in film. This takes place after a screening of A Conversation with Gregory Peck made by his daughter, Cecilia. She is among nine members of the Peck family who arrived in Dingle yesterday for the festival.
Musical documentaries feature strongly this year.
Two-times academy award winner Barbara Kopple will answer questions on her Woody Allen documentary, Wild Man Blues, while Anthony Wall will also be interviewed on his Bob Dylan film, No Direction Home.
The work of the broadcaster and musician Philip King, who lives in west Kerry, also features.
The festival’s artistic director Maurice Galway said he had had no difficulty attracting people of high calibre. The programme was among the best anywhere and there was heavy booking of events.
For further details see www.kerryiff.com/