Two Irish films have been chosen for screening at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.
The Guard (Element Pictures/Reprisal Films), directed by John Michael McDonagh, and Ian Palmer's documentary Knuckle (Rise Films) will both receive their world premieres at the festival, which runs from January 20th to 30th in Park City, Utah. The works were chosen from more than 9,000 international submissions.
The Guard, which will be the opening film in the World Dramatic Competition at the festival, tells the tale of a small-town, confrontational Garda sergeant who comes into contact with a straitlaced FBI agent through a chain of events involving an international drugs ring. The film stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle and features other well-known actors such as Pat Shortt and Fionnula Flanagan.
Commenting McDonagh thanked the Sundance Film Festival "for showing their commitment to The Guard" by awarding it the opening night slot.
Knuckle relates a 12-year journey into the world of an Irish Traveller community as Palmer takes the audience into people's brutal, secretive and exhilarating bare-knuckle fighting lives.
"It is fantastic news that Knuckle has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival," the director said. It's been a long, long journey making this film, it has been a central part of my life for the last 13 years. It started on a quiet country lane in county Louth in 1997 and now will finally emerge in the Rocky Mountains in Utah in 2011."
Minister for Culture Mary Hanafin welcomed the selection of the two films. "It is a marvellous achievement for film-makers, actors and all involved in the industry and once again shows the great track record that Irish film-makers have internationally."
The Sundance festival, founded by actor and film-maker Robert Redford, is renowned as a showcase for the best in new independent cinema, and a number of famous filmmakers received their break there, including Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Earlier this week, two Irish-directed films - Shoe and The Crush - made the shortlist of 10 live action shorts that will be considered for nominations in the upcoming Oscars.