The movie season is now in full swing. The Golden Globes are over and the BAFTA nominations have just been announced. Here in Ireland preparations for the 4th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival are nearing completion and the first announcements of the festival were made this week..
The uber-stylish Brooks Hotel hosted a soiree on Wednesday night to announce that they are the official hotel partner for the festival. The four-star designer boutique hotel is the only hotel in the city that has a state of the art private screening room, which will be the location for a number of press screenings during the festival.
Stephanie Hayes of Brooks Hotel is delighted with the partnership. She's a wonderful hostess so I just know that the festival club will be a hoot this year. Actually, it will probably be the only time she'll get to socialise in the place for the next few months, such are her hectic international travel plans.
This year's festival kicks off with the world premiere of the movie STUDS. Written and directed by Paul Mercier and produced by Cúan and Fiach MacConghail, it's a feel-good action comedy that follows the cup-run of an amayeur football team and the magical effects of a new mysterious manager. It boasts a top class Irish cast of Brendan Gleeson, David Wilmot and Eanna MacLiam.
Festival publicist Nick Costello was excited about this year's offerings and promises the best of Irish and international movies over the 10 days. We can expect premieres of Capote (which Philip Seymour Hoffman picked up a Golden Globe for), The Matador starring Pierse Brosnan and L'Enfant, which picked up the Palme D'Or at Cannes 2005.
I left the party post-haste as I had to attend a screening of Steven Spielberg's excellent new movie Munich, but on my way out I spotted Fergal Breen (sporting a new blonde top) and Joanne Kelly, Quentin Fottrell, Anne McKiernan of Brooks Hotel, model Veronica Moore, David McLoughlin of Screen Producers Ireland, Laura McNaughton and Deirdre Hopkins of the Irish Film and TV Awards.
Speaking of premieres, next week see the Irish premiere of the Golden Globe winning movie about Johnny Cash, WALK THE LINE, which takes place in Movies @ Dundrum on Thursday evening. In aid of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the black tie gala screening will be preceded by a drinks and canapés reception. Tickets for the event are €75 and are from the DRCC at 70 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2 and by calling Annie or Colette on (01) 661 4911.
