Jameson DIFF unleashed

I’ve made mention of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival recently, but on Thursday evening last the event was officially launch, with details of the program being announced.

Arriving in the green Jameson Jaguars (gorgeous!) and gracing the red carpet were two very special guests – Ireland’s rising stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Cillian Murphy. The Golden Globe winner and the nominee caused a stir in John M. Keating, the fabulous new bar which was the location for the party.

This year’s program sees many Irish premieres and some European and world permieres too. Ones to look out for are Irish movie STUDS, which makes its world debut on Friday the 17^th; the world premier of Johnny Was on Wednesday 22^nd; the acclaimed Capote starring Philip Seymour Hoffman on Monday 20th and Syriana with George Clooney on Saturday the 18^th.

A fascinating aspect of the festival is the Surprise Movie, which is one of the final screenings of the event. It always sells out well in advance, filling Ireland’s largest screening theatre, Savoy 1, even though nobody knows what they have paid to see! A previous Surprise Movie has been the first world screening of Starsky & Hutch and last year saw The Jacket by John Maybury, with an added bonus of a Q&A with Maybury himself. Book now for suspense.

As always, Jameson were genial hosts, offering a variety of delicious cocktails in several bars within JMK. Among those enjoying them were Pauline McGlynn, Tamara Gervasoni, Dave Kelly and Tim Fenn from FM104, TV presenter Alan Hughes, Triona McCarthy, Paul Trainer, Niall McCrudden of Insight Opticians (eyewear to the stars) and girl-about-town Roxanne Parker (whose new column in the Irish Independent is a must-read).

Top model Eoin Macken was there too (he’s just finished an Abercrombie & Fitch campaign), as was Julian Benson, Norman Pratt, Corinna Field and Reena Hammer, beautiful girlfriend of Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival runs from the 17^th to the 26^th of February.