An Creagan Visitor Centre, at the foothills of the Sperrins, in Northern Ireland, sets the scene once more for the 4th Annual Mid Ulster Film Festival on the 4th, 5th and 6th May 2007. The Mid Ulster Film Festival is unique in that it is the only non-competitive rural film festival held in Ireland, and is such a fantastic ‘homely’ event, especially with on-site cottages available to rent.
The festival organisers say that they have been inundated with entries this year from all over the world. They have been very impressed with the high standard, especially entries from Spain and one 14min short ‘Boletos Por Favor’ – a clever mix of animation and digital filmmaking, by Argentinean director Lucas Figueroa, they were so impressed by this short that they will also screen ‘The Making of Boletos Por Favor’, one certainly not to be missed. In all over 60 shorts will be screened over the weekend celebration of film.The great and the good of the Irish film industry will be there.
A coup for The Mid Ulster this year is the European Premiere of ‘Proud’, to open the festival, written and directed by New Yorker, Mary Pat Kelly and produced by Ally Hilfiger, this film, partly filmed in Derry, tells the story of the U.S.S. Mason, a world War II battleship with an all black crew. Cast includes, Ossie Davis (Lorenzo DuFau), Stephen Rea and John Hume with a cameo role. Lorenzo DuFau is a hero, as a World War II sailor. As a black man, he had to fight to get in the fight — yet his country ignores him … His son dismisses him as a failure. His grandson who hardly knows him, until late one night, when he tells Larry along with his two college friends, about his ship, the USS Mason. (www.proudthemovie.com).
Mary Pat Kelly began her film career in 1970 working with Martin Scorsese on In The Park.
Mr DuFau and Mary Pat Kelly accompanied by her Tyrone born husband will attend the festival, introduce the film on the opening night and have a questions and answers session. Mary Pat will also give a workshop on the Sunday afternoon.
Documentaries feature strongly this year and include Anastasia Cherkassova’s (Russia) – ‘With Much Love and Kisses’, set in Russia, The Solovetskii islands in the White Sea. A strange and very beautiful place with ancient stone labyrinths, according to legend, the labyrinths’ role was to prevent the souls of the dead from disturbing the living. These islands, long considered to be a refuge of dead souls, and later one of the most holy places in Russia, through a strange combination of circumstances, the Soviet authorities built their first concentration camp and sent the best and most talented people in the country here. Was this pure chance, or a cruel twist of fate?
Closing feature will be ‘Bobby’ with a dream like cast including Martin Sheen, who the organisers hope to have along to the festival. Directed by Emilio Esteves, he has constructed an adept and elaborate screenplay, set in a hotel over the day and night before Bobby Kennedy was killed.
The main feature on Saturday will be ‘The last King of Scotland’; by Scottish director Kevin Macdonald followed the ‘One Day in September’ (his Oscar-winning documentary) and ‘Touching the Void’. For his first, entirely dramatic feature film, with an Oscar winning performance by Forest Whitaker (Idi Amin), Macdonald artfully blends fact and fiction in ‘The Last King of Scotland’ – it opens in 1970 as a young Scottish medical graduate, impulsively decides to practice at a small clinic in rural Uganda. His arrival coincides with the coup that ousted President Milton Obote and brought General Idi Amin to power.
Barry Devlin’s – ‘The art of Scriptwriting’ workshop, hugely over-subscribed at previous festivals, is back on the programme again by popular demand. Devlin is founder member of Horslips and has directed U2 music videos, numerous dramas and documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC. Films he has under development at the moment include ‘The Virgin of Las Vegas’. I think the phrase is book early!
With lots of other entertainment, including a film fest pub quiz and a new event – ‘Filmoke’ karaoke style! All in all this year’s festival is definitely the one to be at.
Check out website for full listings, brochure and accommodation info.
www.midulsterfilmfestival.com
info@midulsterfilmfestival.com