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Robert Wynne-Simmons’s The Outcasts is a haunting and ultimately melancholy study of social ostracization and rebellion that takes place in rural Ireland sometime before the potato famine of 1845. The film felicitously combines an almost documentarian concern for the folkways of the peasants who till the muddy earth and the delicately wrought magical elements found in an Irish folk tale.

Pensive and taciturn Maura O’Donnell (Mary Ryan) is lame in one leg, and thus the target of bullying from the village children. Her two sisters have little interest in coming to her defense. Breda (Brenda Scallon) is a widow mostly preoccupied by taking care of their wayward father, Hugh (Dan Foley), while Janey (Bairbre Ní Chaoimh) has found herself in a family way thanks to local boy Eamon (Máirtín Jaimsie), who’s more interested in taking over the O’Donnell farm than starting a family.

Village relations seem timeless somehow,...

Principal photography for the six-episode dramedy began in mid-September and will run until mid-November. The six-part TV series The South Westerlies entered production in mid-September. The project, created by screenwriter Catherine Maher, will be directed by Simon Gibney and Declan Recks. Gibney is an experienced TV director, whose latest works are Moon and Me, Doctors and Nowhere Fast; meanwhile, Recks is best known for his recent Australian-Irish TV series Drop Dead Weird as well as his features The Flag, The Truth Commissioner and Eden. The script, penned by Maher in conjunction with Hugh Travers, Hilary Reynolds and Michelle Duffy, tells the story of an environmental compliance consultant called Kate, who works for Norwegian energy giant Noreg Oil. Kate is on the verge of a lucrative promotion and a transfer to the company’s headquarters in Oslo. However, there is a caveat – namely, a final assignment for NorskVentus, Noreg Oil’s new.

AMC’s Acorn Media Enterprises and Irish pubcaster Rte have teamed up on “The South Westerlies,” an Irish-produced original comedy-drama featuring an ensemble cast led by Orla Brady (“Mistresses”). Zdf Enterprises and Norway’s TV2 are also on board the series, which has backing from Screen Ireland.

Dublin-based Deadpan Pictures is producing. It will bow on Rte in 2020. In the U.S. it will premiere on the Acorn TV streaming service, which recently surpassed the 1-million subscriber mark in North America.

Eileen Walsh (“Catastrophe”), Ger Ryan (“Rialto”), Sam Barrett, Lily Nichol (“Handymen”), Steve Wall (“Vikings”) and Patrick Bergin (“Patriot Games”) will also star in “The South Westerlies.”

Brady will play Kate, an environmental consultant for a Norwegian energy firm. Before landing a lucrative promotion, she has to go undercover among protesters and quash objections to a wind farm project near their small coastal town.

Filming is underway. The shoot will...

Bosnian war drama As If I Am Not There received three Ifta awards for Best Film, Director and Script for the film's Irish writer/director Juanita Wilson at tonight's Ifta awards, celebrating the Irish film and television industry.

Martin MCCann was named Best Actor for 'Swansong - Story of Occi Byrn', while Amy Huberman was got Best Actress for 'Rewind.'

Pierce Brosnan and Saorise Ronan took home the supporting honours at the awards with Brosnan winning Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'The Ghost', while Ronan's part in The Way Back earned her the supporting actress honour.

In the international categories, 'The Social Network' won the best international film, with its star Jesse Eisenberg winning Best Actor. Annette Bening took Best Actress for 'The Kids Are All Right'.

Winners Of The 8th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards:

Outstanding Contribution to Industry...