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Exclusive: Northern Irish actor and author Ciaran McMenamin’s 2018 novel Skintown has been set for a big screen adaptation from Keeper Pictures and recent IFTA award winners Cyprus Avenue Films with Anthony Boyle (Masters of The Air) and Josh Finan (Say Nothing) signed on to star.

The pic will be directed by Kieron J. Walsh. Set in the mid-90s during the Ira ceasefire, the film follows the roller coaster journey of two best friends trying to escape their life in a small Irish town. Immersing themselves in the world of raves, drugs and gangs the boys dream big but are thwarted by the realities of the world around them. Described by producers as “a buddy movie combining the anarchy of Kneecap with the humor of Derry Girls,” the film is said to be influenced by titles like Trainspotting and Twin Town.

Skintown...

Break Out Pictures and Conic are partnering on UK-Ireland distribution of Pat Collins’ Irish feature That They May Face The Rising Sun.

Break Out Pictures will distribute the film in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; with Conic releasing the film in England, Scotland and Wales. It will land in cinemas on April 26, 2024 in all territories.

That They May Face The Rising Sun debuted at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2023. It is an adaptation of John McGahern’s acclaimed final novel of the same name. The story follows a couple who return from London to the small...

Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane’s documentary In The Shadow of Beirut has been submitted as Ireland’s entry for the 2024 Oscar International Feature Film race.

The film, which is executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Siobhan Sinnerton of HiddenLight Productions, was selected Thursday by the Irish Film & Television Academy, which last year selected The Quiet Girl for its submission. That film, directed by Colm Bairéad, became the first Irish film to be nominated in the category.

For The Shadow of Beirut, first-time filmmaker Kelly spent five years living among the film’s four featured families in the Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods outside Beirut as it became engulfed in economic and political crisis following a 1982 massacre there. The film’s dialogue is primarily in Arabic.

Screen Ireland and Zdf/Arte financed the pic, which had its world premiere in June at the Doc Edge Festival in New...

Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Siobhan Sinnerton of HiddenLight Productions serve as EPs.

The Lebanon-set feature documentary In The Shadow Of Beirut has been selected as Ireland’s entry for best international feature film at the 2024 Oscars.

‘In The Shadow Of Beirut’: Galway Review

Stephen Gerard Kelly, who co-directs with Garry Keane (Gaza), makes his feature directorial debut. Brendan J. Byrne and Myriam Sassine produced and Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Siobhan Sinnerton of HiddenLight Productions served as executive producers.

In The Shadow Of Beirut is a portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the city.

Hilary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions is co-producing a new feature documentary with the team behind Sundance 2019 title “Gaza.”

“In the Shadow of Beirut” is a cinematic portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the impoverished Sabra and Shatila neighbourhoods of the city, the scene of an infamous massacre in 1982.

The film will be executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Siobhan Sinnerton for HiddenLight.

The doc is filmed over four years with unique access to the families within these largely restricted areas and co-directed by Stephen Gerard Kelly, in his debut, and Garry Keane. Kelly built up his relationship with the families over a six-year period.

The film follows its protagonists through the pandemic and the deteriorating economic crisis engulfing the country. However, the struggles of the film’s central protagonists began long before the deadly 2020 port explosion that rocked Beirut.

Falco Ink and Discovery+ has launched the first trailer for the upcoming documentary from Brendan J. Byrne ‘My Name is Bulger’.

Bill Bulger, now 85, was State Senate President for almost 20 years in Massachusetts. His older brother James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was a Boston gangster who was murdered in prison on October 30th 2018, aged 89. The doc weaves its way through the stories of both brothers and their respective rises and falls. The film strips away the hysteria of daily print headlines and nightly news bulletins to unfold the story of a unique American family who crave to be judged for who they are and what they’ve done, not what their infamous relative did.

William Bulger had previously be portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2015 movie ‘Black Mass’ which saw Johnny Depp play his infamous brother Whitey.

Also in trailers – Go inside the story of Formula One racing icon Jack Brabham in...

Exclusive: The world’s most famous domino toppling artist has bowled over discovery+.

The streaming service on Friday announced the acquisition of Lily Topples the World, the SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary about Lily Hevesh, a 20-year-old domino dropping sensation whose videos have attracted more than 1 billion views on YouTube.

The film, directed by Jeremy Workman, will premiere on discovery+ this summer, part of a robust slate of nonfiction programming announced by the platform ahead of the May TV Upfronts next week.

Lily Topples the World was filmed over three years and includes appearances by Jimmy Fallon, Katy Perry, Will Smith, and YouTuber Casey Neistat. Discovery+ describes it as “a unique portrait of an artist, a story of how passion and artistry can make dreams come true, and an unlikely American tale of a quiet Chinese adoptee who transforms into a global artistic force.”

Actress Kelly Marie Tran serves as an executive producer on the documentary.

“Lily is an absolute force. She is an incredible artist who believes in the magic of her own dreams, and her story is one every person will be able to see themselves in,” Tran commented. “She’s the role model I wish I had growing up, and I can’t wait for the world to hear her story.”

Lisa Holme, group SVP, head of content & commercial strategy for Discovery Inc., observed, “Lily is one of the most talented young artists in the world and we are so excited to share this heart-warming documentary alongside a compelling slate of new original docs. The combination of Lily’s visually stunning projects, complemented by her inspiring personal story makes this a can’t miss doc.”

Lily Topples the World joins a lineup of new documentary films that discovery+ promises “will take audiences on a diverse and enlightening journey this year.” Launching June 17 on the service is My Name Is Bulger, about former Massachusetts political figure William Bulger, younger brother of James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss. Brendan J. Byrne directed the film that is said to strip “away the hysteria of daily print headlines” about the Bulgers to reveal “a unique American family.”

The Smartest Kids in the World, directed by Tracy Droz Tragos and launching on discovery+ August 16, chronicles “the journey of four American teenagers who study abroad in countries that dramatically outperform the United States in education.”

Launching August 23 is Generation Growth from director Mu Sun, a documentary about Bronx teacher and “urban farmer” Stephen Ritz, who “developed an incredibly successful indoor gardening curriculum that allows children to grow vegetables in the classroom, helping them eat better, be more engaged with school and give them pathways for jobs.”

Set to launch October 18 is the documentary Crutch, directed by Sachi Cunningham and Vayabobo, about the “gravity-defying life” of Bill Shannon, an artist and dancer who performs on crutches.

The previously announced documentaries Introducing, Selma Blair and Rebel Hearts are also set to premiere on discovery+ in 2021.

In addition to claiming the top prize at SXSW, Lily Topples the World won the audience award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Jeremy Workman produced, directed and edited the film. Robert J. Lyons produced; executive producers include the aforementioned Kelly Marie Tran, as well as Allen Altman, Cathie Altman, Marnie Black, Scott Black, and Jane Lee.

“This film documents the most pivotal moments of my life, professionally and personally,” domino toppler Hevesh said in a video released ahead of SXSW. “This documentary means so much to me and I cannot wait for you to see it when it gets publicly released.”...

Premiere set for January 29 in Park City.

The filmmakers on Sundance-bound documentary Gaza have brought on Cinetic Media to handle Us sales in association with Filmoption International, who will oversee international sales and distribute in Canada.

Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell directed the portrait of Palestinians attempting to live meaningful lives amid ongoing conflict in one of the Middle East’s most combustible regions. Last week a Palestinian woman was shot dead during protests on the border fences.

Gaza will receive its world premiere in World Cinema Documentary Competition in Park City on January 29. The co-production between Ireland’s Real Films...

New titles also include African elephant and rhino genocide doc The Last Animals.

Distributor Kew Media Group has filled out its slate ahead of next month’s Cannes Film Festival and acquired worldwide sales rights to six new titles. The films will be making their festival market debut at the Marche du Film.

The titles include Nothing Like A Dame, a conversation piece between four renowned British actresses – Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Playwright and Maggie Smith. Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill) and produced by Sally Angel and Karen Steyn, the film sees the four ladies discuss their careers...

Kew Media Group has picked up international rights to six non-fiction films for Cannes including documentary Nothing Like A Dame, about the lives and careers of Brit actresses Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith. Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill) and produced by Sally Angel (Night Will Fall) and Karen Steyn (Looking For Audrey), executive producers are Sally Angel and Debbie Manners for Field Day and Anthony Wall for the BBC.

Also new to the roster is Sam Rockwell-narrated One Million American Dreams, a history of the final resting place of over one million of New York’s unclaimed dead directed by Brendan J. Byrne (Bobby Sands: 66 Days); The Last Animals, an exposé on the crisis of the killing of African elephants and rhinos; Dealt, winner of the SXSW Audience Award for best documentary feature, about Richard Turner, one of the world’s great card...

Excusive: Ira prison break drama to get private screening on Croisette.

Visit Films heads to Cannes with a sales slate that includes Ira thriller Maze, SXSW selections M.F.A. and Flesh And Blood, and Us coming-of-age drama Cold November.

Ryan Kampe will also be talking up recent Sundance and Rotterdam selections Family Life and Columbus, and Sundance and Berlinale selection Dayveon.

Kampe has scheduled a private buyers’ screening for Maze starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Barry Ward, and Martin McCann. Lionsgate will distributes in the UK and a number of territories are pre-sold.

The thriller chronicles the mass break-out in 1983 of 38 prisoners from the Maze high security prison.

The film focuses on Larry Marley, the chief architect of the escape, who strikes up a complex friendship with Gordon, a prison warden.

Stephen Burke directs and Jane Doolan of Mammoth Films and Brendan J. Byrne of Cyprus Avenue Films serve as producers. The Irish Film Board, Film Väst, Rte...

Art house patrons in America may mostly know Irish Republican Army martyr Bobby Sands from Hunger, Steve McQueen's acclaimed 2008 debut starring Michael Fassbender. But he looms large in the history of Northern Ireland's decades-long quest for self-governance, and Brendan J. Byrne's new documentary Bobby Sands: 66 Days offers something both for those who've never heard of Sands and those who have his youthful smile etched forever in memory. If its subject ensures the doc will sometimes be tough viewing, it may be doubly so for those viewers who, unexpectedly this month, feel as engulfed with impotent anger as the...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.

This Past Weekend:

It wasn’t a bad Thanksgiving weekend, especially for the Weekend Warrior who pretty much nailed two of his predictions for the weekend! Disney Animation’s Moana indeed at opened at #1 with $55.5 million for the three-day weekend (exactly my prediction), although it ended up with more--$81.1 million--in its first five days. The Brad Pitt-Marion Cotillard spy thriller, Allied (Paramount), directed by Robert Zemeckis, also opened with $18 million, right on track with my prediction. I guess I could take some comfort on being spot on with two of the Thanksgiving releases—like I said last week, that holiday weekend is a bear to predict—but I way overestimated the other two movies as sequelitis indeed hit Billy Bob Thornton...

Now in its seventh year, the New York City-based and documentary-focused film festival aptly titled Doc NYC has become a mainstay on the documentary festival circuit. Along with series like Hot Docs and the more avant-garde-heavy True/False, Doc NYC is slowly but surely becoming one of the must-attend festivals for cinephiles who have an affinity for the non-fiction side of cinema.

And yet, it’s still a festival on the come up. With only six previous iterations in its history, Doc NYC is one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of festivals or film series that make up a calendar year in New York and the film world in general. Marking this year’s event with 110 features (roughly 44% of which are directed or co-directed by women, I will add) including 18 world premieres and 19 Us premieres and even a small repertory sidebar, this is set to be the biggest and arguably best lineup yet.

Distributor strikes theatrical and home entertainment deal for George Best: All By Himself.

Dogwoof has acquired football doc George Best: All By Himself for UK & Ireland theatrical and home entertainment distribution in 2017.

The feature documentary unveils the drama and allure of gifted football star George Best. The film follows Best’s struggle to fight his alcoholism whilst his footballing prowess begins to abandon him.

The Fine Point Films (Bobby Sands: 66 Days) production is funded by BBC, Espn and Nothern Ireland Screen. It is directed by Daniel Gordon (Hillsborough).

The distribution deal was signed by Oli Harbottle, head of distribution at Dogwoof, and Trevor Birney, MD of Fine Point.

Harbottle commented: “We were immediately excited when we first heard that the story of George Best was being made into a feature documentary a few years ago. With the hugely talented Dan Gordon as director and the combined heavyweight experience of both Fine Point Films and [link...

Bobby Sands 66 Days has achieved the highest opening weekend ever at the Irish box office for an Irish made documentary. The film which was released in Irish cinemas by Wildcard Distribution is now the second highest (non-concert) documentary opening of all-time after the international cinema hitFarenheit 911. The Oscar winning Amy (also released in Ireland by Wildcard on behalf of Altitude) is in 3rd position. Taking in €50,933 (with some sites yet to still report), over its opening weekend and with previews,Bobby Sands 66 Days surpassed previous record holder The Queen of Ireland's opening weekend. Brendan J. Byrne’s critically acclaimed and controversial documentary which is a portrait of the Irish Republican’s 66-day hunger strike has garnered much publicity and debate on both sides of the border. It played in a total of 16 cinemas in the Republic and 9 cinemas in Northern Ireland and despite the good weather,...

★★★☆☆ "It's not those who can inflict the most, but those that can suffer the most who will conquer." These words by Irish author and politician Terence MacSwiney, who died during a hunger strike in Brixton Prison in 1920, resound throughout Brendan J. Byrne's thoughtful, thorough and even-handed new documentary Bobby Sands: 66 Days. This is not just because they summarise the position adopted by Sands and fellow hunger strikers in the early 1981 but because they also speak to historical and theoretical rigour that they adopted during their struggle, and that this new film, about the years and months leading to Sands' death in Hmp Maze, also shows.

Other winners include A Date For Mad Mary from Room producer Ed Guiney.

The 28th Galway Film Fleadh handed out its annual awards last night (July 10) and named Taika Waititi’s Hunt For The Wilderpeople as best international feature.

The ceremony took place after the Fleadh’s annual public interview, in which director Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father) regaled a packed Town Hall Theatre.

The prize for best Irish feature was shared between Peter Foott’s The Young Offenders and Darren Thornton’s A Date For Mad Mary. The latter was co-produced by Ed Guiney, whose films include Oscar-winner Room, The Lobster and Frank.

The best Irish feature documentary was won by Frankie Fenton’s It’s Not Yet Dark, which centres on Simon Fitzmaurice, a talented young Irish film maker with motor neuron disease, as he embarks on making his first film through the use of his eyes and eye gaze technology.

It’s...

Exclusive: Sales outfit has struck a deal with Scandinavian distributor NonStop Entertainment, a UK deal is in the works.

Ryan Kampe’s Visit Films is handling Cannes sales on the prison break thriller Maze and has struck a deal with NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia.

A UK deal is understood to be in the works on the true story of the the 1983 escape by 38 prisoners from the Hmp Maze high security prison in Northern Ireland.

Tom Vaughan-Lawlor stars as Larry Marley, the chief architect behind the break-out. Barry Ward plays the prison warden with whom Marley strikes up a complex friendship.

Visit will show footage from the production, shooting now in Ireland. Stephen Burke directs from his screenplay, while Jane Doolan of Mammoth Films and Brendan J. Byrne of Cyprus Avenue Films produce. The film is financed by The Irish Film Board, Film Väst, Rte, and Bai.

“Stephen’s story, based on true events and set against the Troubles...