Thursday, April 19, 2012

Partitionism....




Consider the following two 'news' releases -

17th Apr 2012 - Irish Film Industry @ Tribeca 2012
A delegation of Irish producers, directors, acting talent and crew will be in New York City this week to attend Robert De Niro's renowned Tribeca Film Festival.
The festival, which kicks off tomorrow April 18th, features a strong Irish line-up including the world premiere of the new Irish feature BABYGIRL written and directed by Macdara Vallely, the US premiere of Ian Fitzgibbon's DEATH OF A SUPERHERO and the North American premieres of Safinez Bousbia's documentary EL GUSTO and Lorcan Finnegan's short film FOXES.
Other Irish interests in the shorts section include the short film SCREENSHOT written and directed by Cathal Burke and ALL THAT WAY FOR LOVE written by Irish writer Thomas Martin.
Along with the screenings, the Irish delegation which includes directors Matthew Vallely and Ian Fitzgibbon along with producers, cast and crew will be using the opportunity to network and make valuable contacts with the international industry.
Acclaimed Irish director Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot) will attend the festival as a juror and will help judge the festival's World Narrative Competition. He will also take part in the Tribeca Talks Directors Series on April 28th when he will be interviewed by his daughter, the Oscar-nominated Naomi Sheridan.
The Tribeca Film Festival will take place in New York City from April 18th - 29th.


And...

Terry George's WHOLE LOTTA SOLE gets world premiere at Tribeca - Mar 08
Hot off the back of his Oscar® win for The Shore it has been announced that Terry George's Whole Lotta Sole will have its world premiere at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival in April. Whole Lotta Sole, which filmed on location in Northern Ireland last year, will feature in the Spotlight section of the Festival.
In a rowdy little corner of Belfast, hapless young father Jimbo tries to protect his family from the gangster he’s in debt to by robbing the local fish market… which turns out to be a front for the same gangster! On the run, Jimbo holes up in a local antique shop run by a long-lost man from his past. A colorful cast of character actors and a strong turn from Brendan Fraser light up this madcap Irish crime comedy.
Whole Lotta Sole received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It was written by Thomas Gallagher and Terry George and directed by Terry George. It also stars local actor Martin McCann (Killing Bono, The Pacific) in the role of Jimbo, he is joined by Colm Meaney (Intermission, Kings), Yaya Dacosta (The Kids are Alright, Ugly Betty) and David O'Hara (Braveheart, The Departed).
Whole Lotta Sole is produced by Belfast-based Generator Entertainment.


Is it just me or does it appear that the first release, from the Irish Film Board, considers that Terry George is not Irish, or that his film was not made in Ireland, or that it was not produced by an Irish company... because it was made in Northern Ireland?

And does this relate in some way to the situation that has evolved in recent years whereby producers north of the border now have to pay a producer in the Republic, handsomely, in order to access IFB production funding?

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