7 May 2017
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Entertainment News
Stephen Frears, unanimously regarded as one of Britain’s finest directors, will screen his 2 most recent Feature Films in Schull during the Festival, The Programme and Florence Foster Jenkins followed by a Q&A with Greg Dyke.
The Fastnet Film Festival which will take place in Schull from Wednesday the 24th to the Sunday the 28th of May 2017, is a major showcase for Irish and International short film production. It focuses on the craft of film and has been held in high regard on a local, national and international level for several years. The festival will run a series of Seminars, Masterclasses and Workshops covering, Lighting, Screenwriting, Casting, Auditioning, Score Composing, Film Ethics, Filming Conflict, Animation, Creating Content on Your Mobile, Set Design, Short to Feature, Costume and more. Also, featured at the festival will be in excess of 400 screenings, Local Interest Films and World Cinema Programmes.
Other guests taking part include: David Puttnam, Juanita Wilson, Jim Sheridan, Joan Bergin, Lenny Abrahamson, Joan Bergin, Kevin Brownlow, and Carl Davis. The line up this year is unprecedented with over 70 expert guests. Fringe events include the Long Island Cinema, Filmmkers Hub, CornerTalk, Live music, Drama, Movie Quiz, Café viewing, Silent Cinemas, high quality free family entertainment and much more.
Stpehen Frears made his name in TV drama for the first 15 years of his career, turning to cinema, shooting ‘The Hit’ starring Terence Stamp, John Hurt and Tim Roth, then, ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ for Channel 4, which crossed over to the big-screen. After directing ‘Sammy and Rosie Get Laid’, and ‘Prick up Your Ears’, he began working in Hollywood with ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ and ‘The Grifters’. Returning closer to home, he directed ‘The Snapper’, ‘The Van’, ‘Dirty Pretty Things’ and ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’. Nominated for a second Oscar with ‘The queen’ in 2006 and 4 Oscar nominations for ‘Philomena’. His most recent films being screened at the festival The Program and nominated for 2 Oscars, Florence Foster Jenkins and in post-production Victoria and Abdul.
Friday 26th 20.00 – 22.00 Palace Cinema
Screening of ‘The Program’ 143 mins, 2015
Directed by Multi Award Winning Stephen Frears (Florence Foster Jenkins, The Queen, Philomena, the Van, The Snapper etc), comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most controversial men, Lance Armstrong. Following a gruelling battle with cancer, Lance returned to cycling in 1999. Team director Johan Bruyneel developed the most sophisticated doping program in the history of the sport, allowing Lance and his teammates win The Tour an unprecedented seven times.
Sunday Times journalist, David Walsh cost The Sunday Times, hundreds of thousands of euro in legal bills, eventually uncovering the truth. Featuring a stellar cast Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet and Jesse Plemons, THE PROGRAM is thriller full of suspense. €5
Sunday 28th 15.00 – 17.00 Palace Cinema
Screening of Florence Foster Jenkins Directed by Stephen Frears
111mins 2016
Starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant the film tells the improbable story of, a real-life New York socialite, who pronounced herself a coloratura soprano despite a distinct lack of talent. An affectionate portrait of the elderly heiress, her aspirations and her illusions as singer and lover. Money goes a long way toward bolstering any delusion, and in 1944 Jenkins bought her way to Carnegie Hall, performing an awful concert that became the stuff of legend.
Hugh Grant plays her romantic partner and enabler, St. Clair Bayfield, who pays off critics, making sure her recitals are packed with only sympathetic ears and tucks her into bed at night before running off to his mistress (Rebecca Ferguson).
