The 52nd Corona Cork Film Festival which takes place from October 14-21 has announced its bumper packed line up which includes world premieres, big budget films, innovative independent films, international documentaries, drive-ins, an Irish showcase and short films from all over the world.
Re-named Corona Cork Film Festival, title sponsorship has been taken up by leading drinks distributors Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium for its Corona Extra premium bottled beer brand.
Michael Barry, MD of Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium said
“Our title sponsorship of The Corona Cork Film Festival underpins our commitment to Cork and we are happy to support initiatives which promote the film industry in Ireland in general. We are celebrating twenty five years as Ireland’s leading independent drinks distributor this October, so it is good to give something back to the city where it all began. Furthermore, the synergies between cinematic experiences and the Corona Extra premium beer brand present a good fit, appealing to audiences who appreciate the lighter, more creative side of life.”
This annual extravaganza of films will open with the screening of Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest film No Country For Old Men which is the magnificent adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same title. Following the screening of over 300 films, the festival will close on October 21st with Lust Caution directed by Ang Lee and winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.
Mick Hannigan, Festival Director of the Corona Cork Film Festival said
"I am delighted with the shape and content of this year's festival and audiences will not be disappointed. We expect more than 200 guests over the week and well over 30,000 admissions in the course of a packed cinematic week. From the superb Opening Gala, to the Drive-In movies to the screenings on the street, from shorts and docs to family screenings; from Masterclasses to festival parties, there is a rich and varied diet in store for festival goers."
Leading the way in the international features is The Savages. an irreverent, hilarious and heart beating story revolving around a modern family. The film portrays an all too common dilemma where after drifting apart emotionally and geographically over the years, two siblings must band together to care for an elderly parent. Set in Communist Romania in 1987, 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days portrays very realistically the difficulties and consequences which arise when Otilia helps her friend and roommate Gabita to get a late-term abortion which is illegal in Communist Romania.
One not to miss is Don’t Touch the Axe which stars Guillaume Depardieu, in director Jacques Rivette's adaptation of the Balzac novella The Duchesse de Langeais. The film tells the tale of a Parisian socialite who is romantically pursued by a Napoleonic war hero. We Own The Night is an emotional crime thriller which stars Joaquin Phoenix who plays the role of a man who has chosen to hide his past only to discover that he has to confront an inevitable future. The festival has long supported Irish features and is delighted to screen Boy A, directed by John Crowley which was critically acclaimed at the Toronto Film Festival. Boy A tells the story of a how young ex-con Jack, newly released from serving a prison sentence for a murder he committed as a child, tries to start a new life with a new identity while still concealing his past.
This year, the festival is playing tribute to John Dahl, American film director and screenwriter and acclaimed master of the modern film noir who has injected new life into the genre. John Dahl will attend the festival and the screening of his latest film You Kill Me which stars Oscar Winner Ben Kingsley. John Dahl will also take part in a public interview on Saturday October 20 at 12.30pm in the Crawford Art Gallery.
The Corona Cork Film Festival has long supported documentary makers and in 2007 will screen a diverse selection of international documentaries including The 11th Hour, a feature length documentary narrated by Leonardo di Caprio which examines the state of the global environment. In the Shadow of the Moon brings together for the first time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission which flew to the Moon, to tell their story in their own words while Mystic Ball follows Greg Hamilton deep into the ancient and little known culture of Myanmar and its traditional sport, chinlone.
Irish documentary making has never been stronger and this is reflected by the screening of a wide range of Irish films including The Shed, which documents the characters, the chants and the passions of the fans as Cork City battled to win the league, The Adventures of Flannery which profiles singer song writer Cathal Coughlan’s life and Sir Henrys which relives the golden days of this famous Cork institution.
A Wall is a Screen, which is being brought to the festival with the support of the Goethe Institut, is a quirky project from Hamburg which cleverly combines a guided city tour of Cork with a film night. Stopping at various bright walls, the audience walk around the city watching a selection of short films.
An event not to miss is the screening of My Grandmother, a unique silent Russian film that was made in 1929 and banned by the Soviet Regime for 40 years. The film tells the story of a Georgian paper pusher who loses his job and then spends a great deal of effort trying to find a “Grandmother” who will help him land another position. The film will be screened in the Cork Opera House on Monday October 15 and the original soundtrack will be performed live by the 8-piece Beth Custer Ensemble.
Corona Cork Film Festival is delighted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the wonderful film Babette’s Feast which won the Best Foreign Language Film in 1988 with a special screening at its annual Slow Food Evening. Combining definitive slow food film with a tasty treat from Food For Thought and a glass of very fine Febvre wine, it is definitely an evening to savour.
The Corona Cork Film Festival will have a special program on Algerian cinema with acclaimed director Merzak Allouache as its special guest. Allouache’s work is amongst the best of Algerian cinema and the festival will screen many of his films, including the highly acclaimed Bab El Oued City.
An exciting element of the festival is the return of the hugely popular Drive In. This classic event will take place at the old Fords distribution site on the Centre Park Road and the following films will be screened; Roadhouse, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Thunderbirds Are Go and The Black Stallion. There will be two screenings most days – an evening screening and for the first time ever a special earlier family screening where parents and children will be able to watch films from the comfort of their cars while being served refreshments.
For a screening with a difference check out Hotel Diaries directed by award-winning filmmaker John Smith which will take place in a hotel room in Jury's Hotel. Hotel Diaries is an ongoing series of video recordings made in hotel rooms, all of which relate personal experiences to contemporary world events. It is interesting to note that the first film in the series Frozen War was made in a hotel room in Cork.
Since its inception in 1956, the short film has been an integral component of the festival. In 2007 the festival continues its love affair with the short by offering short filmmakers the opportunity to compete for several prestigious awards including the Absolut Award for Best Irish Short, the Prix UIP for Best European Short Film, the award for Best International Short Film, the Irish Examiner Made in Cork Award the Outlook Award for Best Lesbian and Gay Short Film and the Gradam Gael Linn.
Tickets for all events and the festival catalogue can be purchased from October 6 at the Corona Cork Film Festival Box Office which is situated at 56 Patrick’s Street, Top of Market Lane, Cork (Tel: 021 4272263) and from the Corona Cork Film Festival website at www.corkfilmfest.org
For further information contact:
Eimear O’Brien, Press Officer, Corona Cork Film Festival,
Tel: 021 4271711/ 086 8900364
Email: press@corkfilmfest.org
Chatelin Bruno 
