An Irish language film shot and produced in Northern Ireland has hit the big screens in what’s been hailed as a cinematic first. DOINEANN – which means ‘stormy weather’ – was filmed on Strangford Lough and is inspired by Rathlin Island. The gripping thriller is set on a remote island where a mother and her baby mysteriously disappear.
Whoever said becoming the Penguin would be easy? Veteran actor Colin Farrell, who certainly looks nothing like the traditional depiction of Oswald Cobblepot in Batman lore, will be starring as the supervillain in Matt Reeves’ upcoming film THE BATMAN. What has gotten many surprised by the sneak peek photos is how Farrell is completely unrecognizable in makeup as the Penguin to the point where most people probably wouldn’t even know that it’s him. Fans can see Farrell in the role when THE BATMAN is released on March 4, 2022.
In NOTHING COMPARES, Kathryn Ferguson’s incisive and poignant documentary about the life and career of Sinéad O’Connor, we see the image that was chosen in 1987 for the cover of O’Connor’s first album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” made when she was 20 years old and pregnant: an extraordinary photograph of Sinéad in mid-scream. O’Connor has made seven albums since then and toured extensively, but in terms of the fame by which the pop stratosphere defines itself, Sinéad O’Connor was a fire that went out too fast. NOTHING COMPARES makes you see it’s still burning.
Doing steamy sex scenes with your boss’s husband was no sweat for Jessie Buckley, one of the co-stars of the awards-contending Netflix film THE LOST DAUGHTER, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Co. Kerry native Jessie earned lots of critical acclaim for portraying the young Leda in the film; the older Leda is Olivia Colman, who’ll surely be among the list of Best Actress nominees when Oscar picks come around.
Northern Irish child actor Jude Hill said he feels “lucky” to have had his feature film debut in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film BELFAST. The 10-year-old said he had “loved” the process of auditioning and working with the “fantastic” cast of older actors. He plays nine-year-old Buddy, a role based on Branagh himself, in the film, which follows a working-class protestant family during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Acclaimed Belfast actress Bríd Brennan has spoken about what it means to her to appear in the first Irish language film to be developed and filmed in Northern Ireland. DOINEANN, which is the Irish for ‘stormy weather’, is the feature debut from Damian McCann with the screenplay penned by Aislinn Clarke. The film also stars LOVE/HATE actor Peter Coonan, Clare Monnelly (MOONE BOY) and Sean T. O’Meallaigh (VIKINGS).
Season 3 of The Tommy Tiernan Show includes a wonderful new interview with Irish acting legend, Gabriel Byrne. The Dublin native reviews his career, discusses the impact of immigration and what his amazing career means to the global Irish community.
Irish actress Clare Dunne, known for her standout roles in the TV drama Kin and the movie Herself, has been chosen as one of the European Shooting Stars of 2022. Organised by the European Film Promotion (EFP) agency, Shooting Stars was established to promote acting talent across the continent. his year, the top 10 up-and-coming actors will be presented as part of EFP’s European Shooting Stars program at the Berlin International Film Festival next month.