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The 20th Galway Film Fleadh, which takes place from July 8-13, offers film lovers an eclectic week-long programme of events including world premieres, classic screenings, tributes, Irish and International documentaries, features and shorts. The theme of the Festival is Music and Film and over six days the Galway Film Fleadh will screen approximately 70 feature films, 25 documentaries and 100 short films.

The Film Fleadh will open on July 8 with the screening of Fugitive Pieces. Set in Nazi occupied Poland, Fugitive Pieces is a powerful and unforgettable lyrical film about love, loss and redemption. Bonneville, which stars two-time Academy Award Winner Jessica Lange, will close the festival on July 13. Jessica Lange will be in attendance, and the 20th Galway Film Fleadh will pay tribute to her by showing several of her other films, including All That Jazz and Big Fish. The 2008 International Features Programme is very strong and will showcase films such as Surveillance, a gripping thriller which stars Bill Pullman (who will attend the screening); The Visitor, a fascinating film which profiles four people in humorous and dramatic ways as they struggle to deal with the stark realities of the US immigration system and Blackout, a gripping thriller about three strangers trapped in a lift, desperately trying to escape.

In 2008, the Galway Film Fleadh continues to be an avid supporter of indigenous Irish films and will world premiere a broad mix of Irish feature films. These include Anton, an explosive and gripping thriller set in Northern Ireland in the 1970’s; Alarm, a contemporary thriller, directed by Gerry Sternbridge, which tells the story of Molly who is grieving after her fathers violent death and Vox Humana (notes for a small opera), directed by Bob Quinn, which is the music-based story of a homeless man and the 70 strong Galway Baroque Singers.

The Galway Film Fleadh will showcase an eclectic range of acclaimed Irish and International Documentaries. Irish documentaries of interest include Seaview, which takes an in-depth look at Mosney, a former Butlers Summer Camp in Ireland, which now has become a holding centre for asylum seekers from all corners of the globe. Gabriel Byrne- Stories from Home is a revealing and evocative insight into the life and creative impulse of one of the world’s leading actors and Radharc: A Tribute to Joe Dunn is a selection of films made by the unique Joe Dunn.

The International Documentary Programme is full of gems and one not to miss is Taxi to the Dark Side, which is directed by Alex Gibney and won the 2008 Oscar for Best International Documentary. Following the screening, Alex Gibney will take part in a public discussion entitled “ Exploring the Dark Side”. Directed by Sacha Gervasi, Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a wonderful and often hilarious account of Anvil, a band whose music influenced a generation, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, and their last-ditch quest for elusive fame and fortune. The Art of Catching Lobsters is a moving and honest account of loss, grief and hope as Jane Darke records her husband Nick’s life as a fisherman, beachcomber and playwright as he dies from cancer.

Peter O’ Toole is the subject of the Irish tribute and the Fleadh will screen a selection of his films including Jeffery Bernard is Unwell, Rogue Male and Goodbye Mr Chips. Peter O’ Toole will also take part in a public interview, which will give a wonderful insight into the life of this remarkable man.

To complement the Music On Film theme of this year’s Fleadh, the Big Screen in Eyre Square will host a selection of free best concert films ever made. One to note is the Kila Concert film Once Upon a Time, which will have its world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh. Building on the success of last year, Out on Film will screen a selection of gay, lesbian and transgender films which will raise issues of contemporary relevance such as gay and lesbian parenthood and gay marriage as well as re-addressing classical themes such as coming-of- age/coming out and gender identity.

The Shorts Programme will showcase an exciting mix of short features, documentaries and animation. These shorts will be competing for the prestigious awards of Best Irish Short, Best First Irish Short, Best Short Documentary and Best Short Animation. Filmmakers will also compete for the popular Pitching Award.

galway film fair | 10th - 12th july 2008
ireland's only film market

The fair co-ordinates pre-scheduled meetings between film-makers with projects in development and invited Film Financiers, Distributors and Major Producers. Last year, the Galway Film Fair organised 560 meetings over the course of two days where 80 Irish and European producers pitched their projects to the 63 financiers who attended the Fair.

Click on Film Fair to find out more.

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