‘Nothing can change our passion for film’
“Pain is temporary, film is forever.” The words of revered filmmaker John Milius ring truer than ever this year as the 65th Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) approaches.
This year’s milestone festival will be a “blended” 12-day event delivering a full programme of predominantly Irish film premieres to local and national audiences, both physically and online.
New and established filmmakers alike will see their movies shown physically to audiences in Cork city and county from 4-8 November, and then online to the nation from 8-15 November (all going well).
Speaking in the build up to the announcement of the festival’s programme this coming Wednesday, Festival Director and CEO Fiona Clark praised the resilience of Cork’s people and said that the spirit of the festival is “alive and well”.
She said: “It is from a position of strength, confidence and pride that we have been determined to safely deliver a reimagined festival this year.”
Launching CIFF 2020 on opening night is the multi award-winning picture ‘Nomadland’, which will be played simultaneously in six screens in the city’s Gate Cinema.
This is to allow as many people as possible to participate, whilst adhering to the Government’s guidelines on venue capacity.
Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and Toronto Film Festival’s People's Choice award, the compelling and compassionate ‘Nomadland’ stars American actress Frances McDormand in what has already been called “the performance of her career”.
On 5 November, Irish feature ‘The Bright Side’, directed by Ruth Meehan, will have its world premiere. The story follows a Dublin comedian who has been diagnosed with cancer as she learns how to trust in life again while conquering her inner demons.
As far a safety measures are concerned, the CIFF has worked diligently to deliver a robust and imaginative response to the changed environment brought about by the coronavirus. All necessary measures to protect audiences, filmmakers and staff have been implemented. Anna Kopecká, CIFF Director of Programming, commented: “The world right now may seem stranger than fiction, but nothing can change our passion for film. Our ambition stands firm – to curate the most compelling programme, and to provide a platform from which aspiring filmmakers can launch their careers.”
All tickets for the 65th Cork International Film Festival will go on sale this coming Wednesday 14 October at corkfilmfest.org.