RTE joined forces with the Irish Film Board to celebrate a new season of Irish movies on the small screen - "Ireland on Screen" - in the IFC on Thursday morning. The season starts tonight with The Boy From Mercury, and both the film's stars, Hugh O'Conor and the young James Hickey (not to be confused with the media lawyer and Abbey board member of the same name) both turned up to the IFC launch.
Rod Stoneman, chief executive of the Film Board, made the trip from Galway for the party and revealed plans for an even bigger bash. At this year's Cannes Film Festival in May, the board will take a prominent site in the all-important European Pavilion to promote our film industry and attract more overseas investment.
New Irish films which are now ready for Cannes include John Boorman's The General; Pat O'Connor's Dancing At Lughnasa which was produced by Noel Pearson and stars Meryl Streep; and Paul Tickell's Hooligans, which was produced by Sophie Fiennes. Other regulars planning to head for the south of France this spring include producers Katy McGuinness, David Collins, Rob Walpole and Michael Garland.