Dublin International Film Festival gets underway

One of the biggest film festivals in Europe was launched tonight in Ireland with the promise of controversy and the best in international cinema.

The 5th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival was officially opened by award-winning director John Carney.

Organisers revealed a host of stars who will turn out for some of the 109 movies to be shown during the event from February 16 to 25.

Irish actor Gabriel Byrne will attend the critically-lauded opening film, Jindbyne, as well as taking part in a public interview.

Ed Burns’ The Groomsmen is this year’s Midweek Gala this year and will be among the viewers will be Burns himself and his supermodel wife Christy Turlington.

Rock band The Thrills will be present for the screening of their documentary while actor and director Sarah Polley will attend her films Away From Here and The Secret Life of Words.

The subject of a major festival retrospective, legendary producer Jeremy Thomas will attend the screening of his film adaptation of Fast Food Nation.

Another legend, Leslie Phillips will attend the screening of Oscar nominated Venus while highly regarded director Shane Meadows will be at the screening of his latest film This is England.

Controversy at the festival this year comes from the premiere of US director Amy Berg’s documentary Deliver Us From Evil.

It follows Irish convicted paedophile priest Oliver O’Grady who served seven years in a California jail on charges of child molestation.

O’Grady, who admitted to molesting 25 children while a parish priest in California, was deported to Ireland in 2001 and is believed to live in Dublin.

Organisers say films From Japan to Russia, Europe, the Americas and beyond with great global themes and powerful images will enchant, provoke and enlighten the audience.

Many of the festival titles come with honours from the Golden Globes, the Oscars and the prestigious independent film festivals including all four of the unreleased Best Foreign Language Oscar nominees.

Rory Concannon, Festival CEO said: “This is an event that has become a major force in the national cultural life of the country. Through the continued collaboration with our funders and sponsors it has become secure in a remarkably short period of time, a security that has allowed the programme to flourish in an astonishing array of interesting directions.”