'Authentic' Somalian tragedy and O’Brien biopic best of film festival

'All films in competition for best new Irish feature this year were testaments to the world-class stories being told by Irish filmmakers at this moment,' festival director Fiona Clark said

'Blue Road' director Sinéad O'Shea, producer Claire McCabe, Irish Examiner features editor  Vickie Maye, and judge Hilary Rose at the gala awards night for the Cork International Film Festival which took place at The Everyman, Cork, on Saturday. Picture: David Creedon

The 69th Cork International Film Festival came to an end on Sunday night after 10 days of screenings and events, with an African drama emerging as the festival’s best film.

Just under 200 events were held across the breadth of the competition, Ireland’s first film festival, ranging from the best new international filmmaking, to short films, to question and answer sessions, to screenings of older classics, and even a pub quiz.

The winner of the festival’s best film, The Village Next To Paradise, which follows a family in turmoil in a rural village in war-torn Somalia, was deemed an “authentic, singular, and quietly powerful” film, akin to “a living dream”, by the festival’s jury.

Best documentary at the festival was awarded to A Family, a French autobiographical piece in which filmmaker Christine Angot explores the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father as a child.

The award for best screenplay was given to Greek fantasy drama Arcadia, which deals with the mystery surrounding the formal identification of the victim of a fatal accident.

Meanwhile, an exploration of the life and legacy of fabled Irish writer Edna O’Brien was declared the winner of the festival’s best new Irish feature, which was sponsored by the Irish Examiner for the second year running.

Vickie Maye presents the award for Best New Irish Feature to director Sinéad O'Shea for her film 'Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story' at the gala awards night for the Cork International Film Festival. Picture: David Creedon

The documentary in question, Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story, offers a “heartfelt yet humorous” take on the life story of the celebrated writer — who died earlier this year at the age of 94 — according to the festival jury.

“Through its craftsmanship and nuanced perspective, the film celebrates the resilience, complexity, and wit of one of Ireland’s most beloved authors,” the jury said of this year’s award winner.

Blue Road, directed and written by Sinéad O’Shea, traces the iconic writer’s professional and personal life from her original 1960 novel The Country Girls — which was initially banned in Ireland for its frank portrayal of its characters sexual lives — and features an extended interview with the writer from just before she died last July.

“All films in competition for best new Irish feature this year were testaments to the world-class stories being told by Irish filmmakers at this moment,” the festival’s director, Fiona Clark, said.

“The diversity and creativity in each of the films is remarkable, and it was an honour to showcase every one of these features at Cork International Film Festival.”

Irish Examiner editor Tom Fitzpatrick said the festival continues to go from strength to strength.

“Congratulations to the CIFF team and all the volunteers and venues who helped put on a feast of filmmaking in Cork,” he said.

“We were proud to partner with the festival again and look forward to the 70th edition next year, which is a remarkable achievement.”