Irish thriller causing stir in Hollywood

HE’S a plumber by day and an actor by night, but Michael Crowley shouldn’t be unblocking pipes for too much longer.

The Clonakilty man is the star of Winter’s End, a contemporary thriller set in rural Ireland that is causing a stir in Hollywood film circles.

The film, directed and produced by Kilkenny natives Patrick Kenny and Declan Donnelly respectively, has been invited by California-based Cinequest Online to compete in the prestigious second annual Viewers Voice Awards.

The competition is decided by online voting, and with the closing date approaching this Friday, Irish people are being urged to lend their support by logging onto wintersend.net.

Star of the film is Mr Crowley, 43, who plays the lead character Henry Rose, a farmer who kidnaps to protect his land and goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure his family’s survival.

“A friend heard about the auditions and put me in touch, so I went along and within three days I got the part. It was mindblowing, I’ll never forget it,” said Mr Crowley.

“They were so slick and well-organised, it was definitely the best thing I’ve been involved in.”

Mr Crowley was bitten by the acting bug when he got a small part as a dancer in a show in Rossmore.

Local producer Teddy Sullivan involved him in a one-act Macra na Feirme play, and under the guidance of the late John O’Sullivan, his career blossomed.

He trained at the Gaiety School of Acting and featured in the likes of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Plough and the Stars and The Playboy of the Western World.

He is also a founding member of The Midas Players, a west Cork-based drama group.

“The hope is to get into something else out of this. Acting is a dream job but I’m keeping my feet on the ground,” he said.

“I’ve set up my own plumbing business so I can accommodate the acting if I get a big part, but I also have something to fall back on if it doesn’t happen for me.”

Winter’s End has achieved cult status in America and announced its arrival when it beat off competition from 300 other films to take the best picture prize at the Hollywood DV Festival in Los Angeles in December.

The film also scooped two gongs at last year’s Irish Film and Television Awards and a world distribution deal has been finalised with Cine International of Germany.

Director Patrick Kenny described Winter’s End as “a film that defied the odds.”

“It was made on a very tight budget by people who had never made a feature film before. Yet it has attracted amazing actors and has had great success to date,” he said.

The Cinequest Viewers Voice Awards competition runs until Friday.