Hollywood gathers to honour Van the man for contribution to film

HOLLYWOOD royalty turned out in force in Los Angeles on Thursday night to honour Van Morrison, Terry George and William Monahan for their writing and contribution to film.

Al Pacino presented his award to Van Morrison, whom he described as “a man of huge heart and with great sensitivity pouring out of him”.

Morrison’s music has been used in over 50 major movies, including most recently in Martin Scorcese’s The Departed, where he sang “Comfortably Numb”.

Accepting the award in the briefest speech ever, Van the Man described himself as “speechless,” but that “it had been a long way to Hollywood for a guy who was born in the back streets of East Belfast”.

“When I first came to Hollywood, it was a case of ‘Van Who?’”

He then performed a private concert for the 300 or so guests, where he was joined on stage by his daughter Shana, Paddy Moloney and Maura O’Connell.

The screenwriter William Monahan who is nominated for an Oscar for The

Departed, was also presented with an award at the US-Ireland Alliance event.

Of Boston Irish stock, he described himself as “a paradigm of the US-Ireland Alliance”.

He is currently working on a series of movies with Ridley Scott, including a screenplay on the life of Lord Lucan.

“I used to be a journalist, then I got moral and figured that instead of attacking people who go out and do things, I should climb up on the crucifix myself,” he said.

The Belfast writer Terry George was also honoured at the event.

The former INLA man who spent six years in Long Kesh wrote Hotel Rwanda, In the Name of the Father and The Boxer.

His award was presented by Fionnuala Flanagan, who appeared in another movie of his, Some Mother’s Son, alongside Helen Mirren.

Also at last night’s bash were Charlize Theron, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Griffiths, Eddie Irvine, Michael O’Suilleabhain, Eric Stolz, Cecelia Ahern and senior directors from The Irish Film Board.