2012 got off to a great start for Northern Irish director Terry George, when his short film ‘The Shore’ won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short. George now hopes to build on this momentum with the release of his new feature film ‘Whole Lotta Sole,’ premiering at the TriBeCa Film Festival (TFF) on Saturday April 21.

The film, which was also co-written by George, was shot on location in Ireland last spring, and attracted actors such as SAG winner Brendan Fraser (for 2004′s ‘Crash’) and IFTA winners Colm Meaney and Martin McCann (for 2001′s ‘How Harry Became a Tree’ and 2009′s Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne, respectively). Northern Ireland-born Foy Vance composed the film’s music, while Thomas Gallagher co-wrote the screenplay with George. As for the plot, the following is listed in the TFF Film Guide:

In a rowdy little corner of Belfast, hapless young father Jimbo tries to protect his family from the gangster he’s in debt to by robbing the local fish market… which turns out to be a front for the same gangster! On the run, Jimbo holes up in a local antique shop run by a long-lost man from his past. A colorful cast of character actors and a strong turn from Brendan Fraser light up this madcap Irish crime comedy from Terry George (Hotel Rwanda).

The film’s premiere at TFF presents a major festival coup for George, and an oddly poetic one at that. The festival was founded in response to the September 11 2001 terrorists attacks, while ‘Sole’ is an opportunity for George to expand upon what he did with ‘The Shore,’ which was to show to the world that Northern Ireland is not the war-torn place it once was, and that the people — as well as its creative offerings — have moved on.

Terms like ‘madcap’ and ‘crime comedy’ mark an extreme contrast to George’s last feature film set in Northern Ireland, 1993′s ‘In the Name of the Father’. For that film, which George again co-wrote, the country’s political situation weighed heavily on the characters, and its cultural resonance resulted in it being nominated for seven Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and a BAFTA.

Coupled with the success of ‘The Shore,’ it is clear that George has a long-standing successful reputation in critics’ circles, so all eyes will no doubt be on ‘Whole Lotta Sole’ when it makes its big-screen debut late next month. Screening details are as follow:

• Saturday April 21, 8:30pm, SVA Theater 2 Beatrice
• Sunday April 22, 3:00pm, Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 7
• Wednesday April 25, 5:30pm, AMC Loews Village 7 – 3
• Saturday April 28, 3:45pm, Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 8

Meanwhile, full details about the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 18 – 29, can be found here. The festival is also active on both Facebook and Twitter.

Image Courtesy of   http://theshorefilm.com

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The full list of nominees for the 2012 Irish Film and Television Awards have been announced, with old favourites and emerging talents comprising this year’s selected actors, writers and other creative talents.

The 9th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA), sponsored by Irish Film Board and RTÉ, will take place on Saturday February 11 at the Convention Centre in Dublin and will bring together the best in film and television that Ireland has to offer, as well as numerous international stars who will be competing in a handful of categories dedicated exclusively to honouring those from other countries around the globe.

Two-time IFTA winner Ciarán Hinds is back in competition thanks to his strong performances in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, which has already received multiple recognitions from other award bodies, and ‘The Debt’ in which he co-starred with Dame Helen Mirren. Hinds has been nominated in the fields of Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, respectively.

Brendan Gleeson is another Irish actor who has received double-recognition from the IFTA voters this year, as his roles in ‘The Guard’ and ‘Albert Nobbs’ earn him lead and supporting nominations as well, respectively. ’Albert Nobbs’ leads the field alongside ‘The Guard’ with each film receiving nine nominations apiece.

Gleeson’s co-stars in ‘Albert Nobbs’, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Brenda Fricker, are both nominated in the category of Best Actress in a Supporting Role, while the film itself has received acknowledgement in the Best Film, Best Script, Best Make-up & Hair, Best Original Score and Best Sound categories. American actress Glenn Close rounds off the film’s successful IFTA reception as she earned a spot in the Best International Actress.

Aine Moriarty, CEO of the Academy, released the following statement regarding this year’s festivities:

“The Irish Film & Television Awards is Ireland’s showcase to the world of what our small but outstanding film and television community has to offer: excellent and challenging feature films and dramas; entertaining television and engaging factual content. The Irish industry consistently delivers world-class standards of work that is watched by a global audience.

Ireland’s economic struggles have been well documented, but against this pressure it’s heartening to see how Ireland’s hard-working creative community continues to punch above its weight and really deliver.”

The Academy’s shortlist for the Best Film category would appear to be reflective of their endeavour to ‘showcase’ the best in Ireland’s original content, with the four nominated titles covering such topics as cross-dressing (‘Albert Nobbs’) and sociopaths (‘Charlie Casanova’), while delving into black comedy (‘The Guard’) and questions of religious faith (‘Stella Days’).

The final choices for Best International Actress are also of note considering the pairing of Kristen Wiig – for her role in ‘Bridesmaids’ – with Glenn Close, Meryl Streep and Tilda Swinton, each of whom represents a film with a much greater sense of gravitas (‘Albert Nobbs’, ‘The Iron Lady’ and ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’, respectively).

HBO’s fantasy series ‘Game of Thrones’ and Showtime historical drama ‘The Borgias’ were among those honoured in IFTA’s main television categories. The awards will be hosted by Simon Delaney and will be broadcast live on RTÉ One at 9.30pm on Saturday February 11.

For the full list of this year’s IFTA nominees, click here.

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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