It's a Wrap at Irish Film New York: "Knuckle," "The Runway" and "Pyjama Girls" Win Big
Success of inaugural Irish Film New York has festival creator planning to make IFNY an annual event
Online, October 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Ian Palmer's Knuckle clinched the "Moet Best Film" award at Irish Film New York (IFNY), which ended its inaugural three-day run on Sun., Oct. 2. The documentary's sold-out New York premiere brought out a "who's who" of Irish boxing royalty including recently retired middleweight champion John Duddy, heavyweight bare-knuckle boxing champion Bobby Gunn, and Knuckle star, the bare-knuckle fighter James Quinn McDonnagh.
The "Moet Most Promising Film Maker" award went to Ian Power, director of The Runway, while Still Film's Paul Rowley, editor of Pyjama Girls was named the "Moet Rising Star."
Irish Deputy Consul General Ms. Jackie O'Halloran Bernstein presented the Moet Awards at the opening night reception in New York University's Glucksman Ireland House. In the capacity crowd were notables Lenny Crook of Killer Films, Independent Film and Television Alliance CEO Aine Moriarty and COO Deirdre Hopkins, First Irish Theatre Festival Director George Heslin, Irish Arts Center vice chairman Pauline Turley, Irish American Writers & Artists co-founder TJ English, along with noted journalists, writers, actors, artists, scholars, media executives and cinema enthusiasts.
Over the weekend IFNY also screened Marian Quinn's 32A, Parked with Colm Meaney and Sensation starring Domhnall Gleeson. All films were screened at New York University's Cantor Film Center, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2011
"We've sold out many of our screenings so the response has been overwhelming," IFNY founder and director Niall McKay said. "There's a tremendous appetite for contemporary Irish film in New York but more importantly we've been able to spread the word about the quality of these films in the US. We hope to bring the best in Irish Film to New York in this way every year."
Helping spread the word on Irish film was extensive media coverage in New York's Daily News, Irish Examiner, Irish Voice, Irish Echo, Irish America Magazine, IrishCentral.com, GreenCine, IndieWire, DNAinfo, coverage on local TV and New York arts & entertainment listings.
The film festival began on Friday afternoon with an industry panel in which filmmakers Marian Quinn, Ian Power, Paul Rowley, producers Tommy Weir and Katie Holly, and Irish Film Board's Alan Maher discussed contemporary Irish cinema before a packed hall.
Established through partnerships with New York University's Glucksman Ireland House, Culture Ireland, the Irish Film Board and the Irish Film Institute, Irish Film New York was also sponsored by New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Moet Hennessy. IFNY is part of Imagine Ireland: a year-long celebration of Irish arts in the United States in 2011.
For media inquiries, contact: John Lee, 917-653-3444, johnleemedia@gmail.com
For photos and other media info, please go to: http://www.irishfilmnyc.com/about/
For more info on Irish Film New York: http://www.irishfilmnyc.com/