SHELTER picks up the top prize at the Kimolos International Film Festival
Posted: 24th June 2022
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate writer/director Seán Breathnach and the creative team behind Foscadh on picking up the top award at the Kimolos International Film Festival.
The Greek festival, now in its fourth edition took place from the 13th - 20th June and awarded The Golden Tree, the main prize of the festival, to Irish language drama Foscadh, written and directed by Seán Breathnach and produced by Paddy Hayes of Magamedia.
The winners were selected by a five-member international jury, led by French-Algerian festival programmer and manager of Cairo Film Connection Lynda Belkhiria, along with António Costa Valente, director of the AVANCA Film Festival in Portugal, Greek film producer Katia Pantazi, actress and director Korina Kontaksaki, and local director of photography Aristotelis Metaxas.
Foscadh (Shelter) is a poignant meditation on isolation, neurodiversity, and letting go of the past, set in the wild mountains of Connemara. Based on characters in Donal Ryan’s novel The Thing About December, Foscadh tells the story of naïve recluse John Cunliffe who is suddenly propelled into manhood at the ripe old age of 28. When his overprotective parents pass away, friendless John inherits mountain land that is in the way of a lucrative wind-farm development, and he is forced to navigate the choppy waters of romance, trust and vengeance for the first time.
Foscadh (Shelter) stars 2020 IFTA nominee Dónall Ó Héalai (Arracht), Fionnuala Flaherty (An Klondike), and Cillian O’Gairbhí (Blood). Produced by Paddy Hayes (Cumar: A Galway Rhapsody) for production company Magamedia, the film premiered to critical acclaim at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2021, winning Best Irish First Feature at the festival.
The film was also selected by IFTA as Ireland’s entry for the Oscars®’ Best International Feature Film category (formerly Best Foreign Language category) at the 94th annual Academy Awards earlier this year.
Foscadh (Shelter) was supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland as part of the Cine4 scheme, an initiative set up in 2017 to develop original feature films in the Irish language.