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RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Cork director Brendan Canty 'floored' by top prize at Galway Film Fleadh for feature debut Christy
Brendan Canty, the director of the acclaimed new Irish film Christy, has told RTÉ Entertainment he is "floored" by the response to the coming-of-age drama and its Best Irish Film win at the Galway Film Fleadh last weekend. Written by Alan O'Gorman, Christy stars newcomer Danny Power (The Young Offenders) alongside Diarmuid Noyes (Pure Mule: The Last Weeken d, Five Minutes of Heaven). The film follows troubled teenager Christy (Power) after he is thrown out of his foster home and moves in with his estranged brother Shane (Noyes) and his young family on Cork's northside. Watch: The trailer for Christy Christy opens in cinemas on 29 August. "I always knew the home screening would be something special, but I wasn't prepared for just how powerful it would be," Cork director Canty told RTÉ Entertainment after his feature debut's Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh earlier this month. "It was honestly one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. To then go on and win - that was the cherry on top." "Even before the screening, during our panel talk, I could feel it - the audience were really hanging on our every word," he continued. "There was such a buzz in the room. And when the film played, the atmosphere was full of warmth and genuine love. You could sense that people were rooting for it, and that kind of support really floored me." Christy 's cast includes Emma Willis (Vikings, The Young Offenders, Dating Amber), Alison Oliver (Saltburn, Conversations with Friends), Chris Walley (Bodkin, The Young Offenders), and Helen Behan (The Virtues, This Is England '90). The film also features members of The Kabin Studio, a Cork-based community arts collective known for its work in hip-hop and spoken word, and whose Kabin Crew enjoyed a viral hit last summer with The Spark, recorded in collaboration with Lisdoonvarna Crew. The Dublin-based Sleeper Films is among the producers of Christy, which has been funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and BBC Film. Earlier this year, Christy won the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury at the Berlin International Film Festival. Now, director Canty is relishing an Irish cinema release after his debut's success at the Galway Film Fleadh. "I've always believed in this film - the community behind it, the heart that went into it - but seeing how it connected with an Irish audience has made me even more sure," he said. "It's a deeply Irish film, full of hope, humour, and heart. I think it'll really land with people when it hits cinemas." The Galway Film Fleadh winners in full: Best Irish Film: Christy Best Irish First Feature: Horseshoe Best Irish Feature Documentary: Sanatorium Best International Short Animation: Luz Diabla Joe McMahon Award for Best International Short Drama/Fiction: Heat Me Best International Short Documentary: The Miracle of Life and We Were the Scenery (joint winners) Best First Short Animation: One Track Mind James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama: Internal Bleeding Best Cinematography in a Short Film: The Axe Forgets Peripheral Visions Award: Vitrival - The Most Beautiful Village in the World Generation Jury Award: Where the Wind Comes From Best International Feature Film: Dragonfly Best International Documentary: Gerry Adams - A Ballymurphy Man Best International Independent Film: Adult Children Best Cinematography in an Irish Film: Listen to the Land Speak Best Documentary Project: John Lennon's Island Audience Design Award: Beneath the Surface Best Marketplace Project: Ten Mickeys Pitching Award: The Body + Blood Bingham Ray New Talent Award: Jessica Reynolds Best Irish-Language Feature Film: Báite James Horgan Award for Best Animation Short: Éiru Best Independent Irish Film: Solitary and Girls and Boys (joint winners) Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama: Three Keenings
RTÉ News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Irish in culinary and drinks world celebrated in new film
The writer-director of a new film about the work of the Irish in the culinary and drinks world has told RTÉ Entertainment he wanted to show international audiences that there was more to his home country than just stereotypes. Carlow filmmaker Frank Mannion's latest documentary is A Sip of Irish, having previously made Quintessentially Irish and Quintessentially British. "I wanted to make a film that would appeal primarily to an international audience who think of Ireland as just the land of Guinness and Irish stew," Mannion told RTÉ Entertainment. "Since the time of Brian Boru, we have often been stereotyped as a nation of big drinkers. But the irony is that our alcohol consumption has been declining for over two decades - just as our drinks exports have been steadily increasing. "Instead of filming at obvious locations like the Guinness Storehouse, we highlight the craftsmanship of artisan brands like Killahora Orchards in Co Cork, where celebrity chef Anna Haugh raves about its Rare Apple Ice Wine, and Kinnegar Brewing in Letterkenny. Pat Shortt told us that its draught Scraggy Bay IPA is his favourite tipple." "I interviewed Deirdre O'Carroll, the very talented blender of Redbreast, Midleton, and Jameson whiskeys," Mannion continued. "Her interest in the intricacies of whiskey-making was sparked by an innocuous-sounding university module - at University College Cork - called Cereals and Related Beverages. "Jameson sells tens of millions of bottles a year but has historically always faced stiff competition, especially when Prohibition decimated (sic) the local Irish industry. "Almost 100 years later, let's hope that Deirdre and the whiskey industry ride the storm of the tariffs being imposed by the world's most powerful non-drinker, President Trump." When asked for what had surprised him during the making of his film, Mannion said: "I was surprised to learn about the Wine Geese, the dynamic Irish emigrants who became hugely successful in the wine world in Bordeaux, Napa Valley, and Australia. "The Lynch family who gave their name to the world-renowned Château Lynch-Bages were from Galway. "In fact, an 'Irish wine' was the first into space: a 1975 half-bottle of Lynch-Bages made it onboard the Discovery space shuttle, making it the world's most travelled wine bottle. "That bottle is now in the possession of Kinou Cazes Hachemian, the owner of Lynch-Bages. Sadly, I couldn't persuade her to open it for A Sip of Irish. She did claim that it was out of this world!" "I was surprised to learn that what we think of as Irish is not Irish in origin," he added. "Bailey's Irish Cream was invented by a British team led by a South African in London, partly to reduce Ireland's excess dairy production. "I also learned that when Russell Crowe was filming The Pope's Exorcist in Ireland, he came across the village of Muff in Donegal - one of our A Sip of Irish filming locations. He loved Muff Liquor's gin and vodka so much that he invested in the company and brought fellow musicians Ed Sheeran and Ronan Keating on board too."
RTÉ News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
'Judy Garland had that indefinable star quality'
Get Happy! The Judy Garland Songbook is coming to the National Concert Hall in Dublin and Wexford Opera House. RTÉ Entertainment's John Byrne talks to the conductor and brains behind the show, Niall Kinsella. Niall Kinsella is a man on a mission. A bit like Tom Cruise's IMF agaent Ethan Hunt, he's taken on a task that would seem impossible to most folk. Maybe not as dangerous, but it's certainly demanding, ambitious and not for the faint-hearted. Following the success of a programme of Rodgers & Hammerstein's music, which was recorded for broadcast on Lyric FM, and last year's sold-out show celebrating the best of MGM musicals, he decided to set up his own orchestra. And not just any oul' orchestra either. 42-strong, The Niall Kinsella Orchestra is dedicated to bringing audiences the best tunes from film and musical theatre, beginning with Get Happy! The Judy Garland Songbook. On vocals is US singer Joan Ellison who has performed songs associated with Judy Garland coast to coast in the States with more than 70 concert orchestras. Such is her stature in the world of Judy Garland all of Joan's arrangements come with the full support of the Judy Garland Heirs Trust. The show takes place on Friday July 18th at the Wexford Opera House, and the following night at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. It promises to be a spectacular show. The hit parade includes: The Trolley Song, The Man That Got Away, Get Happy, Come Rain or Come Shine, Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart, Stormy Weather, The Boy Next Door, Chicago, That's Entertainment and - of course - Over the Rainbow. Catching up with Niall Kinsella, it's self-evident that this is very much a labour of love for him. John Byrne: Hi Niall. What is it about Judy Garland that she remains this massive icon more than a half-a-century since her death back in 1969? Niall Kinsella: Firstly, it's her voice. She has this amazing, strong voice. And when you hear it you kind of just drop your jaw, and you just go 'Wow, someone's actually singing like that '. As well as that, I think it's the fact that her singing is so emotional and everything she sings is rooted in emotion. Whether it's a painful song like The Man That Got Away or something like Get Happy, which is joyous. And she also had that indefinable star quality. And a lot of the character she played in her films were just so loveable. You couldn't help but love her as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and then she did Meet Me in St Louis as well. You felt that Judy Garland could be your friend. And you've assembled your own 42-piece orchestra. Not exactly the sort of thing you could put together in an afternoon! Can you tell us a bit about that? I was talking about this to a friend the other day. And I said: 'You just have to be a little bit mad to do it'. The thing is, I really wanted to do these sort of concerts, where we celebrate this music from classic Hollywood and Broadway music. It's so uplifting - and it brings me so much joy. I've done a few of these concerts before, with different orchestras, and the audience response has been breathtaking. They are so there to enjoy themselves. They love this music. So I just thought, okay, I really want to set out my stall now, doing these types of concerts. And I thought probably the most effective way to do that is to set up an orchestra, more like a brand, that would become associated with big, Hollywood concerts. Last year I did a concert of MGM musicals and that was the genesis for this. The MGM musicals are so uplifting - and nostalgic as well. I remember seeing all this films on TV when I was a child. Music's obviously been the number one, major obsession in your life. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to this point? I've always loved music, all kinds of music, since I was a child and trained as a classical musician. I started as a pianist, and eventually worked with choirs and started conducting then. In the last five or six years I've really tried to shift the focus of my work towards conducting orchestras, and working with these kind of West End musical theatre singers. It's such an upbeat and joyous genre of music - and people always need a bit more joy in their lives. Now especially . . . There's so much that's terrible in the world right now. I don't watch the news anymore. I find it so, so difficult. So, to go to a concert and experience this music live is complete, total escapism. It brings totally joy - particularly if it's uplifting music. I think it's really important to put the phone down, stop all the doom-scrolling - that we all do - and go to a concert. Go to something. I think live stuff is great because it really forces you to engage with it. It's an immersive experience and we're here - literally - to entertain you. There's nothing like a concert for cheering you up. And our concert is called Get Happy! Can you tell us a bit about Joan Ellison, who'll be the featured vocalist in the show? Joan is a fantastic singer from America. She's been performing Judy Garland concerts right across the States as a guest vocalist. There's so many orchestras over there. As well as singing, she has also reconstructed and restored all of the scores for the music that we're using from Judy's original arrangements. So we're not just getting the songs that Judy sang, we're getting the original versions that you hear on her records and in her films. I came across her work last year when I was doing research for my MGM concert, and I went: 'Oh. My. God!' Firstly, I was blown away by her singing. Then there's the work she does to bring that authenticity back, playing off Judy's own arrangements that she had for her concerts. That, for me, was a real thrill. Not just to do it, but to do it really authentically, was really exciting. And she's fantastic. She's just a great person and a great singer. We're really excited having her on board. And it'll be her first time in Ireland so these are her first concerts here.
RTÉ News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Scarlett Johansson lives 'childhood dream' in Jurassic World Rebirth
Scarlett Johansson has told RTÉ Entertainment that she is living her "childhood dream" by starring in Jurassic World Rebirth, as Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park was one of the first films she saw in the cinema. Johansson channels her inner Ripley - her sleeveless vest and action hero smarts a nod to Alien 's Sigourney Weaver - in the new mission movie from director Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Creator), which opens in cinemas on Wednesday 2 July. Johansson's covert operative Zora Bennett is joined by paleontologist Dr Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) as they try to extract dinosaur blood and tissue as part of a pharmaceutical company's plan to make a drug that could save the lives of millions. Such was Johansson's devotion to all things Jurassic that over the past 15 years she had "reached out" every time a new film was in the pipeline. After Jurassic World Rebirth was greenlit, executive producer Steven Spielberg told director Edwards that Johansson had been "hassling me for months and months about being in a Jurassic film". A deal was done almost immediately. "I was a Jurassic Park kid," Johansson told RTÉ Entertainment. "It had to be one of the first movies [I saw]. I don't remember seeing anything before Jurassic. I was 10! "I definitely did see movies before Jurassic, but none of them hit like Jurassic. I remember the second time I felt like that was when I saw Titanic in the theatre. It was that feeling of just awe. "I remember the scene when they first see the Brontosaurus (Brachiosaurus), when they first encounter them... and then he (Sam Neill as Alan Grant) climbs out of the car and whatever, and she (Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler) turns her head... "That moment and then John Williams' music, I remember just being... I could not believe how it looked. And it holds up." The new film should also please any lover of the blockbuster IP as it channels the spirit of Spielberg's 1993 classic with action, suspense, and loads of big footprints. Jurassic World Rebirth 's release on Wednesday is remarkable given that Johansson and co only started filming it in June of last year. Recalling the physical demands placed on the stars during action scenes in the wilds of Thailand, director Edwards told Empire magazine: "Most actors would have walked off set, given the circumstances." "It was unpleasant sometimes!" Johansson told RTÉ Entertainment. "I would say the locations were incredible, but they were, like, uninhabitable places. And certainly, when you take a crew of people... we had probably 700 crew members sometimes. I think there were 500 Thai crew members and we had a couple of hundred crew members from Europe. You're bringing in, like, all facility - electric, everything - into a place... a place that is full of its own tropical surprises! "It was incredible and you couldn't believe the beauty and majesty of where you were, and working in those locations, they were tough at times!" When asked what's in store for today's 10-year-olds who go to see Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson kept it short so as not to spoil any surprises. "Three types of dinosaurs that have never been seen..." she smiled.
RTÉ News
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
SIX star Alexia: 'I think it's quite inspirational'
Hit musical SIX is back in Dublin and the show's original star Alexia McIntosh has also returned – and she's having a ball - as Anna of Cleeves. Currently running at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, SIX follows the six wives of the infamous English King Henry VIII as they take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. For her performances, Alexia received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical and recently reprised the role on-screen in the record-breaking SIX the Musical Live. RTÉ Entertainment caught up with her the day after the show opened in Dublin and she was in great form. "Oh, it was brilliant," she said when asked about opening night. "I always enjoy performing SIX, it's such a great vibe." And she speaks as someone who there, back at the start, of course . . . "Yeah, back in 2018. The original. It's been quite a journey. It's been a dream come true for me." SIX has enjoyed a remarkable run of success since then. Unlike most hit shows, it was a first-time effort from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a pair of students who thought it would be a good idea to write a musical about the six wives of Henry VII from the wives' perspectives. They couldn't have dreamed of the heights the show has attained. It became a global hit that rocked both London's West End and Broadway in New York. No mean feat. "Exactly!" says Alkexia. "And I remember getting the phone call asking if I'd like to audition. Two students from Cambridge have made this musical. And none of us really knew what it was about. "So we were thrown in at the deep end. I was cast at the last minute, then a week later we hadn't read the script but had to rehearse a song to then perform at West End Live in Trafalgar Square. "You can look that up on YouTube. It's in a raw format. We're all in our clothes (laughs) - and we still hadn't read the script yet! "To see it become the phenomenon that it is, is just amazing." With the exception of prog rock keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman's 1973 concept album The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it's not a subject that would've been part of pop culture. Naturally, it's also not the kind of topic that would feature highly in history lessons in Irish schools, but Alexia McIntosh grew up in Birmingham. Even then, she admits no previous expertise on the subject before SIX came calling. "Well, in school you're taught a bit about Tudor history . . . you don't really go into detail. For me, I knew kind of the basics, but to be able to research these women, it just changes your whole outlook on life because you can't believe what was going on in those times - and what they got away with, really. As for Henry himself? "He was a bit bipolar I think! If you got on the wrong side of him, you would end up dead! I think people were walking on eggshells, to be honest."And a lot of these women were teenagers, they were Ladies in Waiting. To know that they all knew each other and some form of friendship, association, makes it even more amazing. "Because that's not really taught [in English schools]: how he was cheating on his wife with this one; he was in love with these teenage girls; it starts to become really dark when you get into the nitty-gritty of what went on. "I think I was shocked. Disgusted. These women really do need a voice, to say what they went true - we just need to keep their legacy alive." Of course, that's the thing about SIX - it takes this dark tale, six of them really, and turns it in a joyous, uplifting show. That's quite an achievement. The fact that it's been such a hit – and not just in its native England, but all around the world – tells a tale about its impact as a show. "They always say there's nothing new under the sun," says Alexia. "Unfortunately, people will experience some form of trauma in their lives. "I think that the style of the show is telling these stories through songs so that makes it more palatable . . . and actually, we need to celebrate these lives and show that there is hope. "I think it's quite inspirational and that's why people gravitate towards this musical."
