The award-winning new Irish comedy thriller, I Went Down, had its full gala premiere in the Savoy cinema, Dublin, last night before an appreciative audience. The film, which won four major awards in the prestigious San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain last Saturday, was directed by Paddy Breathnach and produced by Rob Walpole of Treasure Films. The screenplay was by 26-year-old playwright Conor McPherson.
Most of the Irish cast attended, including Brendan Gleeson, who plays one of the two lead roles, Peter Caffrey, Tony Doyle and Antoine Byrne. Peter McDonald, who plays the other lead role, could not be at the premiere as he is currently filming in London.
Presidential candidate and MEP, Ms Mary Banotti, posed for photographs with her daughter, Ms Tanya Banotti, while the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms Sile de Valera, chatted with the cast. Others who came along for the performance were film director John Boorman, Gerry Ryan E and his wife Ms Maurah Ryan; Mr and Dave Fanning of RTE, the American ambassador, Ms Jean Kennedy Smith; and Steve Gately of Boyzone.