THE 41st Cork Film Festival opened last night at the city's Opera House with a screening of Trevor Nunn's adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
Starring Richard E. Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Nigel Hawthorne and Ben Kingsley, it played to a packed auditorium, Present were cast members Stephen MacKintosh and Peter Gunn.
Among the highlights of this year's Festival is The Uncle Jack, the latest film from acclaimed documentary maker John T. Davis, which receives its world premiere next Saturday. The urban comedy Snakes and Ladders, directed by Trish McAdam and starring Tom Boyd, Gina Moxley, Sean Hughes and Rosaleen Linehan will have its Irish premiere following its screenings at the Toronto and San Sebastian festivals.
Other world premieres include Spaghetti Show an Irish/Italian co production starring Brendan Gleeson, and Draoicht, a one hour Irish language drama, directed by Aine O'Connor from a script by Gabriel Byrne.
As always, the festival features a strong selection of international short films, many of them competing for the best European short film and best Irish short awards. Three further awards for short films are available for the first time this year.
Other new programming strands this year include the "discovery" section for work by new directors, a "Pink Series" of films with gay or lesbian themes, and Late Night Special screenings of horror movies and music documentaries.
The Schools Programme, running every morning in the Opera House, aims to give school groups the opportunity of viewing a wide range of film and learning about film making. The festival has changed its name from the Cork International Film Festival to the Murphy's Cork Film Festival reflecting an increased financial commitment from the company.
The festival closes on Sunday with a screening of Trojan Eddie, written by Irish playwright Billy Roche.
