Latest news with #ElementPictures
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Element Pictures claims double win at Cannes Film Festival for second year running
Dublin and London-based film company Element Pictures have won two awards for a second year running at the Cannes Film Festival. The company behind Poor Things and Normal People won awards for Akinola Davies Jr.'s feature debut, My Father's Shadow, and Harry Lighton's feature debut Pillion. Davies Jr. received the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Saturday night's Cérémonie du Palmarès for his film - the first Nigerian film in Official Selection in the festival's history - and is the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the award. Lighton was awarded 'Best Screenplay during last night's Un Certain Regard awards ceremony. Hippo the Dachshund, the dog who stars in Pillon, also received a special mention, winning the 'Mutt Moment' award at the Palm Dog contest. The news marks the fourth prestigious win in two years for Element Pictures, with Jesse Plemons winning Best Actor for Kinds Of Kindness and Rungano Nyoni winning 'Best Director' for On Becoming A Guinea Fowl at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. My Father's Shadow is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis and was described as "A thrillingly vital account of the moment when everything changes" by Screen Daily review. Commenting on the award, the film's producer Rachel Dargavel said: "It's hard to express the pride I'm feeling that My Fathers Shadow has received this accolade. "It was made with so much love and energy and with an ambition to create something that resonated on an emotional level with anyone who took the time to watch it. "For it to have been received in this way is all at once so validating of the human spirit and all at once mind blowing - the first Nigerian film in official selection and the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the Caméra d'Or Special Mention. "Thank you Cannes Film Festival and the Jury for shining a light on our beautiful film, I couldn't be more proud of Akinola." Pillion tells the story of "a timid man (Harry Melling) who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Alexander Skarsgard) takes him on as his submissive". Reacting to the Best Screenplay win, the film's producer Emma Norton notes "This is the most amazing end to a remarkable festival experience. We've all been so blown away by the reception of Pillion and this recognition for Harry's work - from the Un Certain Regard jury - is such an honour. The icing on the cake!"
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Element debuts two films at Cannes to critical acclaim
Dublin and London-based production company Element Pictures premiered two directorial debuts yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival in Official Selection (Un Certain Regard) - Pillion and My Father's Shadow. Both films received strong critical praise and have been described as standout titles mid-way through the festival. Pillion, based on the novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, tells the story of a shy man, played by Harry Melling, who is drawn into a submissive relationship with a charismatic biker, played by Alexander Skarsgård. Vanity Fair called it "a disarmingly poignant drama of discovery", while The Guardian awarded it four stars, describing it as "brilliant" and "what Fifty Shades of Grey could have been". Producer Emma Norton said: "The reception to Pillion is such a testament to Harry Lighton's wonderful warmth and intellect. There was so much laughter and emotion in the room, and we're thrilled that Pillion has been embraced by the critics and Cannes audience." My Father's Shadow, the first Nigerian film ever to premiere at Cannes, is a semi-autobiographical drama set in Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. Screen Daily described it as "a thrillingly vital account of the moment when everything changes", while Deadline called it "a moving universal story". Producer Rachel Dargavel said: "Akinoa and Wale have created a beautiful, poetic evocation of fatherhood set against political turmoil in '90s Lagos. We are also so proud to be involved with the first Nigerian film in Official Selection." Pillion is an Element Pictures production financed by BBC Film and the BFI, in association with Fremantle, Picturehouse Entertainment and September Film. It will be released by A24 in the US, Picturehouse in the UK and Ireland, and in September in Benelux. My Father's Shadow is an Element Pictures production in association with Crybaby and Fatherland Productions. It was developed and co-financed by BBC Film and the BFI. Both films will be released internationally later in 2025 and early 2026.
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Paul Mescal, Bono, dresscode... 10 things to watch out for at Cannes Film Festival
1. Paul Mescal The History of Sound competes for the top prize at Cannes, the Palme d'Or. It stars Paul Mescal and The Crown's Josh O'Connor in a drama set during World War I, which has already been drawing buzz ahead of its festival debut. The film centres on two men who want to record the lives and music of their compatriots. As they do so, they begin to fall in love. The drama from filmmaker Oliver Hermanus also has Mescal on board as an executive producer. 2. New dress rules Jury member Halle Berry had to mount a last-minute frock exchange when she learned of changes to the dress code at the festival this year. 'I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it's too big of a train,' Berry said. 'I'm not going to break the rules. The nudity part is also probably a good rule.' Changes include recommendations on 'voluminous outfits', in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre. The nudity rule is 'not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law,' according to the festival. 3. Pillion's Irish Connections Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney from Dublin-based Element Pictures. Dublin-based production powerhouse Element Pictures — whose many previous successes include Room, Normal People and Poor Things —has two films selected for Cannes this year. Based on the book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, Pillion is directed by Harry Lighton, stars Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling, and was shot on location in the UK. It tells the story of an unassuming man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic biker takes him on as his submissive. 4. My Father's Shadow Element is also bringing the forthcoming My Father's Shadow— shot on location in Nigeria — to the acclaimed film festival. A semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 election crisis, it follows a father, estranged from his two young sons, as they travel through the city while political unrest threatens their journey home. 5. Bono Stories of Surrender, a reimagining of the U2 frontman's one-man autobiographical stage show, makes its debut at this year's festival. Directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik (Blonde, Chopper) the documentary will feature previously unseen footage from the tour as Bono pulls back the curtains on his life. It will also feature performances of many of the songs that have shaped the Dublin singer's life and musical legacy. 6. Learning to Breathe Under Water Filmed in Ireland, Learning to Breathe Under Water has been selected for the Great 8 showcase at the upcoming festival. Starring Rory Kinnear and Maria Bakalova (possibly familiar from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) the film was made on location in Galway last year and introduces young Irish actor Ezra Carlisle in his first major screen role. The showcase will help ignite international interest in the comedy-drama - previous films selected include Kneecap and Aftersun. 7. Enda Walsh Enda Walsh co-wrote Die, My Love. Picture: Dan Linehan The Dublin writer recently collaborated with Cork stars Cillian Murphy and Eileen Walsh - who he first met through Corcadorca's Disco Pigs - on the adaptation of Claire Keegan's novel Small Things Like These. Now Enda Walsh is working with acclaimed filmmaker Lynne Ramsay on one of Cannes' buzziest titles. The Scottish filmmaker returns to the Croisette after her first film You Were Never Really Here won best screenplay at the 2017 festival. Walsh co-wrote Die, My Love with Ramsay and Alice Birch, an adaptation of a novel by Ariana Harwicz about a new mother who develops postpartum depression and psychosis. The impressive cast bringing the film to Cannes includes Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, and Sissy Spacek. 8. The Palme d'Or A scene from The Phoenician Scheme, by Wes Anderson. Regarded as the most prestigious prize on the world's film festival circuit, the Palme d'Or can transform the success of and attention on a film, generating huge interest from both the public and the film industry. Just ask the makers of Anora, last year's Palme winner, which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Among this year's many contenders are Wes Anderson, bringing his star-studded The Phoenician Scheme to the Croisette. US filmmaker Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague - which tells the story behind Jean Luc Godard's French classic A Bout de Souffle - will be a popular contender. Some of the female filmmakers in contention for the Palme d'Or include Mascha Schilinski ( Sound of Falling), Lynne Ramsay ( Die, My Love), and Carla Simón ( Romería). 9. Actors going behind the camera Some high-profile screen stars are turning directors with their latest projects. Kristen Stewart directs a cast that includes Imogen Posts and Thora Birch in an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's bestseller The Chronology of Water. Scarlett Johansson makes her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, which stars June Squibb as a woman who, after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. 10. The Palm Dog: Quentin Tarantino at a previous Palm Dog event. Cinema's most-talented pooches will be ready for their close-ups at this annual award for the top dog at Cannes. Always a quirky and popular event, the Palm Dog is presented to the most committed canine performance at each year's festival. Though intended as light relief as the festival draws to a close, the Palme Dog is not to be sniffed at - previous winners include Messi, the blue-eyed French border collie at the heart of Anatomy of a Fall, and Uggie, the jack russell terrier who stole moviegoers' hearts in The Artist. Cannes Film Festival runs until May 24
Extra.ie
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Éire on the Riviera: Irish films set to shine at Cannes 2025
The Irish are taking over Cannes 2025, here's everything you need to know! Taking place from 13 to 24 May, the 78th edition of the Cannes Films Festival programme includes several Irish-backed productions, featuring a number of big names. The esteemed festival will also see some of your favourite Irish actors stun on the red carpet as the festivities well and truly get underway. The Irish are taking over Cannes 2025, here's everything you need to know! Pic:Most notably competing for the Palme d'Or this year is The History of Sound, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor. Directed by Oliver Hermanus, the film tells the story of two young men during World War I who embark on a journey to record the voices, music, and stories of their fellow American soldiers. This may be a US/UK co-production, however, the film also lists Mescal among its executive producers. Taking place from 13 to 24 May, the 78th edition of the Cannes Films Festival programme includes several Irish-backed productions, featuring a number of big names. Pic: Brian McEvoy Element Pictures has an enviable roster at this year's festival, starting with Pillion, starring Alexander Skarsgård and adapted from the novel by Adam Mars-Jones. The flick follows a man drawn into an unfamiliar world after falling under the spell of a magnetic biker and is backed by BBC Film and the British Film Institute. My Father's Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies Jr., will also premiere. Based on the real-life events that gripped the world, the cast includes Colm Meaney, Jim Sheridan, Vicky Krieps and Aidan Gillen. Pic: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock The film is set against the backdrop of Nigeria's 1993 election crisis and follows a father and his estranged sons as they navigate the turbulence of Lagos during political upheaval. Also featured is Learning to Breathe Under Water which was directed by Rebekah Fortune and shot in Galway. The film stars Rory Kinnear, Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova, and newcomer Ezra Carlisle and centers on an imaginative eight-year-old boy who constructs a fantasy world to better understand his grief. The esteemed festival will also see some of your favourite Irish actors stun on the red carpet as the festivities well and truly get underway. Pic: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance The festival will also host a special screening of Bono: Stories of Surrender, a documentary directed by Andrew Dominik, offering an intimate portrait of the U2 frontman. Another notable mention is Re-Creation follows a fictitious trial where twelve members of a jury must decide whether British journalist Ian Bailey is guilty of the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier in 1996. Based on the real-life events that gripped the world, the cast includes Colm Meaney, Jim Sheridan, Vicky Krieps and Aidan Gillen. The award winning Cartoon Saloon will also present a first look at their next animated film Julián on Sunday 18 May at 10am in Palais K as part of the Annecy Animation Showcase. Julián is the feature debut of director Louise Bagnall, and is supported by Screen Ireland.
Extra.ie
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
'Fragments of time' -- Never seen before snaps of Normal People released
A string of never-seen-before pictures from the set of Normal People have been released, five years after the Paul Mescal-led show took us by storm. The show catapulted the Maynooth man into the spotlight, premiering on April 26, 2020, at the beginning of the global pandemic. Paul starred alongside Daisy Edgar Jones in the series which centred around the love story of Connell and Marianne. A string of never-seen-before pictures from the set of Normal People have been released, five years after the Paul Mescal-led show took us by storm. Pic: Element Pictures/Enda Bowe Set photographer Enda Bowe has taken to social media to share some unseen photographs from filming the show, as he detailed the 'privilege' he feels having been a part of the experience. 'Five years on from Normal People, I've returned to a quiet archive of images — moments held in the hush between takes,' Enda wrote. 'Being the photographer on set was such a privilege on this wonderful project with wonderful people and meant moving gently through the spaces where story and reality met, witnessing the tenderness that unfolded behind the camera.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Enda Bowe (@endabowe) Enda added that the photos he was sharing were 'fragments of that time.' 'The stillness before a scene, the laughter after a line, the soft focus of something fleeting,' he detailed. 'Shared now, with gratitude for the people who made it, and for the ones who watched it and felt something true.' Paul starred alongside Daisy Edgar Jones which centred around the love story of Connell and Marianne. Pic: Element Pictures/Enda Bowe The photographer added that the pictures offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the atmosphere and collaboration that resulted in Normal People. Instagram users took to the comments full of praise for Enda's work, with one writing: 'Absolutely obsessed with your photography. The richness of your photographs and colours. I found you through Normal People and I'm so glad I did!' Another added: 'This is so special thank you for sharing your stunning photos with us.' A third commented: 'Such a beautiful series.' Earlier this year, Paul opened up on adjusting to life after Normal People, admitting there was a 'specific skill set' to being in the limelight which isn't thought of beforehand. The 'life changing' experience of Normal People resulted in the actor shutting down his social media accounts and moving out of London.
