'WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE DINGLE'
GRAMMY AWARD WINNER GEOFF WONFOR HELMS DOCUMENTARY

Geoff Wonfor, who directed THE HISTORY OF THE BEATLES anthology has been in Dingle this week to film the Dingle Film Festival (DFF) the first time a documentary has featured a film festival as its subject. Now in its fourth year, the DFF has played host to many top names in the film industry, including SIR ALAN PARKER, JIM SHERIDAN, GABRIEL BYRNE, SARAH MILES and SAOIRSE RONAN. This year's guests were STEPHEN FREARS (The Snapper, The Queen) and CILLIAN MURPHY (Batman Begins and Dark Knight) who appear in 'WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE DINGLE.'

The Dingle Film Festival first caught Geoff Wonfor's attention in 2009 when Maurice Galway, the Artistic Director, selected and screened the Beatles anthology in its entirety as a tribute to local Irish co-producer Chips Chipperfield. Impressed by Maurice's passion for film and the filmmaking process, charmed by Dingle's unique place in classic movie lore (RYAN'S DAUGHTER and FAR AND AWAY, among others, Wonfor enlisted longtime collaborator, cinematographer/director Eugene O'Connor to help him document the festival.

'WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE DINGLE' tells the story of the gutsy festival organizer who created an event that honours moviemakers, past and present, much like Robert Redford set out to do when he created the Sundance Film Festival.

Wonfor's approach to the documentary is, like Dingle, unique. Using dialogue in the Irish language, Wonfor cleverly recreates classic movie moments from Casablanca, Godfather, Cinema Paradiso and more, thus 'Dingle-izing' them, while weaving interviews by Maurice and local people throughout, and revealing Dingle's own rich history and long-time contribution to the film industry.

THE TEAM
Executive Producers: Geoff Wonfor, Diane Namm and Debbie Vandermeulen
Director: Geoff Wonfor
Writer/Producer: Diane Namm
Producer: Debbie Vandermeulen
Director of Photography: Eugene O'Connor
Line Producer: Eric Mofford
Camera Operator: Conor Kelly
Sound Engineer: Trevor Cunningham
Production Designer: Sica Schmitz
FAS TV & VIDEO Production Crew: Brian Clarke; Caitriona Curran; Zoe Farrell; Niall Gurn; Martin Keenan; Noelia Luque; Etain McGuckian; Paddy O' Shea; Martin Pembroke and Jamie Tanner.

The 4th Dingle Film Festival was a great success and we are all happy with our decision to move the date from September to March. This change has increased our audience, allowed us to screen several Irish films and to have a major attendance from the Irish film industry. Local businesses felt a significant benefit for the first time, with visitors to the festival making a direct impact on the town.

Cillian Murphy(Batman Begins, Red Eye) opened the festival with Perrier's Bounty; Stephen Frears(The Snapper, The Queen) was presented the Gregory Peck Award from Ned Dowd (Last of The Mohicans); Head of RED Europe, Alan Piper came to Dingle, along with Laura Castelli of Assimilate, Eugene McCrystal and Kevin Smart from HoloVis and they presented 4k and 2k files, capturing, editing and presenting.

We had wonderful audiences for our 33 events, including the festival clubs which I am sure are among the highlights of each festival goer. From traditional music in John Benny's bar to the incredible 1930's night in the speakeasy created in Dick Mack's with DJ Rob and the sublime Mary Coughlan signing (certainly one of my highlights).

Right now the documentary being made on the festival, directed by Geoff Wonfor(Beatles Anthology) and produced by Diane Namm, is still being filmed here in Dingle.......no rest just yet!

The gala screening of Perrier's Bounty, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and written by Mark O'Rowe, attracted huge audience interest and it was "house full" at The Phoenix Cinema at 8.30pm on Thursday 18th March. The Dingle Film Festival was delighted to welcome actor Cillian Murphy, who plays Michael in the film, to officially open the 4th edition. The film is a hilarious play on the gangster genre (Dublin sub-division!) melding humour, violence and pathos and also stars Brendan Gleeson (Perrier), Jim Broadbent (Jim) and Jodie Whittaker (Brenda).

Festival director Maurice Galway opened proceedings by outlining the Festival's ambition which is to be realised in the medium-term through a three year plan. This plan has already received the backing of sponsors Tor Cotton and writer Marc Flanagan. Additional sponsors are being sought to commit to realising the plan. Maurice introduced Cillian Murphy who spoke about three generations of connection with Dingle and West Kerry, including his father, himself and now his own children, and the magic of the place. After the screening cinema-goers enjoyed the hospitality of John Moriarty and his family at Lord Bakers in Main Street, into the early hours.

Dingle Film Festival staff and supporters got into character in Dingle to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Mobsters and molls and even a pooch patrolled the streets to a 1920s soundtrack with a sound system concealed in a pram. Film director Geoff Wonfor was on hand with his crew to record the event for his documentary on the Dingle Film Festival. PJ provided pazzazz with his 1923 Model T Ford, complete with running boards for the mobsters, from which they distributed Dingle Film Festival "At A Glance" fliers. The Festival's opening film, Perrier's Bounty, to be introduced by the film's star Cillian Murphy is sold out, but tickets remain for our other three evenings Descendants on Friday 19th, Stephen Frears & The Public Enemy on Saturday 20th and Barry Lyndon on Sunday 21st.

Oscar nominated director Stephen Frears is the recipient of this year's Dingle Film Festival The Gregory Peck Award: For Excellence in the Art of Film.

The director's films include The Queen, Mrs Henderson Presents, High Fidelity, The Van and My Beautiful Laundrette. He has also won a BAFTA for Dangerous Liaisons and his TV adaptation of The Snapper.

The Dingle Film Festival is delighted that Stephen Frears will be in Dingle on Saturday 20th March to accept the award at a special ceremony at Dingle's Phoenix Cinema.

"Gregory had the greatest admiration for Stephen Frears as a filmmaker and fellow storyteller, and he had truly hoped that they would make a film together. Though they were never able to collaborate, it's especially meaningful to our family that this award in Gregory's name will be given to Stephen Frears in Gregory's ancestral home of Dingle." Veronique Peck

The ceremony will include an interview with Stephen Frears and a show reel of his life's film work. Gabriel Byrne and Jim Sheridan are previous recipients of the Gregory Peck Award, which recognises special achievements in filmmaking and was established in conjunction with Gregory Peck's family.

"I am absolutely thrilled that a director of Stephen's calibre will be in Dingle to receive the award this year. I have personally been an admirer of Stephen's work now for a long time. He is a truly great director." CEO Maurice Galway.

Stephen Frears is one of the UK's most distinctive and provocative directors. He began his career in television directing plays by Alan Bennett and Tom Stoppard, and his film breakthrough came with the low budget hit My Beautiful Laundrette. From here he made his Hollywood debut with Dangerous Liaisons which received six Oscar nominations, followed by The Grifters which was produced by Martin Scorsese and gained Frears a best director Oscar nomination. He went on to direct John Cusack and Jack Black in High Fidelity, and Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins in Mrs Henderson Presents. The Queen with Helen Mirren earned him another Oscar nomination, was awarded a best film BAFTA and gained Helen Mirren an Oscar. Last year Frears directed Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend in Cheri, and his latest film Tamara Drewe is due for release soon.

Stephen Frears will be presented with the Gregory Peck Award prior to the Dingle Film Festival evening screening of Public Enemy on Saturday 20th March. Tickets for the film, which includes the award ceremony, can be purchased from the Garden Cafe in Dingle or online from the Dingle Film Festival website www.dinglefilmfestival.com

Wisdom will be opened this evening, Friday 12th March, by Padraig Kennelly, in The Siamsa Gallery at 6pm, all are welcome.

You can enjoy a Mobsters and Molls night at the Dingle Film Festival on Saturday 20th in The Phoenix Cinema where we will be screening the Black & White classic The Public Enemy. Everybody is being asked to play the part and come dressed up as a Mobster or Moll. The party will continue following the screening in our festival club in Dick Mack's where Rob will play 1930's swing and Mary Coughlan will be a special guest.

On Tuesday 9th March, Berry Murphy, pictured here (above right)with Seamie, Joe, Liath and Ruarc, won the prize of a Festival Pass after the hunt around Dingle for the Swag Bags. This fun competition was the brain-child of promotions guru, Annette Llowarch.

On Sunday all the family can have fun at our screening of the children's classic Bugsy Malone, also screening in The Phoenix cinema. Book now from this website using Pay Pal.

See you in Dingle!

We had a wonderful launch for the Dingle Film Festival 2010, 4th Edition, at The Garden Cafe last night. 80 guests including sponsors, artists, journalists, venue owners, volunteers and audience members thronged the cafe. Each received a complementary Programme while Sheila Egan provided free coffee, tea and scrumptious cakes. David and Nigel dressed as "mobsters" complete with spats, trailing our "fancy dress feature", Jimmy Cagney in "The Public Enemy". After the food and drink Maurice Galway opened proceedings with a speech outlining the programme and thanked all those who have supported the festival in cash, kind and effort. He introduced Philip King who formally opened the Programme Launch with an impassioned speech about the role of filmic arts in our cultural life. Dingle now offers a "string of pearls" of cultural events through the year and, through the beauty of the place and personality of its people, is able to attract the very best of national and international talent without destroying its essence.