Irish Screen America Launches to Promote Emerging Talent
Irish Screen America, a new entity dedicated to promoting the Emerald Isle’s rising showbiz talent in the U.S., is being launched. The org’s mission is to help new talent enter the U.S. market in animation, films, TV, video games and digital media.
With Niall McKay as its exec director and curator, Irish Screen America’s key act will be a festival road show to hit New York and Los Angeles every year.The inaugural festival will take place Sept. 25 at USC and Oct. 2 at NYU.
With funding from the Irish Film Board, the first screenings include “Traders,” (pictured) starring John Bradley (“Game of Thrones”); Daisy Asquith’s “After the Dance”; “Glassland,” starring Toni Collette; and “I Used to Live Here” from Frank Berry.
Besides the screenings there will be Q&As and panel discussions, such as Stories From the Field: Three Irish Film Directors in Hollywood with Ruairi Robinson, Ciaran Foy and Gary Shore in L.A.
McKay is an Emmy-winning producer from Ireland who is now based in New York. He has prior experience with running film festivals such as Irish Film New York, which he founded.
“Most of these filmmakers and artists are established in their respective field, bu have had little or no exposure in the United States,” he said in a statement. “All good film festivals build community, and that’s what I believe we’ve been fortunate enough to achieve, to bring together a community of world-class talent, to show their work and to have fun.”
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