Eamon, an award-winning dark comedy debut from Irish director Margaret Corkery, to be released at the IFI from 5th Feb

Winner of the Independent Camera Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival
Nominated for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actress at the upcoming IFTAs

‘a pitch perfect combination of comedy and suspense…a small but perfectly formed film’
Variety

This entertaining and quirky tale of a doomed family holiday is having a hugely successful run on the international festival circuit and looks set to be a sleeper hit as it returns to home turf for its release at the IFI from Friday 5th February.

The film follows Eamon, a quietly disturbed six-year old (new discovery Robert Donnelly), on a disastrously dysfunctional ‘staycation’ with his narcisstic mother Grace (feisty Amy Kirwan in an IFTA nominated performance) and his well-meaning but dead-beat father Daniel (an in-form Darren Healy). Eamon’s monopoly on his mother’s affections, with oedipal overtones as thick as the suntan lotion he insists on applying to her, rule out any revival of fortunes for Daniel - the sexually frustrated spare tyre in the trio. In the meantime Amy only has eyes for a Daniel Craig-like vision of masculinity in Speedos on the local beach. Corkery’s stylishly assured writing and direction lay the groundwork for the ensuing debacle; a train of events set off by Amy and Daniel’s wandering eyes and hyperactive Eamon’s consumption of just one glass of coke…

Filmed at Brittas Bay, Wicklow, in the atmospherically rainy summer of 2008, Eamon is a great example of a young director triumphing despite the restrictions of a comparatively tiny budget of €275,000. This is the first of the three features funded by the Irish Film Board’s innovative Catalyst Project to receive a cinema release in Ireland. Corkery was able to secure this support for her debut feature through her promising script and already established international reputation as a director of short films including the Killing the Afternoon (winner of Best Irish Short at the Cork Film Festival and nominated for a Best Short Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival 2006).

Eamon has already garnered a serious international reputation in 2009 as an award winner at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, one of Europe’s premier showcases of independent cinema and as part of the Official Selection at the prestigious Toronto  International Film Festival. The film seems set for more even success here in Ireland having just been nominated in three key categories Best Film, Best Script and Best Actress at the Irish Film and Television Awards. 

The film was produced by Seamus Byrne for Zanita Films under the CatalystProject scheme.  The scheme was devised by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, Screen Training Ireland, Filmbase, The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, TV3 and the Arts Council to mentor filmmakers in the art of low-budget filmmaking and fund successful participants to produce a feature film.  

Both the director Margaret Corkery and the key cast members – Amy Kirwan (The Clinic, The Roaring Twenties), Darren Healy (Love is the Drug, The Clinic, Once and nominated for Best Actor IFTA 09 for Savage) and new face Robert Donnelly (aged 8) – are available in Dublin for interview by appointment with the IFI Press Office.

Eamon is released on the 5th Feb at the IFI. The cast will be in attendance for a Gala Opening on the 5th Feb and Margaret Corkery will take part in an in-depth discussion of the film on Thursday 11th Feb at 6.30pm (the discussion is free but booking is advised).