10/02/2003

The eagerly awaited Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) that will take place March 6-13, 2003, has secured a major sponsorship deal with spirits company, TThe Old Jameson Distillery, worth Euros100,000: a quarter of the Festival’s total budget. Further financing will come from the Irish Arts Council (Euros25,000). Rory Concannon, CEO of the DIFF said: “The Jameson investment will provide the necessary fuel for a vital, diverse and important film event”.
The non-competitive Festival will screen a total of 70 Irish and international films in three Dublin venues: the Screen Cinema, the Savoy and the Irish Film Centre. The full programme will be announced within 10 days, but Concannon unveiled key titles that have been confirmed: Alan Parker’s 2003 Berlinale competition entry, The Life of David Gale will have a gala premiere attended by the director and one of the stars, Laura Linney. Three prominent Irish filmmakers will also premiere their new films at the DFF: The Heart of Me by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, In America by Jim Sheridan and Heartlands by Damien O’Donnell.

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