20/04/2011

Young Irish director Rebecca Daly is delighted that her very first feature, The Other Side of Sleep [+see also:
trailer
interview: Antonia Campbell-Huges
film profile], will play as part of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight and that she is the first Irish female director to compete for the Camera D’Or.

Daly says, “I feel very lucky to have been able to make this film. It was an incredible experience and an extremely challenging journey, so it’s really amazing to be able to celebrate everyone’s hard work with a premiere at such a prestigious festival. For me personally it’s really a dream come true to have my first feature selected for Cannes.”

Scripted by Daly and Glenn Montgomery, the film tells the story of Arlene, a sleepwalker since childhood who begins to deprive herself of sleep – fearing both what might happen to her and what she might be capable of.

The film stars Irish actress and IFTA Rising Star nominee Antonia Campbell Hughes (Lotus Eaters) and newcomers Vicky Joyce and Sam Keely and was produced by Irish company Fastnet Films (Kisses [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), and co-producers Rinkel Film & TV Productions (Netherlands) and KMH Film Productions (Hungary) with funding from the Irish Film Board (IFB), the Netherlands Film Fund and Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation.

IFB Chairman James Morris said, “Rebecca Daly is a very talented young director and we look forward to continuing to work with her as she builds her career from this excellent international debut. This selection will increase the visibility for Ireland at the festival with the Irish co-production This Must Be the Place already selected for official competition.”