An Irish language film by a Derry-based production company and animator has scooped the top award for animation at the Celtic Media Festival in Wales.
An Béal Bocht (The Poor Mouth) was animated by Derry man John McCloskey and produced by local producers Pearse Moore and Tom Collins, through their Nerve Centre based production company, Raw Nerve Productions with DeFacto Films. And it is the third time the Nerve Centre has won the festival's animation gong.
The feature is an animated adaptation of Irish author Flann O’Brien’s only novel written in Irish under the pseudonym of Myles Na gCopaleen. And it had its TV premiere on TG4 on Christmas Day last year.
The film was awarded Best Animation Award at the Celtic Media Festival, which took place in Llanelli, Wales, last week from Wednesday to Friday.
However, this home-grown animated film is no stranger to awards having also won Best Animated Debut and the Don Quixote For Animation Award at the Galway Film Fleadh in July last year. And it also took the accolade of the Best Animated Film at the 30th Foyle Film Festival.
Speaking about the film’s most recent success in Wales, producer, Pearse Moore, said: “We're delighted at this award. It's the third time the Nerve Centre/Raw Nerve has taken the Best Animated Film Award at the Celtic Festival - we previously won with The King's Wake and Midnight Dance.
"We were particularly please to see this film come together - it was five years in the making, and it wasn't always easy. But John McCloskey has produced yet another brilliant piece of work - and it was great to team up with Tom Collins."
Satire
An Béal Bocht is a satirical look at the life of a young Gael through his eyes as he languishes in Sligo Gaol. The film stars Seán Misteál, Donncha Crowley, Tommy Tiernan and Bob Quinn.
It won the laurels at the the Chicago Irish Festival a few weeks ago - and was screened in Trafalgar Square on St Patrick's Day as part of the London-Irish Film Festival.
By winning best animation at the Foyle Film Festival, which is an Oscar Qualifying Film festival, An Béal Bocht can be now submitted for Oscar consideration in the short animation category in 2019.
It is the first time that the book has been brought to screen and is also the animated debut for critically acclaimed feature film director, Tom Collins.
An Béal Bocht is the 1941 novel in Irish by Brian O'Nolan (Flann O'Brien), published under the pseudonym Myles na gCopaleen.
The book is widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish-language novels of the 20th century.
The project was developed with assistance from TG4 and the Irish Language Broadcast fund and production support from TG4, Irish Language Broadcast fund and Broadcast Authority of Ireland with the Television Licence Fee.
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