Rostrevor Director's Film makes its American debut

A film produced, written and directed by Rostrevor man John Farrelly has just had its North American debut at prestigious festival ahead of Halloween. The Irish-Language Horror Film was premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 19.

An Taibhse (The Ghost) is the first-ever Irish-language horror film. It was also recently awarded the prestigious Honorary Award for Language Preservation at the Pigeon International Film Festival (PIFF) in Ísafjörður, Iceland. This award celebrates the film's outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of indigenous languages through cinema.

Farrelly is joined by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan as executive producer. The film has already earned critical acclaim at major festivals, where it sold out the 800-seat Odeon Luxe in London Leicester square, and continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its unique blend of horror and Irish cultural heritage.

An Taibhse will also be playing at the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin as part of the IFI Horrorthon on October 26th, offering Irish audiences another chance to see the film before Halloween. The following day, An Taibhse will screen at the Ennis Fantastic Film Festival on October 27th.

An Taibhse is the first-ever horror film produced entirely in the Irish language, breaking new ground in genre cinema.

Reflecting on the film’s themes, Farrelly stated, "The film delves into the trauma and devastation caused by the Great Famine. Ghost stories, by their nature, are about the past haunting the present, making them a perfect vehicle for exploring themes of trauma and abuse."

He continued, "With An Taibhse, we wanted to illustrate how the horrors of history continue to echo through generations. The supernatural serves as a metaphor for these real-life terrors, showing that the past is never truly buried and can still affect the present.”

The Cast

Tom Kerrisk - Éamon
Livvy Hill - Máire
Anthony Murphy - Land Steward Tom Stafford - Coachman

The Crew

John Farrelly - Producer, Writer, Director, Cinematographer & Editor
Tom Kerrisk - Executive Producer, Composer
Jim Sheridan - Executive Producer
Ross Power - Cinematographer
Tom Stafford - Production Sound
Cathal Fitzpatrick - 1st Assistant Director
Dario Nunes - Camera Assistant
Ally Donald - Composer
Simon Osiewicz - Boom Operator
Noelle Rowley Sound Designer
Kevin McCloskey Sound Mixer
Rebecca Monaghan - 2nd AD & Irish Translator
Aisling Doyle - Prosthetic Make Up
Reuben Harvey - Additional Music

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