22/08/2006

Ken Loach’s Irish civil war film The Wind That Shakes the Barley [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ken Loach
interview: Rebecca O’Brien
film profile] (see the Focus) has become the most successful Irish co-production at the local box office, grossing over €2.8m since its release last June through Pathe.

The Palme d’Or winning film beat recent major Irish hits, such as John Crowley’s Intermission, which took €2.5m in 2003, and Paddy Breathnach’s Man About Dog, the 2004 Irish hit that grossed €2.1m.

The Wind, which was still sixth in the local charts last weekend with a €86,174 gross, is also the fourth highest grossing film of 2006 in Ireland so far, beating stiff competition from Hollywood titles such as Mission Impossible 2 and Chicken Little.

The Irish/UK/Italian/German/Spanish film, co-produced in Ireland by Element Films with financing from the Irish Film Board and TV3, had Irish investments of almost €4 million.

Commenting on the film’s excellent box office results in Ireland, Simon Perry, CEO of the Irish Film Board, said: “This is great news for the Irish film industry. The local audience for Irish films is continuing to grow year after year and we’re delighted to see Irish films compete successfully with major Hollywood blockbusters. The strong support the film industry has received from the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O’Donoghue, and the Irish government is making a real impact and we look forward to seeing more Irish films top the Irish box office.”

The Wind That Shakes the Barley is opening tomorrow in France through Diaphana Distribution and has just been sold by Pathe International to IFC for a US multi-platform release (simultaneously in cinemas and on Pay TV through IFC’s on-demand cable services), ahead of the film’s North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.