The Irish horror film FRÉAMHACHA will have its world premiere at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland today.
Written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, the Irish language feature stars an all-female cast including Clare Monnelly (Doineann, Moone Boy), Bríd Ní Neachtain (The Banshees of Inisherin, Róise & Frank), and Ukrainian actress Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya (F20).
FRÉAMHACHA (international title : FRÉWAKA) revolves around care worker Shoo (Monnelly), who is sent to a remote Irish-speaking village to care for an agoraphobic woman (Ní Neachtain), who fears both the neighbours and the Na Sídhe – sinister folkloric entities she believes abducted her decades before.
As the pair develop a deep connection, Shoo becomes consumed by the old woman’s paranoia, rituals, and superstitions, eventually confronting the horrors from her own past.
Produced by Dermot Lavery for DoubleBand Films (Doineann) and by Patrick O’Neill for Wildcard, FRÉAMHACHA was funded through the Cine4 scheme, supported by TG4, Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, and Section 48 which is the same scheme that funded the Academy Award nominated Irish film An Cailín Ciúin.
Máire Ní Chonláin, Commissioning Editor : “TG4 is immensely proud to support ‘FRÉAMHACHA’, a film that not only showcases the rich storytelling traditions of Ireland but also highlights the power of the Irish language in contemporary cinema. Aislinn Clarke and her talented cast have created a haunting and deeply resonant film that we believe will captivate audiences at Locarno and beyond. We are thrilled to see this Irish language film take its rightful place on the international stage and look forward to its impact in both the Irish and global film communities.”
New Europe Film Sales is handling international sales for the film. Wildcard Distribution will release the film in Irish cinemas in 2025.
The 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place August 7th – 17th 2024.
CINE4
The Cine4 development scheme is now open for applications.
Further Information : https://www.tg4.ie/en/information/press/press-releases/2024-2/the-cine4-development-scheme-for-feature-film-is-now-open-for-applications/
