Sing Street, the new film from Once and Begin Again director John Carney, is one of a number of new additions of Irish interest to the line-up for the legendary South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas next month.
The music-driven comedy-drama, which has its Irish premiere at the Audi Dublin International Film Festival next week, will screen in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW. Sing Street had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah last month and received rave reviews.
Set in 1980s Dublin, Sing Street stars Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy. It tells the story of Conor (Walsh-Peelo) who is forced to leave private school for a far tougher inner-city education experience when economic reality bites.
Young hearts run free in Sing Street
He falls for Raphina (Boynton) and invites her to appear in his band's music videos. She agrees, but the problem is Conor doesn't actually have a band. Yet.
Reinvented as 'Cosmo', Conor gets together with a bunch of like-minded teenage souls to make music, and so embarks on the journey that will change his life.
Joining Sing Street at the festival are two live-action short films. Simon Bird's "dark fairytale" Ernestine & Kit is based on Kevin Barry's story of the same name and has been adapted by the director and author, while Damien O'Donnell's How Was Your Day? is about a woman awaiting the birth of her first child.
Alex Sherwood, Ben Harper and Sean Mullen's shipwreck thriller Geist and Conor Whelan's house party love story Snowfall are now part of SXSW's Animated Shorts programme.
Last week it was announced that the Irish-UK co-production I Am Not a Serial Killer would receive its world premiere at SXSW.
Cork director Billy O'Brien has adapted the Dan Wells bestseller of the same name for the big screen and his supernatural thriller stars Back to the Future's Christopher Lloyd alongside Max Records (Where the Wild Things Are) and Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad).
I Am Not a Serial Killer tells the story of John Wayne Cleaver, a 16-year-old who is obsessed with serial killers but fears he may become one himself. When a series of murders takes place in his hometown, John decides to investigate, knowing that it may push him even closer to the edge.
Max Records in I Am Not a Serial Killer
The festival will also host the world premiere of the new cable series Preacher, which stars Love/Hate's Ruth Negga.
Based on writer Garth Ennis and illustrator Steve Dillon's cult comic, Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer (Mamma Mia!'s Dominic Cooper), a Texan preacher who becomes possessed by a supernatural creature.
Joining him on his adventures are his ex-girlfriend, criminal crack-shot Tulip (Negga), and Irish vampire Cassidy (This is England star Joseph Gilgun).
The trio embark on a journey to find God and hold him accountable for "abandoning mankind".
The 10-episode first season of Preacher will premiere on AMC later this year, and is executive produced and co-directed by actor Seth Rogen.
Receiving its North American premiere at SXSW is War on Everyone, the new black comedy from The Guard and Calvary director John Michael McDonagh. Starring Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Michael Peña (Fury) and Theo James (Divergent), War on Everyone tells the story of two corrupt police officers who appear to have picked the wrong person to victimise.
Another North American premiere is the documentary I Am Belfast from director Mark Cousins.
The SXSW Film Festival runs from March 11-19.
