Film types living in Cork will undoubtedly be flocking to Set For Action – The Cork Film Forum, which will be held on Wedneday August 26th in the Firkin Crane Centre beside Shandon.

All areas within the film industry will be up for discussion at the forum, which is being organised by the Cork Film Centre. The speakers will include Mick Hannigan (of the Cork Film Festival and the Kino Cinema); Mark Mulqueen (Arts Officer, Cork Corporation); Céline Curtin (Galway Film Centre); Nigel Rolfe (video/installation artist); and film maker Liam McGrath, who directed Treasure’s series Home for RTE and whose documentary Francis Barrett: Southpaw was much praised at the recent Galway Film Fleadh.

After the forum, the Cork Film Centre, a non-profit making film resource centre for the Cork region, will be officially launched . . . Liam Neeson’s out, but Robert Carlyle of The Full Monty, Trainspotting and Hamish McBeth fame has been pencilled in to play the father in Alan Parker’s screen version of Frank McCourt’s memoirs, Angela’s Ashes. The $50 million film, which also stars Emily Watson (Breaking The Waves, The Boxer, Metroland), is due to begin shooting next month outside Limerick.

Meanwhile Irish actress Fiona Shaw, who can currently be seen in The Avengers will be among the cast of The Last September, which begins shooting in Co Meath at the end of this month. The film, based on the novel by Elizabeth Bowen, will also star Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon, and will be directed by Deborah Warner . . .