Ondine Scoops Golden Goblet for Best Cinematography at Shanghai Festival

Ondine, which stars Colin Farrell (Intermission, In Bruges), Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) and Alicja Bachleda (Comme des Voleurs) tells the story of Syracuse (Farrell), an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious creature (Bachleda) in his nets.

The Golden Goblet Awards which are awarded at the Shanghai International Film Festival are seen as Asia's equivalent to the Academy Awards. The festival, which ran from June 12-20, is China's leading film festival, and is estimated to have attracted over 300,000 cinemagoers.

There were eight Golden Goblet awards presented on the final night from over 2,000 entrants. This is the first time an Irish film has received such an accolade at SIFF. Christopher Doyle, Cinematographer of Ondine, accepted the award and spoke in Chinese to a live CCTV (China State television) audience of many millions about Irish film and the beauty of Ireland.

Produced by James Flynn for Octagon Films and Wayfare Entertainment, Ondine had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and opened the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival earlier this year. Shot on location in Castletownbere, Co. Cork, Ondine was co-financed by the Irish Film Board, Wayfare Entertainment, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and RTÉ.

Irish film made a big impression at the festival in Shanghail with Zonad, a light-hearted comedy starring Simon Delany also being nominated for a Golden Goblet. There was considerable media interest with daily coverage on Irish film, two press conferences for Ondine and Zonad, at which the main theme was Ireland and Irish film culture, and a television special on Irish film aired on television in Shanghai.

Ondine and Zonad were two of 13 Irish feature films and a host of Irish shorts that were screened at the festival as part of a special programme of Irish film which formed part of an extensive Irish cultural programme, which is currently taking place at EXPO 2010 Shanghai, which will run until October 31 2010.