John Ford Ireland Symposium
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA), in association with the John Ford Estate and the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is delighted to announce the establishment of ‘JOHN FORD IRELAND’ - the annual Symposium celebrating the work and legacy of John Ford.
The Irish Film & Television Academy will hold its inagural JOHN FORD IRELAND – Symposium in Dublin June 2012
Scheduled to take place in Dublin in June 2012, attracting both public and industry participation from around the world, the Symposium’s diverse programme of events will include a series of screenings, exhibitions, discussions, masterclasses, lectures and public interviews designed to educate, inform and inspire participants by providing insight into the experiences of specially invited guests speakers/experts - a MUST for movie enthusiasts around the world, especially fans of John Ford.
In addition, in the Symposium’s second year, a Film School and Scholarship programme will be established for new filmmaking talent to visit Ireland and attend the JOHN FORD FILM SCHOOL. The annual international participation will enhance Ireland’s local industry’s links with world filmmakers. A Ford exhibition of photographs, documents & memorabilia will also be showcased to the public at a free FORD exhibition.
The Atlantic Film Trail
Ireland has had a long and enduring love affair with the silver screen. It has provided both the subject matter and spectacular panoramas for some of the world's best loved cinemas. Now you can learn about the directors and the stars who breathed life into these storylines, you can experience first hand, as they did, the sheer beauty of the wild and beautiful Atlantic coast and the impact the film industry had on these remote Irish communities. From blockbuster to independent flick, see for yourself the locations in Ireland that provided the stunning backdrops to movies seen around the world. Follow in the footsteps of Hollywood icons, as you trace the series of green plaques that marks the scenic route of Ireland's Atlantic Film Trail.
Filmed in Ireland – Ireland in movies
John Ford still holds the record for winning the most Oscars for Best Director along with claiming the very first AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by President Richard Nixon. Over a film career spanning fifty seven years, Ford directed 136 films, receiving 26 Oscar Nominations. Ford was the first film maker to receive America’s highest honour – the Medal of Freedom! Ford always emphasised his Irishness and paid numerous visits to the land of his parentage throughout his life. His homage to Ireland and to the Irish experience emerges through the many subjects and characterisations explored in his films.
Things to see or do
In 1951 John Ford's greatest movie 'The Quiet Man' starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald was made in the west of Ireland. Much of the film centred around the village of Cong on the Mayo-Galway border. Located by the river at Circular Road, Cong, between actual locations used for the filming, the thatched cottage's ground floor has been designed as an exact replica of 'White-o-Morn' Cottage. Painstaking effort has ensured that all the furnishings, artifacts, costumes etc are authentic reproductions. The Quiet Man Cottage Museum is a novel concept which will give the visitor a total Quiet Man experience as if they were actually on the movie set.
