Irish will be well repped in Utah

The Sundance Film Festival announced its 2012 programme (sundance

The Sundance Film Festival announced its 2012 programme (sundance.org/festival) last week, and once again Irish films are among the varied presentations.

Jon Wright's Grabbers, a comic horror, will make an appearance at the snowy Utah event. Written by Kevin Lehane, the film concerns an idyllic Irish village that suffers attack from the titular sea monsters. Sounds fantastic.

Also receiving its premiere is James Marsh's much-anticipated Shadow Dancer. Produced by Dublin-based Element Pictures, the film is a "heart-wrenching" thriller set in Belfast during the 1990s.

Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson star in this latest release from the director of Man on Wireand Project Nim. Both pictures were supported by the Irish Film Board.

Donald Clarke

Donald Clarke

Donald Clarke, a contributor to The Irish Times, is Chief Film Correspondent and a regular columnist