The new Irish film, Inside I'm Dancing, was the clear winner of the Audience Award at the closing ceremony of the 58th Edinburgh International Film festival on Sunday night.
Directed by Damien O'Donnell, the film charts the problems faced by two disabled Dubliners as one of them (Steven Robertson), who has cerebral palsy, is taken under the wing of the other (James McAvoy), a brash young man with muscular dystrophy. The cast also features Romola Garai, Gerard McSorley, Brenda Fricker and Tom Hickey.
O'Donnell's third feature film, Inside I'm Dancing is his first picture set and shot in his native Dublin, following East is East and Heartlands, both of which were set in the north of England.
In the voting for the prestigious Edinburgh award, his film led a field that included the new Northern Ireland production, Mickybo and Me; the festival's opening presentation, The Motorcycle Diaries; and the current US box-office champion, Zhang Yimou's martial arts epic, Hero. Former winners of the Audience Award at Edinburgh have included Amelie, Billy Elliot, Rabbit Proof Fence and The Full Monty.
Inside I'm Dancing was produced by James Flynn and Juanita Wilson of the Irish production company, Octagon Films, and was co-financed by WT2, the low-budget division of British production company Working Title, and the Irish Film Board.
Producer Juanita Wilson said: "It is a privilege to win the Audience Award which is such an important imprimatur for the film, and we would like to thank the festival for providing us with such an excellent platform for the forthcoming release".
The film has been selected to open the 49th Cork Film Festival on October 10th, and it will go on Irish release shortly afterwards.