Irish woman on 'Variety' directors list

Oscar-nominated Irish director Juanita Wilson has made Variety  magazine's top 10 directors to watch in 2011.

The industry bible compiles the list from surveys of movie insiders along with Variety's critics, editors and reporters. Ms Wilson is the only woman on the list.

Ms Wilson, who is married to well-known film producer James Flynn, said: "I don't know how this list was compiled, but it was a big surprise to be chosen from all the directors in the world that could have been chosen."

Wilson's first feature film As If I Am Not There  is due out in Ireland next year and has already received strong reviews on the festival circuit.

As If I Am Not There  is a story of a young woman from Sarajevo whose life is shattered the day a young soldier walks into her apartment and tells her to pack her things. The film is an adaptation of the book by Croatian author Slavenka Drakulic based on evidence given to the International Criminal Tribunal and is entirely in Serbo-Croat.

The film was screened at the Cairo Film Festival last week and won a Golden Pyramid award. It will be shown at the Dublin Film Festival in February and go on general release two weeks after that.

Ms Wilson was nominated this year for an Oscar for her short film The Door. It was based on the Chernobyl disaster.

In 2012 Wilson's company Octogon Films plans to adapt the American crime novel  The Ones You Do  for the big screen. It was written by Daniel Woodrell, who also wrote the novel  Winter's Bone  which has been turned into an acclaimed movie.