Oscar winner 'Once' may have Irish cinema encore

ONCE, THE low-budget film that has become one of the most unexpected success stories in Irish cinema history, may be re-released after winning an Oscar for best original song with Falling Slowly.

Buena Vista Ireland, the sole distributors of the film here, and the film's producers, who are in Los Angeles, were in talks yesterday to re-release it in cinemas.

Despite winning the prestigious audience prize at the Sundance film festival and enjoying critical and commercial success in the United States, Once only received a limited distribution when it was released here last March and it did not feature in the top 100 box-office films in Ireland in 2007.

Once also won best foreign film at the Spirit Awards for independent films in Santa Monica, California, just before the Oscars ceremony.

Ruth Bradley, publicity and promotions manager for Buena Vista, said: "It's entirely up to the film-makers. If it is something that the film-makers want to do, we would be delighted. It was a real joy to work on."

Irish Film Board chairman James Morris said the difficulties that even a critically acclaimed film like Once had in getting distribution in Ireland showed the obstacles that films made here faced.

"Films have to do very well in the first weekend because there is so much competition for screen space," Mr Morris said.

"We are developing ideas to see if we can make it attractive to exhibitors to create a separate approach to certain pictures to give them time to find their audience without being knocked out the first weekend because they did not get the numbers.

"Once was made for the big screen. The ratio of Irish films that are good, that people would really enjoy if they knew they were there and if they were available, is greater than is being achieved at the moment, that's for sure."

Mr Morris said the success of Once, which has taken nearly $10 million at the US box-office despite only having a budget of €130,000, had created a buzz for the Irish production companies which went to LA last week looking for deals.

"Hollywood is a small town in a way and a big market place. The word has got out and it has undoubtedly helped to make things a little easier, though it still won't be easy."

President Mary McAleese led tributes to the film's leading actors Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who sang Falling Slowly. She said it was indicative of a "tremendously successful year" for Irish film-makers and "a further sign of the inexhaustible supply of creativity and talent with which this country has been blessed".

Minister for the Arts Séamus Brennan said the Oscars for Hansard and Irglova and for Daniel Day-Lewis, who won best actor for his role in There Will be Blood, was "wonderful news" for the film community.