www.declanrecks.com writer/director

Pure Mule -The Last Weekend nominated for 7 IFTAS 2

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:15:13 +0000

The 2010 Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) Nominees have been unveiled. Pure Mule - The Last Weekend has been nominated in 7 categories:

Best Director - Declan Recks
Best Script - Eugene O Brien
Best TV Series
Best Editing - Isobel Stephenson
Best Actress - Charlene McKenna
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Dawn Bradfield
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Diarmuid Noyes

The winners of all 37 Film and Television categories will be announced at the 7th Annual IFTA ceremony on Saturday, February 20th in Dublin. All of the categories have been shortlisted by Academy Members and Jury panels of experts from around the world.

EDEN and PURE MULE in ROME

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:33:43 +0000

The Third edition of the IrishFilmFesta is scheduled from 27th until 29th november 2009, again at Casa del Cinema in Rome. Among this year films: Eden, Declan Recks' debut in a feature-length film, where an apparently simple plot – a wedding crisis -is realized with an astonishing visual flavour; Kings (with Colm Meaney) a film – in Gaelic – about the experience of the Irish generation, fifty years old nowadays, who emigrated into England in the Seventies; Isolation, that revisits the horror genre setting it in a small farm with John Lynch as the main character; the small revelation Kisses – following the escape of two children through the nightly Dublin streets; Hunger, by Steve McQueen, film winner of the Camera d'Or at Cannes Festival 2008, that raises Bobby Sands' tragedy into a painful work of art. Absolute previews for The Eclipse, a supernatural drama, deep and surprising, written by Conor McPherson, starring Ciarán Hinds and Aidan Quinn; and for Eamon, writer/ director Margaret Corkery’s debut, awarded by the Independent Camera Award at the Festival of Karlovy-Vary 2009.

Last year IrishFilmFesta presented some documentaries of absolute artistic value, while this time in the selection there will be television short series, as a confirmation that also in Ireland tv movies have much improved in quality. In the programme there will be two episodes of the most successful RTÉ series: Prosperity and Pure Mule.

Finally, IrishFilmFesta will host in Rome a prestigious international actress: Eileen Walsh, lead of Eden and also Pure Mule. But Italian audience should remember her specially for The Magdalene Sisters, winner of the Golden Lion in Venice FF 2002. The other confirmed guests are: director Declan Recks, screenwriter Eugene O'Brien, producer Seamus Byrne and Barry Monahan, lecturer of History of Cinema at University College of Cork.

Press_Release_IFF.3.pdf

PURE MULE DVD in shops

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:34:29 +0000

The 13th of November saw the DVD release of the complete box set of ‘Pure Mule’ from Element Pictures Distribution. The series is directed by IFTA winner Declan Recks (Eden) and Charlie McCarthy (The Clinic) and produced by David Collins (Eden, Once) and Peter Norris (Whistleblower). The series executive producer is Ed Guiney (Five Minutes of Heaven) and the cast involved include IFTA winner Charlene McKenna (Raw), IFTA nominee Garrett Lombard (Rough Diamond) and IFTA winners Tom Murphy (Adam and Paul) and Dawn Bradfield (The Clinic).
‘Pure Mule’, written as a 6 part series in 2005 by playwright Eugene O Brien, takes place in a market town in the midlands, neither urban nor rural. The series revolves around the lives of Shamie, Scobie, Kevin, Deirdre, Therese and Jennifer. Each episode focuses on one of the characters for one weekend and they all weave in and out of each others stories as the series evolves.
This special edition box set also includes the 2009 follow-up drama, ‘Pure Mule:the Last Weekend’, which reunites many of the characters of the original series set against the background of the recession. Scobie once a skilled labourer is now a security guard on an abandoned building site. With no real prospects, he’s booked a flight to Australia to join his brother and hopefully start a new life. The weekend Scobie is due to depart, Jennifer (Charlene McKenna) suddenly returns to the town after a four year absence, to bury her mother. Will she be a reason for Scobie to stay?
The ‘Pure Mule’ series garnered five IFTA awards in 2005 including Best Director (Declan Recks), Best Actor (Tom Murphy) and Best Actress (Dawn Bradfield). It is being released on Friday, November 13th, with a 15 certificate.
Follow PURE MULE on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/PureMule

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE
http://elementpictures.ie/shop/

PURE MULE - THE LAST WEEKEND airs on RTE 1 - DVD launch soon

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:48:11 +0100

Cast and Crew of PURE MULE - THE LAST WEEKEND
PURE MULE - The Last Weekend aired on RTE 1 on the 6th and 7th of September after a very short, but intensive 6 weeks of picture and sound post.
Picture editor at Egg Post Production was Isobel Stephenson and Patrick Drummond was the supervising Sound Editor for Ardmore Sound.
Element Films Distribution also announced that they will release the complete series on DVD with a launch on November 13th.
Group ADR recording at ARDMORE SOUND

PURE MULE - THE LAST WEEKEND SHOOTS IN OFFALY

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:13:30 +0100

A new two part special of RTÉ’s 2005 hit drama, ‘Pure Mule’, has started shooting in-and-around Birr Co. Offaly. Produced by Accomplice Television ‘Pure Mule: The Last Weekend’ will come to our screens this autumn. ‘Pure Mule’ is written by Eugene O’Brien, directed by Declan Recks, produced by David Collins, Peter Norris and exec produced by Ed Guiney.
Featuring a cast of Irish actors including Charlene Mc Kenna (Raw, Whistleblower), Garrett Lombard (Rough Diamond, Love Is A Drug), Dawn Bradfield (The Clinic), Gail Fitzpatrick (Strength and Honour), Orla Fitzgerald (The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Liam Carney (Speed Dating) and many more besides, the original series gained critical and commercial success when the final episode of the first series culminated with an audience of 437,000.
New faces joining the cast will be J.J Feild (Blood The Last Vampire, Goal) and Diarmuid Noynes (Five Minutes of Heaven, Prosperity)
The drama, which has five IFTA’s under its belt from the first series including Best Director and Best Actress, will be shooting for four weeks in Birr town and the surrounding areas. Director of Photography is Owen Mc Polin (The Take), whilst editor of the series will be Isobel Stephenson.
RTÉ Television will repeat the original six part series of ‘Pure Mule’ on RTÉ One in late July in order to give viewers a chance to see the whole series again before the new episodes.

EDEN continues on festival circuit

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:58:51 +0100

In the past month EDEN has played at the ASHLAND INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL in Oregan (US), the SHADOWLINE FESTIVAL CULTURE GIOVANI in Salerno (Italy), MOSAICO D’EUROPA FILM FESTIVAL in Ravenna (Italy) and CPH:PIX in Copenhagen (Denmark)

Peppe D’Antonio (Festival Director SHADOWLINE FESTIVAL), Declan Recks and Eugene O’Brien at the EDEN QandA.

EDEN released on DVD in the US

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:05:38 +0000

The DVD of EDEN goes on sale today at all major retailers and online stores. You can purchase directly from AMAZON at the link below.

The disc is in the original widescreen format and features a commentary with Declan Recks, Eugene O’Brien and Eileen Walsh.

The disc is Region 1 for the US and Canada.

Eileen Walsh wins Best Actress at IFTAS

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:09:32 +0000

Eileen Walsh picked up the Best Actress in a film award at the annual IFTA awards held in Dublin for her role as Breda in EDEN. The film was nominated in the following categories:

Best Director - Declan Recks
Best Supporting Actress - Lesley Conroy
Best Editing - Gareth Young

EDEN Nominated for 4 IFTAS and Best Film at Celtic Media Festival

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:12:34 +0000

EDEN has been nominated for 4 IFTAS (Irish Film and Television Awards). The film was nominated in the following categories:

Best Director - Declan Recks
Best Actress - Eileen Walsh
Best Supporting Actress - Lesley Conroy
Best Editing - Gareth Young

The full list of nominees can be found at:
http://www.ifta.ie/nominees09/index.htm

The IFTAS will be announced on the 14th of February.

EDEN has also been nominated in the Best Film Category at the 30th annual Celtic Media Film Festival.

The Celtic Media Festival's aim is to promote the languages and cultures of the Celtic countries on screen and in broadcasting and is supported by broadcast, film, cultural and economic development organisations throughout the Celtic countries of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.
For the full shortlist visit: www.celticmediafestival.co.uk/shortlist.

UK 's High Point Films takes rights to Eden

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:14:42 +0000

SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
Audrey Ward
12 Jan 2009 18:07

High Point Films, the theatrical division of High Point Media Group, has taken world-wide rights outside Ireland and North America for Eden.
Eden, Declan Recks' feature debut, was produced by David Collins (Once) for Samson Films, with funding from the Irish Film Board, RTE and the Broadcast Commission of Ireland.
Focusing on the disintegration of a marriage approaching its tenth anniversary, Eden stars Aidan Kelly and Eileen Walsh. Walsh won best actress at the Tribeca Film Festival last April for her performance as an emotionally neglected wife.
The film also won best film at the Boston Irish Film Festival and has been nominated for best director, best actress, best supporting actress and best editing at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA). The winners of the IFTA will be announced in Dublin on February 14.
Kerry Fitzgerald, Managing Director of High Point said "David Collins has a knack for producing interesting films that break through."
High Point will launch Eden at the European Film Market in Berlin in February.