Talent Talks, with Gabriel Byrne and other stars, at Whistler Film Festival, to December 20
The revered Irish actor will be honoured at the 20th annual festival’s signature speaker series
Gabriel Byrne in The Death of a Ladies’ Man.
Whistler Film Festival is on until December 20, with films available for viewing until December 31.
THE 20TH ANNUAL Whistler Film Festival is now on, online, with nearly 100 titles to catch from your couch. Apart from screenings, another highlight is its signature series of Talent Talks.
These happenings showcase the work of established and emerging artists who are participating in the fest. This year, five talents will take part in intimate interviews and will be recognized with an award.
One of the 2020 honourees is Irish actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and cultural ambassador Gabriel Byrne. He stars in in the National Festival VOD premiere of The Death of a Ladies’ Man (December 9). In the Canadian/Irish co-production directed by WFF alumnus Matt Bissonnette, Byrne plays Samuel O’Shea, who loses his mind to the music of Leonard Cohen.
Byrne will be receiving the Maverick Award at the December 9 Talent Talk.
Maverick indeed: Byrnes has had a distinguished and varied career, beginning at Dublin’s Focus Theatre before joining London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1979.
His star started to rise during the final season of the Irish TV show The Riordans, and he later took on the lead role in the spin-off, Bracken.
In 1981, Byrne made his film debut as Lord Uther Pendragon in Excalibur, John Boorman's King Arthur epic.
He has appeared in more than 70 films, including Miller’s Crossing and The Usual Suspects. Other career highs include leading roles in the HBO series In Treatment (2008) and in Camelot with the New York Philharmonic, which was featured in a 2008 PBS broadcast in the Live From Lincoln Center series.
Byrne was appointed a UNICEF Ireland Ambassador in 2004.
Other WFF honourees include American-Canadian actor Colm Feore—who is receiving the Canadian Icon Award—and Kelly McCormack, co-star and writer of Sugar Daddy. McCormack will receive the One to Watch Award when the two appear at the December 2 Talent Talk.
Winning the Career Achievement Award is beloved Quebec actor Rémy Girard, whose film You Will Remember Me (Tu Te Souviendras de Moi) has its Western Canadian premiere at the festival. He joins Paul Gratton, WFF director of film programming, in the December 11 talk.
Finally, Tzi Ma, the Hong Kong–American actor who appears in A Shot Through the Wall, will receive the Trailblazer Award at the Talent Talk on December 13. For more than 40 years, he has blazed new trails for the representation of Asian-Americans in Hollywood.
WFF is on until December 20, with films available for viewing until December 31. More information is at Whistler Film Festival.
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