Entertainment

Essential festival: Foyle Film Festival

Richard E Grant (right) will be at the Foyle Film Festival to introduce the classic Withnail and I
Richard E Grant (right) will be at the Foyle Film Festival to introduce the classic Withnail and I Richard E Grant (right) will be at the Foyle Film Festival to introduce the classic Withnail and I

DERRY'S Foyle Film Festival returns next week with a 10-day programme of movie-related events to celebrate its 30th anniversary. From November 17 to 26, the festival will showcase more than 100 films drawn from 23 countries.

This year's opening night premiere at Brunswick Moviebowl will be Battle of The Sexes, based on the true story of the famous tennis match between women's world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and former men's champ Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) in 1973.

A major highlight of the 2017 festival comes in the unmistakable form of veteran actor Richard E Grant: Withnail himself will be on hand at the Moviebowl on Saturday November 18 to introduce the Bruce Robinson written and directed cult-classic Withnail and I – also celebrating its 30th birthday this year – and participate in a post-screening Q&A session.

Stephen Rea and Derry actress Judith Roddy will help the festival pay tribute to a former special guest, the late Sam Shepard, with a screening of Days Of Heaven at the Nerve Centre on Sunday 19, followed by readings of the iconic actor's short stories.

Oscar-nominated Irish director Jim Sheridan will also attend the festival for its From Shorts to Features Conference for up-and-coming film-makers on Friday November 24 at the Nerve Centre.

Sheridan will then introduce his classic My Left Foot at the Moviebowl at 8pm, while his short The Eleventh Hour, starring Salma Hayek, will also screen as part of the festival's Light in Motion Competition.

:: See Foylefilmfestival.org for tickets and full programme information.