Opening Gala: Saipan

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2002, shortly before the FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The Irish national football team arrives on the Pacific island of Saipan where they are to bond and train before moving to Japan. But the management’s relaxed approach does not match team captain Roy Keane’s expectations. The Man United star player is here to win it.

Filmmakers Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn handle the story with all the respect due to one of the most seismic events in Irish sporting history. A respect for facts, for protagonists, for all the people of Ireland, really, who found themselves having to take sides. Indeed, the public quarrel between Keane and manager Mick McCarthy rocked the nation and sparked debates on notions that went far beyond sport: loyalty, ethics, identity. Saipan was, and is, a big deal.

THE 70TH CORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OPENING GALA

Marking the Festival’s milestone 70th anniversary, the Opening Night Gala promises to be a spectacular event with special guests and awards, as well as the much-anticipated film premiere. Oscar®-winning producer, film educator and CIFF Patron David Puttnam will be presented with an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award by the multi-award-winning Irish actor Gabriel Byrne.

The Opening Night celebration will also include the unveiling of a recently rediscovered short archival film about the Festival, digitised and restored by the Irish Film Institute, offering a nostalgic treat for the audience.

Please note that the evening will be presented in two parts, with a complimentary refreshment provided at the interval.