Ireland Picks ‘Song Of Granite’ As Oscar Submission

Pat Collins’ Song Of Granite has been selected by the Irish Film & Television Academy to represent Ireland in this year’s Oscar Foreign Language race. The pic, which bowed at SXSW this year, tells the life story of Joe Heaney, the legendary singer of traditional Irish music knows as sean nós. Oscilloscope snagged U.S. rights to the film and has already set a November 15 theatrical release.

Collins co-wrote the script with Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde and Sharon Whooley, and Alan Maher, Jessie Fisk and Martin Paul-Hus are producers. The project is supported by the Irish Film Board, BAI, TG4 and with the financial participation of Société de Développement Des Entreprises Culturelles – Québec and Telefilm Canada.

The IFTA committee had Song Of Granite on short list with Rocky Ros Muc and Aithrí (Penance).

“Joe Heaney, the subject of this film, was a great teacher and advocate for the Irish traditional singing and taught singing to students all over America,” Collins said. “He remains one of the great traditional singers. I think he would have liked the notion of a film with sean nós singing at its core representing Ireland in an international competition like the Oscars.”

The Oscar foreign language shortlist will be unveiled January 5. Nominations will be announced January 23. The Oscars are March 4.

2017 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions

• Azerbaijan – Pomegranate Orchard – Ilgar Najaf
• Belgium – Racer And The Jailbird (Le Fidèle) – Michaël R Roskam
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Men Don’t Cry – Alena Drljevića
• Croatia – Quit Staring At My Plate – Hana Jušić
• Dominican Republic – Woodpeckers – José Maria Cabral
• Finland – Tom Of Finland – Dome Karukoski
• Georgia – Scary Mother – Ana Urushadze
• Germany – In The Fade – Fatih Akin
• Hungary – On Body And Soul – Ildikó Enyedi
• Iraq – The Dark Wind – Hussein Hussan
• Ireland – Song Of Granite – Pat Collins
• Latvia – The Chronicles Of Melanie – Viestur Kairish
• Nepal – Seto Surya (White Sun) – Deepak Rauniyar
• Norway – Thelma – Joachim Trier
• Palestine – Wajib – Annemarie Jacir
• Serbia – Requiem For Mrs J – Bojan Vuletić
• South Korea – A Taxi Driver – Jang Hoon
• Sweden – The Square – Ruben Östlund
• Switzerland – The Divine Order – Petra Volpe
• Thailand – By The Time It Gets Dark – Anocha Suwichakornpong
• Turkey – Ayla: The Daughter of War – Ca Ulkay