Don't Talk to Irene is a 2017 Canadian comedy film[2] written and directed by Pat Mills. It premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]
| Don't Talk to Irene | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Pat Mills |
| Written by | Pat Mills |
| Produced by | Alyson Richards Mike MacMillan |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
| Edited by | Tiffany Beaudin |
| Music by | Erica Procunier |
Production companies | Alyson Richards Productions Lithium Studios |
| Distributed by | Search Engine Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 82 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film centres on Irene (Michelle McLeod), an overweight and unpopular high school student who wishes to be a cheerleader. After being suspended from school, Irene is sent to a retirement home as punishment. She decides to indulge her passion for cheerleading by enrolling a group of senior citizens for a dance competition.[2] The film's cast also includes Bruce Gray, Anastasia Phillips, Scott Thompson, and Geena Davis.[2]
Cast
edit- Michelle McLeod as Irene
- Bruce Gray as Charles
- Anastasia Phillips as Lydia
- Scott Thompson as Barrett
- Geena Davis as herself (voice-over and brief cameo)
- Deborah Grover as Ruth
- Joan Gregson as Millie
- Andy Reid as Tesh
- Aviva Mongillo as Sarah
- Romeo Carere as Robbie
- James Fry as Tony
- Kyla Kane as Kelly
- Jacob Switzer as Jacques
- Alexa Rose Steele as Rachel (credited as Alex Steele)
- Darrell Faria as Top Talent Showdown Host
- Tracey Hoyt as Principal Firestone
Production and accolades
editMills won the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Pitch This! competition for emerging film directors in 2008 for the film's original pitch,[4] and the film's screenplay won the award for Best Comedy Screenplay at the 2013 Austin Film Festival.[5] However, Mills made Guidance (2015) as his feature film debut before proceeding with Don't Talk to Irene, which entered production in 2016.[2] It went on to win both the Comedy Vanguard Award and Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival,[6] the Audience Choice at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival[7] and the Galet d'Or at the 5th Canadian film festival of Dieppe, France.[8] In June 2018, Don't Talk to Irene won two Canadian Comedy Awards: Best Feature and Best Writing in a Feature.[9]
Release
editDon't Talk to Irene received a limited release at Cineplex Yonge-Dundas in Toronto on September 29, 2017, by Search Engine Films.[10] In the United States, the film was released on March 2, 2018, by Gravitas Ventures.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Don't Talk to Irene". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Vlessing, Etan (June 23, 2016). "Geena Davis to Star in Indie Comedy 'Don't Talk to Irene'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "'Alias Grace,' film starring Evan Rachel Wood headline TIFF's Canadian slate". News 1130, August 9, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Wong, Jessica (September 9, 2008). "Offbeat coming-of-age tale wins $10K movie-pitch competition". CBC News. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Screenplay and Teleplay Competition Winners Austin Film Festival. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "2017 Winners" Austin Film Festival, December 18, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "KCFF'18 Award Winners" Kingston Canadian Film Festival, March 8, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Les lauréats du 5e festival du film canadien de Dieppe...". (in French) Paris-Normandie, March 26, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Recipients of the 2018 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. June 3, 2018. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Baldwin, David (September 28, 2017). "#REVIEW: "Don't Talk to Irene"". Mr. Will Wong. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (February 15, 2018). "Toronto Pic 'Don't Talk To Irene' Lands At Gravitas Ventures". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 24, 2023.