Saintfield film maker wins award at Brazilian film festival

13 June 2018

A SAINTFIELD film maker has scooped another award.

Gavin Irvine’s 2.40 to London has just won Best Short Film at the Brazil International Film Festival.

In September last year the comedy also won Best Short Film and Best Director at the Portugal Film Festival.

“As you can imagine I’m thrilled,” said Gavin. “I couldn’t make it Brazil to pick up the award but celebrated by singing ‘We’re not Brazil we’re Northern Ireland!’ in the pub.

“I was in a pub called The Dublin Castle in London. I think everyone thought I’d gone mad as the footy world cup hasn’t even started yet, though I got a few joining in.”

“You cherish those moments, there is so much competition in these film festivals.

“The Brazil Film Festival is a really nice film festival and it’s a thrill to win.”

A couple of months ago the film also won the Special Jury Award at the Canadian Independent Film Festival in Montreal.

“My cousin, Paul McCormack in Canada, who I haven’t seen since I was a child, travelled up from Toronto to collect it for me,” said Gavin. “It was a long journey. He also made an investment in the film, putting money in from his own pocket.”

2:40 to London is a surreal comedy that partly parodies Michael Caine’s 60s movie, The Ipcress File. It has spies, suspense lumberjack shirts and brainwashing — a world in which only the desperate survive the murky world of espionage.

“The film is doing really well,” said Gavin. “The humour in it seems to be playing particularly well in the southern European countries.”

Gavin Irvine fell into film making 15 years ago and within two years was winning awards. The boost was particularly welcome after a long period recovering from a serious road accident in London, where he now lives.

After living in Saintfield until the age of 20, Gavin left for Portsmouth where he studied Fine Art and now lives in London. He then studied directing under Peter Greenaway at the International Film School, Wales.

In 2013 he was the recipient of the Northern Ireland Writers Development Award from NI Screen for his debut comedy feature screenplay, Spinners, and he also received a Best Screenplay Award from the renowned director Ken Russell for his film ‘Sebastian’.

After 2.40 to London was showcased at the Belfast Comedy Festival last year, Gavin is hopeful of arranging another local screening down the line.

“I’d like to thank and congratulate everyone involved in 2.40 to London, Gavin added.

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