BY MARTIN CLAFFEY
AN award-winning film shot in West Cork has started a screening tour across the county, with the director on hand to chat about the film.
Coast Road is an indie film starring Paul Broderick – of West Cork FM – and Brian Collins and directed by Brian Stynes. It tells the tale of a bus outing from the city to West Cork in 1996 which goes awry when one of the passengers dies in mysterious circumstances.
Released in 2022, the film was warmly received, with one critic describing it as a ‘very Irish answer to Agatha
Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express', with the bus driving playing the part of Poirot trying to unravel the mystery. Written by Brian Stynes and co-writer Michael O’Dowd, the film was awarded the Best Crime Thriller by the UK FIlm Review.
Coast Road was filmed around Goleen and Barleycove, and captured some of the area’s unmatchable beauty, with drone shots by Rory Conlon capturing the vast ocean expanse. Released to great acclaim in the UK in 2022, now the film has gone back to its West Cork routes for a screening tour.
'I will be attending all the screenings with various members of cast and crew,' director and writer Brian Stynes told The Southern Star. 'Our wish is to bring the film to as many community halls as possible.
'The format for the screenings is to show two short films at 7pm which will run until 7:30 and I will then talk to the audience about the background of Coast Road and our plans for the next film project. What has been happening at recent screenings is that the audience stay on to talk with me which is great as I'm always delighted to talk about the films.'
The first screening took place at Coachford GAA Hall on December 3rd, and next it travels to
• Tracton Arts Centre on December 16th at 7pm.
• Cnoc Buí Gallery in Union Hall on January 3rd at 6pm,
• Ballinhassig Community Hall on January 7th at 7pm
• Cox Hall Dunmanway on January 20th at 7pm
• Aghada Community Hall on January 24th at 7pm
• and finally a gala at Youghal Arts Centre on February 17th at 8pm.
For tickets go to www.hardbargainpictures.org
