Zonad

Last updated
Zonad
Directed by
Written by
  • John Carney
  • Kieran Carney
Produced by
CinematographyPeter Robertson
Edited byPaul Mullen
Music byBrian Byrne
Release dates
  • July 2009 (2009-07)(premiere)
  • March 19, 2010 (2010-03-19)(general release)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish

Zonad is an Irish comedy film by John and Kieran Carney that premiered in July 2009 at the Galway Film Fleadh. [1] The film went to general release in Ireland March 19, 2010. [2]

Contents

Premise

An escaped convict fools a whole Irish village into thinking he's a visitor from outer space. Zonad, a strange visitor comes to the town of Ballymoran, is taken in by the Cassidy family and accepted by the locals as an extraterrestrial. His comfortable existence is spoiled when Bonad arrives to replace him.

Unreleased short film version

In 2003, John Carney co-wrote and co-directed an earlier version of Zonad, a short film, with Kieran Carney and Tom Hall. Starring Simon Delaney and Cillian Murphy, Zonad was low-budget and was never released. [3] Murphy played the role of Guy Hendrickson, later played by Rory Keenan. [4]

Cast

Production

It was filmed in Avoca, County Wicklow, with many of the outdoor scenes filmed in the garden of Kilqueeny House in the village. [5] The interior bar scenes were filmed in The Harbour Bar in Bray, County Wicklow, which was also used in Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto .

Reception

Critical response

The Irish Times wrote "We laughed like the proverbial drain". [6] Variety writer John Anderson describe it as a "nutroll of a comedy" made from equal parts Pleasantville , The Quiet Man and the old Carry On films. [7]

The Evening Herald wrote "Awful, and with a disturbingly sleazy undercurrent to boot". [8]

Awards and recognition

Shortlisted for an Irish Film and Television Award (ITFA) [9] with Brian Byrne winning for Best Original Score. [5] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ireland national international rules football team</span>

The Ireland international rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football. The team is made up of Irish players from the Gaelic Athletic Association and Australian Football League.

Gerard McCarthy is an actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

<i>Once</i> (film) 2007 film by John Carney

Once is a 2007 Irish romantic musical drama film written and directed by John Carney. The film stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as two struggling musicians in Dublin, Ireland. Hansard and Irglová had previously performed music as the Swell Season, and composed and performed the film's original songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Carney (director)</span> Irish film director and screenwriter

John Carney is an Irish film director, producer, screenwriter and lyricist who specialises in musical drama films. He is best known as the showrunner and executive producer of Modern Love on Amazon Prime Video, for his films Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street. He is also a co-creator of the Irish TV drama series Bachelors Walk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Crowley (director)</span> Irish film and theatre director

John Crowley is an Irish film and theatre director. He is best known for the films Brooklyn (2015) and his debut feature, Intermission (2003), for which he won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Director. He is a brother of the designer Bob Crowley.

Simon Delaney is an Irish actor, director and presenter. He is known for appearances in a range of films and television series such as RTÉ's comedy-drama Bachelors Walk and CBS' legal drama The Good Wife, and in the films Zonad (2009), Delivery Man (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

<i>The Guard</i> (2011 film) 2011 Irish film by John Michael McDonagh

The Guard is a 2011 buddy cop comedy film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham.

The 7th Irish Film & Television Awards took place on 20 February 2010 in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin. It was hosted by Victoria Smurfit and honoured Irish film and television released in 2009.

<i>On the Nose</i> (film) 2001 film by David Caffrey

On the Nose is a 2001 comedy fantasy film. It was written by Tony Philpott and stars Dan Aykroyd and Robbie Coltrane in a magical comedy where a long dead Australian aboriginal's head is used to predict winners in horse races. Principal photgraphy took place in Dublin.

Jonathan Harden is a Northern Irish actor and director.

<i>Stalker</i> (2012 film) 2012 Irish psychological thriller film by Mark OConnor

Stalker is a 2012 Irish psychological thriller film written and directed by Mark O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galway Film Fleadh</span> Annual Irish film festival

The Galway Film Fleadh is an international film festival founded in 1989 as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Describing itself as Ireland’s leading film festival, the event is held every July in Galway city in Ireland.

Peter Foott is an Irish director, producer and screenwriter known for his work on The Young Offenders.

Rory Keenan is an Irish actor. On film and television he has starred in Somewhere Boy, The Duchess, Birdsong, Versailles, War & Peace, The Guard and Peaky Blinders.

Metal Heart is a 2018 Irish comedy film, written by Paul Murray and directed by Hugh O'Conor, about warring sisters in Dublin. This is the first feature film that O'Connor has directed.

Who We Love is an Irish coming-of-age drama film directed by Graham Cantwell and written by Cantwell and Katie McNeice. It is a feature-length adaptation of Cantwell's 2016 short film Lily. It premiered at the 2021 Galway Film Fleadh.

Poster Boys is a 2020 Irish comedy-drama film directed by Dave Minogue, starring Trevor O'Connell and Ryan Minogue-Lee.

Blackshore is a 2024 Irish crime drama series starring Lisa Dwan and Rory Keenan. It was broadcast on RTÉ One from 4 February 2024.

References

  1. Dagny (2009-07-10). "Galway Film Fleadh: John Carney's Zonad".
  2. Donald Clarke (2010-01-22). "Reel News: Carney set to direct new film". The Irish Times . Zonad, the bizarre low-budget comedy Carney directed with brother Kieran, has been scheduled for release on March 19th.
  3. Adam Dawtrey (2007-08-17). "Once director remains close to roots: Carney to make Zonad before Fox's House". Variety. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
  4. Paul Byrne. "Zonad - Behind the scenes with director John Carney". Movies.ie.
  5. 1 2 "'Zonad' Crash Lands into Irish Cinemas".
  6. "Culchies vs aliens". The Irish Times . 2009-07-31.
  7. John Anderson (2009-07-16). "Zonad". Variety . Retrieved 2010-03-14.
  8. "Zonad". Evening Herald . 2010-03-19.
  9. Pamela Newenham (2010-01-11). "Nominations for Iftas announced". The Irish Times.
  10. "Irish Film & Television Awards Winners Announced". 2010-02-21.