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Acclaimed Limerick actor Nigel Mercier on the road to the Cannes Film Festival

Published

8 years ago

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Acclaimed Limerick actor, Nigel Mercier, is set to join a group of local film makers and actors on the road to the Cannes Film Festival, after a short movie he took part in was recognised by the competition.

Nigel Mercier

Nigel Mercier

Nigel, head of the Limerick School of Acting, played the role in a drama called, Mother’s Milk and Cookies, which tells the story of a gay middle-aged couple who find it difficult to come out.

The skillful actor said that he was “absolutely over the moon” in reaction to the news.


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“I never expected that it would happen. I was delighted for Steve Hall and Paddy Murphy when they got their short films, so I never thought I would be joining them at Cannes.”

Belfast filmographer, Conan McIvor who directed the film, was the one who made contact with Nigel when they needed a second man to play the part.

Mercier told about reading the script and researching the director and producer’s works, he then “saw how good they were” and accepted to play the role.

To date, the nine-minute film took third place for best short screenplay at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and it only took one day to shoot.

Nigel Mercier

Nigel Mercier

Nigel Mercier applauded his fellow film makers Steve Hall and Paddy Murphy, who will also make it to the Short Film Corner, at Cannes Film Festival, this May, alongside Kevin Kiely Jr and his short film.

Steve Hall’s film, Safe, is a post-apocalyptic romance-drama, while The Cheese Box, directed by Paddy Murphy, is a biopic of a Janesboro man “during a dark time”, played by Kevin Kiely Jr.

“They are passionate about making movies. And most of these guys are doing it for nothing. When you are making a short film, you pay to submit them to film festivals, and you hope that somebody will recognise your talent, your hard work.

“And then when you’re going out to look for work, you show them that you were accepted at this festival, or that you won this award. And every single one of them are doing it for the love of it, and it’s absolutely incredible,” Nigel exclaimed.

 

Check out more about the Cannes Film Festival here

Click here for more information about Nigel Mercier

Read more of Limerick’s latest news here

 

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.