Brendan Gleeson, became the 70th participant in The NFS’s highly successful Lecture series
Brendan spoke extensively about his career for over an hour and a quarter, in front of a capacity audience of approximately 140 students, industry visitors and staff, including Dr. Annie Doona, President of IADT. Students from Film & Television Production, Design for Stage & Screen, Screenwriting and Broadcast Production asked questions both about Brendan's varied screen credits and their own future ambitions, while others from IADT's hugely successful Animation programme were particularly interested in his work on Cartoon Saloon's THE SECRET OF KELLS and SONG OF THE SEA. Brendan stayed on for 45 minutes talking to students, posing for photographs and signing autographs.
Donald Taylor Black, Creative Director of The National Film School, said, “It was a fantastic evening, one of the best public interviews we've hosted in recent years and Brendan was most generous with his time and advice to all. We're very proud that no other third level institution in the country attracts such a number of significant guests from film, television, and animation and our students always use the fantastic opportunities that are on offer to them”.
During this academic year, the NFS Lecture series has welcomed Nelson Lowry (animation designer, FANTASTIC MR. FOX), Lisa Albert (writer/producer MAD MEN), and Consolata Boyle (costume designer, THE QUEEN, PHILOMENA), while, in the coming weeks, ROOM producer, Ed Guiney, of Element Pictures, and John Paul Kelly (production designer, THE GUARD, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING) are due to visit. All of these top industry professionals have either won Emmys and/or received Oscar nominations. Since 2004, participants have also included Oliver Stone, Gabriel Byrne, Alan Parker, Lenny Abrahamson, Stephen Rea, Mike Leigh, Sinead Cusack, Neil Jordan, Stephen Frears, and Jim Sheridan. The NFS Lecture Series is supported by The Irish Film Board.