When I first read this I assumed that Clint Eastwood would be coming to Dublin, which would be a level of epic coolness on par with the recent announcement of Al Pacino attending a screening at JDIFF. Granted, Eastwood is not actually coming to Ireland, but it's still great initiative to promote Irish film, and indeed Irish culture abroad. Behold, a press release from the fine folks at IFTA explaining the details:
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA), in association with the John Ford Estate and the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is delighted to announce the establishment of ‘JOHN FORD IRELAND’ - the annual Symposium celebrating the work and legacy of John Ford. American filmmaker CLINT EASTWOOD (J. Edgar, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) has received the inaugural JOHN FORD AWARD.
Each year the JOHN FORD IRELAND committee, which consists of leading international experts on John Ford, will select one contemporary filmmaker to be presented with the JOHN FORD Award; a filmmaker who has similar incredible skill and vision as FORD. A Filmmaker who has learned from the mastery of JOHN FORD and who best represents Ford’s legacy and ideals to the world – an individuality, a uniqueness of vision, an artistic talent that is admired and enjoyed by audiences throughout the world.
Clint Eastwood himself said of the accolade. "Thank You. This is a great privilege for me because any kind of association with John Ford is most Directors’ dream as he was certainly a pioneer of American filmmaking and I grew up on his films. His Westerns had a great influence on me, as I think they had on everybody. When I worked with Sergio Leone years ago in Italy, his favourite Director was John Ford and he spoke very openly about that influence. I want to thank everybody who is here from the Irish Academy, the John Ford family and thank you to John Ford Ireland."