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Malin girls charm Los Angeles
01.10.09
THE Los Angeles Irish
Film Festival (LAIFF) closed at the weekend with a
rousing concert by The Henry Girls who travelled
from Inishowen to perform at the glitzy event.
Sisters Karen, Lorna and Joleen McLaughlin were
invited to the festival by their childhood friend
and LAIFF festival director, Lisa McLaughlin. The
women grew up together with Lisa living in the
village itself and the sisters growing up two miles
outside, in Drumaville. They attended Malin National
School together
Lisa worked in the Irish film industry for years
before eventually moving to Los Angeles where she
became the founder and director of the Los Angeles
Irish Film Festival. The festival is now in its
second year and has become a big success, attracting
some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
The Henry Girls, meanwhile, have been performing,
recording and writing music for years but only
recently have became involved in the film world by
contributing music to the soundtrack of 'A Shine of
Rainbows', a movie starring Aidan Quinn, shot in
Inishowen last summer. |
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Funding from Culture
Ireland and Donegal County Council made it possible
for The Henry Girls to attend this year's festival.
While in LA, the local musicians also performed
several nights at O’Brien’s Irish pub and restaurant
in Santa Monica.
The festival opened on September 23 at Linwood Dunn
Theater in Hollywood where the audience included
celebrities such as Roma Downey, Natascha McElhone,
Orla Brady and Fionnuala Flanagan.
During the week, The Henry Girls also joined
actresses Embeth Davidtz (Schindler's List) and Jane
Allen "Hung") and former race ace Eddie Irvine for a
special screening of Gabriel Byrne's documentary
'Gabriel Byrne: Stories from Home'. The film is a
revealing look at the actor's life and art. The
festival closed with another performance by the
Malin sisters, followed by a tribute to acclaimed
Irish playwright Hugh Leonard, who died in February.
Lisa was delighted with the success of her second LA
festival outing and said her Malin pals were one of
the biggest hits. “The Henry Girls were one of the
highlights of the festival, linking us to the soul
and mystical spirit of Ireland," she said. |
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