Damien O'Donnell's latest film has been selected for the 2005 Sundance Film Festival in Utah as part of the prestigious festival's Premieres programme.
The film, which was called Inside I'm Dancing in Ireland and the UK, will screen at the late January festival under its American title Rory O'Shea Was Here.
The film will be released theatrically by Focus Features in the US from February 2005.
Joint producer Juanita Wilson stated: "We are delighted to be selected for such a prestigious festival which highlights the voice of the independent film maker so well.
"The timing of this could not be better in the context of our forthcoming US release."
The film was inspired by a story by Galway-based writer, Christian O’Reilly and written for the screen by Cork-based Jeffrey Caine and produced by James Flynn, Juanita Wilson and Catherine Tiernan of Octagon Films, with Working Title's WT2 Films and co-financed by Bórd Scannán na hEireann/the Irish Film Board.
"With thousands of entries from all over the world every year, to get selected for this A-list festival is a significant achievement," said BSE/IFB chief executive officer Mark Woods. "Congratulations to all involved in making this very important Irish film."
Insider I'm Dancing has already enjoyed festival success as it scooped the Standard Life Audience Award at the 58th Edinburgh Film Festival in August of this year.
It was recently released in the UK and Ireland through Momentum Pictures.
Since 1984, when Robert Redford launched the festival to promote artistic and independent filmmaking, Sundance has established itself as an important launch pad for feature films in the North American market.