"The Cove" Triumphs in Galway

A scene from Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove". Image courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove" won best feature documentary prize at Ireland's Galway Film Fleadh, which took place on the Emerald Isle July 7 - 12. The 2009 Sundance audience award winner revolves around the shocking case of animal abuse and cover up in the small Japanese town of Taijii. Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer and former "Flipper" producer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate the site in order to focus world attention to the death of thousands of dolphins off the coast of Japan.

Oscar nominee and fellow Sundance alumn "Frozen River" by Courtney Hunt, about a struggling family living on the Canadian border, won best first feature, while Sean Mullen and Ben Harper's "Blip" took best first animation. Alice Lyons and Orla McHardy's "The Polish Language" won best animation.

In other awards, Conor McCormack's "Christmas with Dad" took best short documentary; "Thursday Afternoon" by Manus McManus won best first short drama; Rory Bresnihan won best short drama and Gary Mitchell received "The Pitching Award" for "Get the Pope."