A Long Winter: Caitríona Balfe leads Colm Tóibín adaptation

When A Long Winter will reach Irish cinemas and what Irish viewers can expect

The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival this autumn.

Filmed on location in Alberta, Canada, A Long Winter is “set in the mountains as autumn draws to a close and a family prepares for the long winter ahead”.

Haigh, also known for 45 Years, adapted the Enniscorthy author's story himself.

The Outlander and Belfast actress leads a cast that includes Fred Hechinger (Gladiator II), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), continuing a strong run for Irish talent and Irish shows on screen.

A release date for Irish cinemas has yet to be announced, though the twin festival bows in Toronto and New York put the film firmly on the awards-season radar, RTÉ Entertainment reports. It marks another high-profile literary role for Balfe.

For Tóibín, whose Brooklyn and its sequel Long Island have already proved potent screen material, the collaboration with Haigh adds another prestige adaptation of the Wexford writer's work for the big screen.