HANSARD & IRGLOVA to perform at the OSCARS

GLEN HANSARD and MARKETA IRGLOVA will perform their due FALLING SLOWLY at this year's OSCARS ceremony.  The track from the feature ONCE is nominated in the Best Original Song category.  The ACADEMY questioned it's validity to remain in competition since nominated songs must consist 'of words and music, both original and written specifically for' a motion picture whereas the piece has already appeared on two albums.

The Academy allowed the track to remain in competition following reassurances from Hansard and Director JOHN CARNEY that composition of the song began during discussions way back in 2002 whereas the script and financing for the film took a number of years to come to fruition.  The Academy accepted that 'the song was played in some venues that were deemed inconsequential (no less!) enough not to deem it in-eligibile.'

Once was made on an incredibly low budget of less than €150,000 with 'a couple of handi-cams' and according to a mind-blown Hansard 'we thought it would help sell a few albums'.   It did more than that, it won an audience award at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL which made FOX SEARCHLIGHT buy the rights.  During its first few months at the American box office it grossed more than $7 million!  

In the film Hansard plays a Dublin busker, and Irglova (niece of director Carney) is a street-vendor.  There is a palpable screen energy between the two who have been dating since filming in January 2006 - they first met 6 years ago when Irglova was 13.  Hansard admits 'I'd been falling in love with her for a long time but I kept telling myself 'she's just a kid''.