Waterford actor Moe Dunford will be honoured with a Breakthrough Artist Award in the United States.

The Dungarvan native is set to pick up the accolade at the 20th Newport Beach Film Festival in Southern California on Saturday, April 27th.

Moe Dunford stars in three of the Festival’s Irish films – Metal Heart, Rosie and The Dig – he’s best known for Vikings, Patrick’s Day and Michael Inside.

The largest celebration of Irish Cinema in North America forms part of the eight-day festival which runs from April 25th to May 2nd.

Highlights include an Irish Showcase event, red carpet premieres, Breakthrough Artist Award presentation to Moe Dunford, eleven Irish feature length films, twenty Irish short films, the participation of Irish filmmakers and talent.

The Dig

After serving 15 years for murder, Callahan returns to his abandoned family farm-home, planning to sell it and move on. However, the victim’s father is convinced that Callahan buried his daughter in the bog land, and he has spent every day of the previous 15 years digging it patch by patch. Knowing the only way he’ll get him off his land and additionally hoping to satisfy his own alcohol-shot recollection of events, Callahan joins him in the grim task, causing dark secrets to surface.

Rosie

After their landlord sells their rented home, a young mother tries to protect her family from homelessness. Rosie and her partner, John Paul, strive to find somewhere to stay while shielding their young family from the reality of the situation around them – examining how even in times of crises; the love and strength of a family can endure.

Metal Heart

Fraternal twin sisters Emma and Chantal are worlds apart. Emma is self-conscious, and unsure of which path to take in life – she dreams of starting a band with her best friend Gary, who secretly has a crush on her. Chantal, meanwhile, is beautiful, confident, and knows exactly where her life is headed. When their parents go away for the summer, their simmering sibling rivalry threatens to boil over, especially when the mysterious boy next door moves back in.