IFI Spotlight, an annual Irish film event, provides a concentrated focus on the Irish film and television industry. This year it includes a free day-long seminar, open to the public, chaired by Margaret Kelleher (Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature at UCD), which will focus on current Irish film and television production and will be complemented by three new Irish feature releases: John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary (opens April 11th), the screen adaptation of John Banville’s The Sea (opens April 18th), and Pat Collins’ Living in a Coded Land (opens April 25th).
Sunniva O’Flynn, Head of Irish Film Programming at the IFI, said [quote]With IFI Spotlight we are creating a new space for a wide range of voices to be heard as consumers and producers come together to evaluate recent Irish film and television production. It’s exciting. It’s important. It’s about time.[/quote]
David Kavanagh’s ( Chief Executive of the Writers Guild of Ireland) Opening Address (11am) will outline the rationale for an annual, critical review of work from cultural, industrial and economic perspectives, which will aid future decision making and policy making in respect of the arts.
This will be followed at 11.40am by the first such Year in Review, chaired by Tony Tracy of NUI Galway with a panel of experts drawn from the realms of television drama (Jane Gogan, Head of Drama at RTÉ), feature films (Ed Guiney, Element Pictures), animation (Gerry Shirren, Managing Director, Cartoon Saloon) and documentary (Rachel Lysaght, Underground Films).
The Year in Review will be followed by a session examining Perceptions of Irish Film (2pm) both at home and further afield, asking important questions about the audiences that Irish films are attempting to reach. Chaired by Sheila De Courcy (Cross-Divisional Head of Children’s Content at RTÉ), this panel includes Gráinne Humphreys (Festival Director, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival) James Hickey (Chief Executive, Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann), Patrick O’Neill (Chief Executive, Wildcard Distribution) and Sunniva O’Flynn (Head of Irish Film Programming, IFI).
Film fan, journalist and broadcaster Una Mullally who is particularly interested in popular culture, online trends, feminism and LGBT issues, will present a personal and possibly provocative Soapbox (3.15pm) response to the body of film and television work that is being produced in Ireland.
The incoming Chair of the Arts Council Sheila Pratschke will chair a discussion Cross-Cultural Connections (15.45pm) which considers parallels and common themes in Irish artistic practice in recent years across theatre, literature and fine arts. Panellists include Jesse Jones (Visual Artist & Curator), Eoin Purcell (Publisher, New Island), Róise Goan (Theatre Curator) and Bernice Harrison (Irish Times)
The final session will be an Open Discussion (4.45pm) where audience members will be invited to add their voice to the discussion about Irish film and television and to tease out issues raised during the day.
For full details of the IFI Spotlight day-long seminar and the releases of new Irish films that from part of the focus, visit www.ifi.ie/spotlight
These events on April 12th are FREE. Simply book your free seat by contacting the IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or emailing boxoffice@irishfilm.ie