Irish Film Institute International, supported in all its activities by Culture Ireland, is geraing up for a particularly busy time as St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated throughout the world with Irish cultural programmes and festivals. IFI International’s programme, which runs throughout the year, reflects both contemporary cinema talent and Ireland’s rich film heritage
At the prestigious Barbican Centre in London, there will be a screening of Irish-American silent comedy Come on Over accompanied by pianist, John Sweeney, and uilleann piper, John Devine. IFI Curator Sunniva O’Flynn will be there to introduce this 1922 film to UK audiences for the first time. There’s also a day of Irish shorts at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square on March16th , in collaboration with Saint Patrick’s Day London, while at the Newcastle AV Festival major Irish documentarian Pat Collins will present his recent films Silence and Tim Robinson: Connemara.
An annual high point in the international celebration of Irish film, the Rome Irish Film Festa opens its 7th edition with The Stag and presents 15 new short films in competition. Guests travelling to Rome include Lelia Doolan (director of Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey), actor and chairperson of the Galway Film Fleadh Kate O’Toole, and actor Ciaran McMenamin (Made in Belfast). A major retrospective of Irish cinema with Lenny Abrahamson in attendance will take place at the 13th Les Recontres du cinema europeen, an annual showcase of European cinema held in Vannes, France.
The Berlin St. Patrick’s Festival, includes a programme of recent shorts and features presented in collaboration with IFI International and the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland which opens on March 17th.
Across the Atlantic, the Irish Film Festival, Boston, returns for its 14th year celebrating Irish film in one of the key cities of the diaspora. The Festival’s award winners have already been announced and guests who will attend to receive their awards include director Steph Green and actress Ruth McCabe of Best Breakthrough Feature winner Run and Jump; actor Dylan Moran and director Ian Fitzgibbon of Director’s Choice Short Breakfast Wine; actress Deirdre O’Kane and director Stephen Bradley of Special Jury Prize winner NOBLE and actress Kelly Thornton from the Director’s Choice Feature award-winner Life’s a Breeze. Elsewhere in the U.S Irish filmmaker Moira Tierney presents a programme of Solus Collective films in New Orleans while Solus Nua Arts Centre in Washington DC presents its Irish Popcorn series and the New York Irish Arts Center presents the award-winning animation Moon Man.
Further east, the special guests at the Irish Film Festival, Moscow, a key element of Irish Week in Moscow, will include David McSavage (Savage Eye), Hugh O’Conor (The Stag) and Mark O’Connor (director, King of the Travellers). IFI International will also support the second annual Belgrade Irish Film Festival, introducing Serbian audiences to the best of recent Irish cinema in the presence of Johnny Gogan, with his feature film Black Ice.