The Irish Film Festival London will open November 13 with Aoife Kelleher’s feature documentary Mrs Robinson, described as “an illuminating portrait of Ireland’s first female president Mary Robinson.”
“With extraordinary access, the film reveals a singularly influential force whose gift for bridging differences was instrumental in bringing about seismic change in Ireland – a skill she would later bring to her roles as UN High Commissioner and chair of Nelson Mandela’s independent group of world leaders, The Elders,” write organisers.
“Mrs Robinson pays tribute to a woman who remains actively committed to peace, justice, and human rights to this day,” organisers add.
Festival Director Michael Hayden comments: “We aim to give audiences in London and the UK access to work they might not get to see otherwise. We celebrate new and emerging filmmakers, acknowledge the contributions of more established ones and embrace the plurality of voices sounding in an evolving society. I am pleased to present a programme that I hope does all these things, and I am excited about hearing what our audiences make of it.”
Elsewhere, the festival continues to highlight compelling female perspectives with Housewife of the Year. Ciarán Cassidy’s frank and eye-opening documentary lifts the lid on one of Ireland’s most controversial and criticised shows. Cassidy charts the competition’s rise and fall against the backdrop of vast societal shifts in attitudes towards women and marriage.
Tanya Doyle’s feel-good sports doc EAT/SLEEP/CHEER/REPEAT focuses on a troupe of male and female cheerleaders from Galway as they chase the dream of reaching Orlando, USA, for the World Championships of Cheer.
Alessandra Celesia’s CPH: DOX 2024 winning documentary The Flats follows the residents of a run-down estate in the heart of Belfast. Depicting characters haunted by past violence, the film offers a compassionate portrait of a community grappling with its troubled past, and dares us to hope.
Colm Quinn’s gripping investigative documentary Ransom 79 relives a shocking moment when, in 1979, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture received a demand for £5m by blackmailers threatening to release foot-and-mouth disease into the country’s livestock. More than simply true crime, the film is a heartfelt tribute to the extraordinary RTÉ journalist Charlie Bird, who ran with the scoop while suffering from motor-neuron disease.
The festival also presents Perennial Light by visionary Cork filmmaker Colin Hickey. A meditation on grief and healing, the film combines live sequences, gorgeously photographed in black and white, with delicate animations by Paolo Chianta, “confirming Hickey as one of Ireland’s most expressive and vital directorial voices today.”
Alongside the Public Programme there will be an additional collection of Irish Films available on the IFTUK App.
The Irish Film Festival will be followed by the Irish Film & Television UK Awards on Monday, 18 November. This red-carpet event will take place at the Embassy of Ireland.
Awards include Best Feature Documentary, to be mulled over by jurors Andrew Gallimore (Director of One Night In Millstreet), Róisín Geraghty (Producer of Sunlight), Mark Costello (IFTUK Advisory Group) and chaired by Michael Hayden (Festival Director).
