The IRISH FILM FESTA, the festival dedicated to Irish cinema and culture returns to Rome’s Casa del Cinema (Villa Borghese) from the 26th to the 30th of March.
The event, now in its 16th edition, offers the public a wide selection of feature film premieres, conversations with filmmakers, and the traditional short-film competition.
IFF artistic director, Susanna Pellis, declares that “This year, the IRISH FILM FESTA focuses more than ever on Ireland’s actors, a well-known passion of ours seeing that we deem them to be the true treasure-trove of Irish cinema. This time round, we shall see them at work behind the camera, too. Pat Shortt, Paul Kennedy and the “bad sister” Eva Birthistle (all three of whom will be present at the festival) have recently tried their hand at directing. This year, for the very fist time, we shall watch a video of one of them performing on stage in the play Vanya – produced by London’s National Theatre – and enjoy a prodigious Andrew Scott who plays all the roles.
This year’s edition of the Festival presents some important novelties while confirming a number of consolidated features: the space dedicated to documentaries, with titles also associated with Italy, for various reasons; the short film competition, which, with the over 200 proposals received, obliged us to make some difficult choices involving a number of painful exclusions”.
PROGRAMME
MARCH 26th/30th- CASA DEL CINEMA, ROME
➣ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26th
• Sala Cinecittà
20:00 – Conversation with Pat Shortt
following:
WARTS & ALL (2022, P. Shortt) – 15’ / out of competition
Irish Classic: GARAGE (2007, L. Abrahamson) – 85’
➣ THURSDAY, MARCH 27th
• Sala Cinecittà
20:00 – DEAD MAN’S MONEY (2024, P. Kennedy) – 82 ’
following: Actors Directing Actors
Q&A with director Paul Kennedy & actors Ciaran McMenamin and Pat Shortt
➣ FRIDAY, MARCH 28th
• Sala Cinecittà
18:00 – Focus on Architecture: Ireland as an Archi-pelago
IN SEARCH OF HY-BRASIL (2024, M. Danneels) – documentary, 80’
20:30 – On Stage with IRISH FILM FESTA
Andrew Scott in VANYA (2023, S. Yates) – 100’
Reservations for Vanya are closed.
➣ SATURDAY, MARCH 29th
• Sala Cinecittà
15:30 – NORTH CIRCULAR (2022, L. McManus) – documentary, 85’
following: Q&A with the director Luke McManus
18:00 – KING FRANKIE (2024, D. Malone) – 95’
following: Q&A with the director Dermot Malone and lead actor Peter Coonan
20:30 – Actors Directing Actors
Conversation with Eva Birthistle, Hazel Doupe and Peter Coonan
following:
KATHLEEN IS HERE (2024, E. Birthistle) – 94’
• Sala Fellini
18:30 – SHORT FILM COMPETITION (72’)
Cat and Mouse – The Memories Of Others – Earmark – Retirement Plan – One By One, The Lights Go Out – Here – Vinny
20:00 – SHORT FILM COMPETITION (64‘)
Naked Lights – Lecanvey Lakers – I Know You – A Wind and the Shadow – Gael Force – Jasmine
➣ SUNDAY, MARCH 30th
• Sala Cinecittà
Long Shorts Afternoon
16:00 – GOOD TIDINGS WE BRING (2024, S. Mullan) – 20’ / out of competition
following:
BEST SHORT FILMS
Announcement & Screenings with the filmmakers in attendance
18:00 – THE FLATS (2024, A. Celesia) – documentary, 114’
20:30 – THE SPIN (2024, M. Head) – 92’
Screenings in original language with Italian subtitles
Free entry until full capacity is reached
☘️ Created and e directed by Susanna Pellis, IRISH FILM FESTA is produced by Associazione Culturale Archimedia, in collaboration with the Irish Film Institute‘s IFI International programme; with the support of Culture Ireland, Screen Ireland; under the patronage of the Embassy of Ireland. Sponsor: Intesa Sanpaolo. Media Partner: Film Tv.