The Bleeding Pig Film Festival returns to the sea side town of Donabate between Monday, September 9 to Wednesday, September 11.
Taking place in Keelings of Donabate, the programme features two nights of impressive short films. This is before the festival will screen Irish full length drama Float Like a Butterfly on the third evening. The acclaimed movie is from the producers of Sing Street and Once.
Directed by Cork native Carmel Winters and winner of the Discovery Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at Cork Film Festival, the drama is a powerful story of a young woman’s fight for freedom and belonging. Living in a roadside camp in rural Ireland circa 1970, 15-year-old Frances (Hazel Doupe) wants to follow her idol Muhammad Ali by stepping into the boxing ring.
At the same time, her father played (Dara Devaney) returns from jail a broken man. Once Frances’ greatest ally, he finds it hard to imagine any better for his daughter. But she was born to be a champion, not a victim.
The festival launches with an Opening Night reception (invite only) at 6.45pm on Monday, September 9. Highlights for Monday include award-winning documentary The Vasectomy Doctor by Paul Webster. The subject of the film is the fascinating life of Dr. Andrew Rynne, the first man to perform vasectomies in Ireland challenging the country’s laws governing sexuality.
Director Ian-Hunt Duffy returns this year with thriller Low Tide, a coming-of-age nightmare about a father-son fishing trip that goes terribly wrong. His award-winning film Gridlock starring Moe Dunford and Peter Coonan was a close second in 2018 for the festival’s Audience Award.
Speaking about screening Low Tide at the festival, Duffy said in a statement: “We had a great turnout for our film Gridlock on the night, and a lively and engaging Q&A afterwards. It was a great opportunity for filmmakers to share and talk about their work in front of an enthusiastic audience. I’m delighted to be back again for my second year screening at the Bleeding Pig Film Festival with Low Tide”
Tuesday night is once again an F-rated programme with all films either written and/or directed by women. Mia Mullarkey, whose short documentary Throwline won the Audience Award last year, returns with her hard-hitting documentary Mother&Baby which offers a harrowing but cathartic insight into the despicable issue of Mother and Baby homes in Ireland.
Other highlights of the festival include two films in the Irish language, documentary Grá agus Eagla and comedy/drama Ronnachaí Buí. There’s also For the Love of Mary, a delightful short from the USA about a 97-year-old runner.
Doors open each night at 7.15pm with short screenings followed by the ever-popular Q&As with their filmmakers. The best film will be voted for by the audience. The winner of the Audience Award is rewarded a €500 rental voucher from local sponsors Film Equipment Hire Ireland.
The full programme and trailers for all the films can be found at the festival website www.bleedingpigfilmfest.com/. You can also follow The Bleeding Pig on Facebook and Twitter
Comments are closed.