IndieCork is set to launch its sixth and biggest festival yet, taking place from the 7th – 14th October.
The event bills itself as an important showcase for independent film and music. Organisers say this year’s festival drew record entries, helping to build a programme that both showcases the filmmaking talent in Ireland, as well as IndieCork’s international standing.
Many of the foreign films screening at the event are Irish premieres, including opening film Smuggling Hendrix from Cyprus.
Yiannis, a faded musician who is about to leave Cyprus for a better life abroad, sees his plans turned upside down when his dog runs away and crosses the Buffer Zone that separates the “Greek South” from the “Turkish North”. Can he smuggle him back in?
Smuggling Hendrix won the Best Feature Film award at the Tribeca Film Festival this April.
Meanwhile, French film A Season in France will screen for the first time in Ireland at the fest. The drama revolves around an African high school teacher who flees his war-torn country for France. There, he falls in love with a Frenchwoman who offers a roof for him and his family.
The closing night film – Daughter of Mine – is also an Irish premiere. Starring internationally acclaimed actors Valeria Golino and Udo Kier, the Italian drama centres on a 10-year-old torn between two mothers, the one who raised her with love and her biological mother, who instinctively claims her back.
The film has received universal acclaim, earning a 100 per cent score on critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
“We are very pleased with the strength of this year’s programme – across all sections. We feel it’s the strongest year yet for our world features, and of course, there is great excitement amongst the Irish filmmaking community to see their work in a professional setting at the Gate Cinema,” said Festival Co-Director Mick Hannigan in a statement.
IndieCork are also providing a platform for new and emerging Irish talent. 34 Irish shorts will screen at the festival, including the acclaimed The Observer Effect, South director Gerard Walsh’s latest The Conversation and Tomorrow, starring Into the Badlands and Vikings’ Mark McAuley. Meanwhile, there is also Kubrick by Candlelight, a short set behind the scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon which was shot in Ireland. The selection is diverse, including drama, animation, documentary, dance film, cinematic music promos, and experimental films. Also, noteworthy is the fact that out of the 34 shorts, 11 are made by women, a rise from the typical industry standard.
“I personally am excited to present new creative Irish documentaries which I believe are doing something very special and individual,” says Hannigan. An example of a film screening at the festival fitting this description is Sonya Mulligan’s Outitude, which delves into the lives of a group of lesbians living in Ireland.
While the film screenings will take place at the Gate Theatre, Dalí club in the heart of the city centre will be the location for the Blacknight Festival Centre, the venue for music events, socialising, workshops, talks and screenings. The building was once the site of the famously distinguished Pavilion Cinema while Internet service provider Blacknight has sponsored the festival for the past number of years, facilitating to help establish the hub.
“We are delighted with this year’s line-up – a real mix of musical styles and influences, with each night having a totally different flavour. Dali is a great venue for us, and we invite everyone to join the party there each night of the festival,” said Music Programmer Tony Langlois in a statement.
Budding filmmakers will also be invited to take part in a series of masterclasses featuring renowned feature directors. Coming off the success of her recent ADIFF Premiere Good Favour (also screening at IndieCork), director Rebecca Daly (whose 2016 drama Mammal featured Barry Keoghan in his first starring role) will be leading one of these talks, as will music video director Brendan Canty (Hozier’s Take Me to Church).
This year, IndieCork is also introducing a bursary for the Best Emerging Female Irish Director. This is in light of the gender imbalance revealed in the statistic that only 15 per cent of Irish film directors are women.
A ticket for a feature film screening at the festival costs €6 (€5.50 Students/seniors) up to 5pm. Following this time, entry is €9 (€8 Students/seniors). Meanwhile, with exceptions, Blacknight Festival Centre events cost €6.
Film fanatics can also consider splashing out on a festival season ticket costing €75.
For information on the festival or to buy tickets, visit https://indiecork.com/. Meanwhile, for Travel Ireland’s personal recommendations, click here.
Comments are closed.