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Irish Film Festivals Worldwide Celebrate Irish Film This St. Patrick’s Day

Posted: 14th March 2018

As the Irish film industry gears up for Dingle Film Festival and Animation Dingle, taking place from 22 – 25 March, it is also a very busy month for Irish film festivals around the world, with several of them taking place in or around St Patrick's Day. This month has already witnessed the Chicago Irish Film Festival, the San Francisco Irish Film Festival, the Toronto Irish Film Festival and the Capital Irish Film Festival, all showcasing Irish film and Irish talent to North American audiences.

Over the next month, Irish film will continue to reach global audiences at a variety of Irish film festivals in locations including Berlin, Boston, Rome, Moscow and Australia.

Shebeen Flick: Irish Film Festival (Berlin), 15 – 18 March
Since 2012 Shebeen Flick has become an integral part of the St. Patrick’s celebrations in the German capital. Since then, every March Shebeen Flick gives Berliners the chance to see a curated programme with Irish films that have not yet been distributed locally alongside some favourite Irish classics.

This year, the festival has achieved 50/50 gender equality across its line-up, with IFB titles screening including Kissing Candice, Without Name, School Life and a special VR presentation of Song of the Sea.

Irish Film Festival Boston, 22 – 25 March
Irish Film Festival Boston was set up in 1999 to celebrate and promote global Irish cinema. The festival quickly became the largest event of its kind outside Ireland. It provides exhibition, distribution, and educational opportunities for filmmakers; honours their work with awards; and produces original documentaries on contemporary Irish cinema.

In 2003, the festival inaugurated the annual IFFB Awards, offering filmmakers awards in four categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Fiction/Animation, and Director’s Choice.

2018’s edition of the festival features a host of IFB titles, with many winning some of the festival’s top awards including the US premiere of Kissing Candice (Breakthrough Feature), MAZE (Director’s Choice), The Farthest (Global Vision Documentary), The Breadwinner (Special Jury Prize), Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect, In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America, It’s Not Yet Dark and Song of the Sea.

Irish Film Festa (Rome), 21 -25 March
Irish Film Festa was created in 2007, and it is aimed at promoting Irish cinema in Italy.  The festival, held at the Casa del Cinema di Roma, presents new films and old unedited classics and the programme includes presentations and meetings with Irish guests (directors, actors, screenwriters and producers) as well as debates and special events.

IFB titles featured in this year’s line-up include Handsome Devil, Rocky Ros Muc, Kissing Candice, MAZE, The Breadwinner, Late Afternoon and Song of Granite. The festival will also host a panel discussion, Making Shorts, which will examine the short film landscape in Ireland.

Moscow Irish Film Festival, 14 – 25 March
Founded in 2008 the Irish Film Festival in Moscow is a key event during Irish Week, a week-long series of Irish cultural events over St. Patrick's Week in March.   The Irish Film Festival celebrates Irish cinema with a packed schedule of screenings of features, documentaries and short films.

The 2018 edition of the festival will see a plethora of IFB-supported films screening including Maudie, Song of Granite, The Breadwinner, Tomato Red, Song of the Sea, The Farthest, Angela’s Christmas, Song of Granite, MAZE, and In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America.

Irish Australian Film Festival, 18 April, Penrith Gaels, Penrith / 19 – 22 April, Chauvel Cinema, Paddington / 26 – 28 April, Kino Cinema, Melbourne
Now in its 4th year, the Irish Australian Film Festival has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity since its humble beginnings in Sydney to 2018 when it will screen in Fremantle, Penrith, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The Festival screens the latest film releases direct from Ireland. Its mission is to bring contemporary Irish screen culture and entertainment to Australian audiences. Australia and Ireland share strong bonds — almost one third of Australians claim some Irish ancestry — but celebrations of this shared heritage are rare.

In 2018, for the first time in its history, the Irish Film Festival will include a Short Film Competition —encouraging entrants from Australia and overseas and supporting local filmmakers. The Irish Film Festival is fast becoming the largest celebration of contemporary Irish culture in Australia.

MAZE has been announced to screen in Sydney and Melbourne with the full 2018 line-up expected to be announced shortly.