Irish talent in spotlight at annual Film Fleadh

Buy tickets.” That was the plea from the Galway Film Fleadh’s Director of Programming, Maeve McGrath, at the launch of the programme for this year’s event on Tuesday evening.

She wasn’t just encouraging people to purchase tickets for the Fleadh – although that too! Her main focus was on supporting the Irish film industry, which the Fleadh is doing by premiering 32 homemade films, spanning a wide range of themes and genres.

“Buy tickets to the Fleadh, and buy tickets to the cinema when the Fleadh is over,” she said, stressing that viewership figures would matter when it came to funding for future Irish productions.

The Fleadh’s opening film, Kneecap, on Tuesday, July 9, is sold out and there are plans for a second screening on Saturday, July 13, at 11pm in Screen One of the Pálás.

For those who don’t get tickets for these screenings about the anarchic Belfast trio who rap in Irish while fighting for language and civil rights – with a supporting cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Fionnuala Flaherty and Jessica Reynolds – it will be in cinemas from August 8.

This year’s Fleadh will screen 94 feature films from 45 countries, with 20 world premieres, seven international premieres and 52 Irish premieres, as Maeve and the Mayor of Galway City, Peter Keane, stressed to guests at the programme launch in the Galmont Hotel.

The Irish language is strongly represented, with screenings such as Kneecap and also Fidil Ghorm, which was produced here in Galway, with a Galway writer, director and a strong local cast representation.

Written by Patricia Forde, Fidil Ghorm, which will screen on Wednesday, July 10, at 6.30pm, tells the story of Molly, who believes if she learns to play the fiddle like her father, she can wake him up from a coma. Directed by Anne McCabe the cast includes Edith Lawlor, Barry McGovern, Siobhán O’Kelly, Ruadhán Flatharta, Sarah Jane Scott and Marcus Lamb.

There will be a post-show discussion after the screening of this Irish premiere.

Pictured: Froggie, being screened on July 10, is the work of Galway brothers Luke and Jake Morgan.