Here's an interesting idea, why not have a film festival that takes place in both New York and LA at (almost) the same time? That's just what the good people from Irish Screen America are doing with what really amounts to two consecutive Irish Film Festivals running September 22-25 in LA (at Laemmle NOHO) and then Sept 30-Oct 2 in New York (NYU's Cantor Film Center). What's more, they've put together a great program of Irish films to show including Queen of Ireland (pictured), Tiger Raid, and the Toronto-premiering Handsome Devil.
The full lineup/schedule and press release follows.
IRISH SCREEN AMERICA LAUNCHES 2016 PROGRAM
Irish Screen America, the annual festival that acts as a transatlantic bridge between the thriving Irish film industry and American audiences, has revealed its program for its 2016 event. Presented with the support of Glucksman House Ireland, the bi-coastal festival will feature premieres of new Irish films, television series and short films. With a mission to seek out and promote influential and emerging Irish talent to the U.S. and showcase contemporary Irish film, TV and other media, Irish Screen America has cherry picked an impressive program of features for New York and LA audiences, that have so far only bowed at tent pole fests such as Sundance and Toronto, or domestically in Ireland.
The Los Angeles leg of Irish Screen America will open on Thursday Sept. 22nd with an exclusive screening of Handsome Devil, fresh from its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. This tender comedy-drama about an unlikely friendship between the fey outsider and the star athlete at a rugby-mad school stars Andrew Scott, Moe Dunford, Amy Huberman and Ardal O’Hanlon. Leading man and rising star Fionn O’Shea (Jadotville) will be present along with writer/director John Butler and producers Rob Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan for a post-screening Q+A. On the east coast, the festival will open with the New York premiere of the documentary The Queen of Ireland, with director Conor Horgan and star Ms. Panti Bliss herself on hand for a chat with the audience.
Other features playing New York and LA as part of the festival include Rebecca Daly’s Mammal, the tense relationship drama starring Academy-nominated actress Rachel Griffiths, which went on release in Ireland earlier this year and the kidnapping thriller Tiger Raid about two Irish mercenaries in Iraq, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.
Making its North American premiere at Irish Screen America will be Twice Shy, a film about a young couple forced to travel to the UK seeking an abortion. Twice Shy is the second film from Tipperary director Tom Ryan, who will be presented with Irish Screen America’s inaugural Rising Star Award. Said Director of Irish Screen America, Niall McKay: “When we saw Twice Shy at the Galway Film Fleadh, we recognised it as the kind of truly independent production Irish Screen America was founded to support and this award is our way of announcing to our peers in New York and Los Angeles that Tom Ryan is one to watch.”
Covering the full scope of the Irish audio-visual industry, the festival will debut the first two episodes in a RTE2’s new darkly comic drama series Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope – a show written, directed and produced by women, about the lifestyle and relationships of two out-of-control, twenty-something Irish girls. Written by Stefanie Preissner, the show stars Seána Kerslake (A Date for Mad Mary) and Nika McGuigan (Philomena). Director Cathy Brady and producer Ailish McElmeel, will be present at the show’s premiere in New York and Los Angeles to discuss the making of the show and what female diversification – a hot topic of discussion in Hollywood – looks like in Ireland.
Rounding out the festival is a series of panel discussions called Stories from the Field featuring Irish professionals working in the fields of film development and distribution in New York, co-presented by the Women in Film and Television organisation.
There will also be two programs of short films – one featuring shorts made in Ireland and another showcasing work by Irish filmmakers in the U.S.
The Irish Screen America festival runs from Thursday Sept. 22nd to Sunday Sept. 25th at the Laemmle NOHO theatre in Los Angeles and from Friday Sept. 30th to Sunday October Sunday 2nd at NYU’s Cantor Film Center in New York.
To see the full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.irishscreenamerica.com.
facebook.com/IrishScreenAmericaNY
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Los Angeles
Thursday, September 22
7:30 PM Opening Night Film and Reception: Handsome Devil
A music-mad 16-year-old outcast at a rugby-mad boarding school forms an unlikely friendship with his dashing new roommate, in this funny and observant coming-of-age tale. (Q&A with actor Fionn O’Shea, director John Butler and producers). Includes opening night reception after film.
Friday 23rd Sep
7:00 PM
Tiger Raid
Two mercenaries ride a wave of pitch-black evelopsie as they travel through the desert night on their way to carry out a kidnapping in Iraq.
9:00 PM
Twice Shy
A young, unmarried couple embarks on a road trip from Ireland to London as the result of an unplanned pregnancy.
Sat 24th Sep
5:00 PM
Los Angeles Irish Shorts Showcase
Featuring shorts from Irish filmmakers working in the US including: Wifey Redux, Kowalski, Base, The Green Rabbit and The Ice Cream Girl. Q&A with filmmakers Eoin Macken (Night Shift) Jason O’Mara (The Good Wife) and others.
9:00 PM
Can’t Cope Won’t Cope
Fueled by mad nights out and bolstered by a sense of entitlement, two Cork twentysomethings are running away from the reality that’s hurtling toward them.
A new darkly comic drama series from Irish broadcaster RTE 2, starring Seana Kerslake and Nika McGuigan, written by Stefanie Preissner, directed by Cathy Brady and produced by Ailish McElmeel. With cast & crew in attendance.
Sun 25th Sep
4:00 PM
Irish Shorts Program
A collection of this year’s best short films from Ireland including Between Us, The Captors, The Party, My Life for Ireland, Adulting and Big Bird.
6:00 PM
Mammal
A woman, played by Rachel Griffiths (Brothers and Sisters, Muriel’s Wedding) who has lost her son develops an unorthodox relationship with a homeless youth, played by Barry Keoghan (’71, Dunkirk).
8:00 PM
Queen of Ireland
The film follows Ireland’s most famous drag queen and accidental LGBTQ activist, Ms. Panti Bliss, during the lead up to the historic same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland.
New York
Fri Sep 30
5:00 PM
Opening Night Reception
Opening Night reception with guests Ms. Panti Bliss and director Conor Horgan. Sponsored by Glucksman Ireland House and Irish Arts Center.
7:30 PM
Queen Of Ireland
The film follows Ireland’s most famous drag queen and accidental LGBTQ activist, Ms. Panti Bliss, during the lead up to the historic same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland.
Q&A with Panti and director Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings).
Saturday Oct 1
4:00 PM
Stories From The Field
Irish women working in the entertainment industry discuss how they get things done. Presented by the Irish and New York branches of Women in Film and Television.
6:00 PM
Tiger Raid
Two mercenaries ride a wave of pitch-black camraderies as they travel through the desert night on their way to carry out a kidnapping in Iraq.
8:00 PM
Can't Cope Won't Cope
Fueled by mad nights out and bolstered by a sense of entitlement, two Cork twentysomethings are running away from the reality that’s hurtling toward them.
A new darkly comic drama series from Irish broadcaster RTE 2, starring Seana Kerslake and Nika McGuigan, written by Stefanie Preissner, directed by Cathy Brady and produced by Ailish McElmeel. With cast & crew in attendance.
Sunday Oct 2
4:00 PM
Mammal
A woman, played by Rachel Griffiths (Brothers and Sisters, Muriel’s Wedding) who has lost her son develops an unorthodox relationship with a homeless youth, played by Barry Keoghan (’71, Dunkirk).
6:00 PM
New York Irish Shorts Showcase
Featuring shorts from Irish filmmakers working and living in New York. Features: Eggs and Soldiers, Narcan, We Have Each Other, Ducks of 1916 (Q&A with filmmakers)
8:00 PM
Irish Shorts Program
A collection of this year's best short films from Ireland including Between Us, The Captors, The Party, My Life for Ireland, Adulting and Big Bird.