Docs Ireland begins its fifth interaction today with a programme that includes over 87 films and events, taking place over 6 days.
Opening with the Irish Premiere of Fine Point’s portrait of Cyndi Lauper, Let the Canary Sing, Docs Ireland 5 will showcase the wide ranging and diverse potential of non-fiction filmmaking both in Ireland and across the globe.
On Thursday 22nd June, Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane’s In The Shadow of Beirut will receive its European Premiere at the festival, having just had its world premiere at DocEdge earlier this month where it won three awards including Best International Feature. The documentary weaves four storylines together in a portrait of a people and a city on the brink, yet who possess resilience and hope. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Gary Lennon’s I Dream in Photos, will receive its world premiere at the festival. The film explores the life and work of photographer Cathal McNaughton. Filmed over three years, the film delves into what inspired Cathal to create his 25-year-long body of work and why he quit “the best job in the world” aged just 40, shortly after winning the ultimate accolade in his industry, the Pulitzer Prize. There will be a Q&A after the film with director Gary Lennon and Cathal McNaughton on Saturday 24th June.
Other documentaries to screen at the festival include a Q&A screening of Frankie Fenton’s Atomic Hope, which was released in Irish cinemas in February this year, a Q&A screening of Margo Harkin’s Stolen which premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival, and Maurice O’Brien’s IFTA-nominated filmThe Artist & The Wall of Death which received a limited released at the IFI in March.
Docs Ireland will also screen a wide range of diverse short documentaries and international features, as well as hold industry panels, workshops and networking events.
As previously reported by IFTN, Docs Ireland 5 will close with a conversation between the new host of The Late Late Show Patrick Kielty and former champion boxer and mental health advocate Carl Frampton on Northern Irish politics, education and identity.
Tickets for all films and events and additional information about the programme can be found here.
Docs Ireland is funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Belfast City Council, Department Of Communities, Film Hub NI, BFI FAN and Arts and Business, and sponsored by TG4, BBC Northern Ireland, Birra Moretti and Hastings Hotels.
