Dinard Festival of British & Irish Film in France has announced the lineup for its 34th edition, including a number of new Irish productions.
The festival takes place from October 2-6. This is the first year of the festival’s new title which reflects the strong presence of Irish films (it was previously known as Dinard Festival of British Film).
Christopher Andrews' Bring Them Down will play in the main festival competition, competing for the Golden Hitchcock Award for Best Film.
Produced by Tailored Films, Bring Them Down sees “An Irish shepherding family thrust into battle on several fronts: internal strife, hostility within the family, and rivalry with another farmer.”. The film stars Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan and US actor Christopher Abbott - known for roles in Girls and Poor Things. The cast also includes Colm Meaney and Nora-Jane Noone.
Keoghan will also be seen in Andrea Arnold's Bird which screens at the festival. Bird will be released by MUBI in Ireland in November.
Ariane Labed’s directorial debut September Says, produced by Element Pictures, will also complete for the Golden Hitchcock Award.
Also on the lineup is Baltimore, produced by Samson Films and directed by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy. The film, starring Imogen Poots and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, is based on the true story of Rose Dugdale and released in Irish cinemas earlier this year.
Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap will also screen at the festival, which was recently announced by IFTA as Ireland's entry for the Oscars International Feature Film 2025. Also screening will be IFTA's 2024 Best Film winner, That They May Face The Rising Sun, directed by Pat Collins and starring Barry Ward.
The lineup also includes Marian Quinn's Dublin drama Twig starring Sade Malone, as well as Alan Gilsenan's doc The Irish Question, and Northern Irish doc The Flats.
Gabriel Byrne will be seen in Dance First about the life of Samuel Beckett, and Saoirse Ronan will be seen in Scottish-set drama The Outrun.
Matt Brown’s Freud’s Last Session, produced by Subotica and starring Anthony Hopkins, will close the festival.
