Irish Film London will host a season of hopeful Irish films to welcome live audiences back to London cinemas this August.
Irish Film London, an organisation that champions Irish film and animation in the UK, will host a summer season of uplifting Irish films to encourage live audiences back to cinemas following Covid-19 closures.
The Irish for Hope will present Irish stories imbued with hope for new beginnings, better tomorrows and the goodness that can be found in humanity. The series of feature films and shorts will entice film lovers back to the auditorium to enjoy the communal pleasure of cinema.
The series will feature films for all ages, including animation, narrative and documentaries, and provide a window into the lives of Irish women, musicians, teenagers and children, and into the experiences of activists, people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community.
The Irish for Hope runs from Saturday 7 August to Sunday 22 August and will be shown in selected cinemas in Central and East London. The programme includes:
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Wolfwalkers (7 August, 4:15pm BST, Rio Cinema) – an Oscar-nominated, hand-drawn animation film that encourages young people to hold onto their dreams and hope for a better future embracing difference and diversity.
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Dating Amber (8 August, 3:45pm BST, Rio Cinema) – an affecting comedy-drama about LGBTQ+ teens who face homophobic bullies while dreaming of their futures together.
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Songs for While I’m Away (17 August, 6:20pm BST, Bertha DocHouse) – the first screening of a documentary that offers a fresh perspective on the life of legendary Irish rock star, Phil Lynott, showing how a Black working-class Irish lad rose to fame against the odds.
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The 8th (21 August, 4:15pm BST, Rio Cinema) – a powerful female-led documentary that charts the coming together of veteran feminist activist, Ailbhe Smythe and self-styled glitter activist, Andrea Horgan, to spearhead a successful campaign to win back Irish women their reproductive rights.
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The shorts programme (22 August, 3:45pm BST, Rio Cinema) – a specially curated selection of films by young and emerging filmmakers across all genres, including animation, poetic documentary, comedy, drama, English language, Irish and Brazilian Portuguese. Programmed by Madeleine Casey, Irish Film London Shorts Programmer.
The screenings are part of Film Feels Hopeful (www.filmfeels.co.uk), a UK-wide cinema season, supported by the National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network, that celebrates films’ unique ability to connect us and inspire hope.
Gerry Maguire, Head of Irish Film London, said: “The Irish for Hope series showcases some of the most inspiring feature films and shorts from new and established Irish filmmakers.
“We’ve really missed the communal experience of watching films together and hope audiences join us back in cinemas to enjoy these films on the big screen where they belong.”
Ben Luxford, Head of UK Audiences at the BFI, said: “We’re delighted that the Film Feels UK-wide film programme provides a welcome opportunity for audiences to experience something different with exciting new voices and a showcase of in-venue screenings and activities, as well as online events, with the support of the BFI Film Audience Network. Film Feels Hopeful will allow a diverse mix of organisations across the country to express their creativity and programming ambitions. This will enable venues and programmers to amplify new stories and reconnect with audiences following the challenges of Covid-19 for the exhibition sector, all supported thanks to National Lottery players.”
Tickets for The Irish for Hope screenings are available now at www.irishfilmfestivallondon.com/ifl-2021-events. Irish Film London members can attend the events free of charge. Full details about membership are available at www.irishfilmfestivallondon.com/become-a-member.