The Silk Road International Film Festival is returning to Dublin. One of the first festivals on the calendar in the capital, the festival will be hosting its eighth edition between the 21st & 25th January 2020, screening a variety of international cinema and providing a showcase of features, documentaries, shorts, music videos & student films. The festival this year is being held in January in order to coincide with the celebrations of the Chinese New Year, and will provide the opportunity to begin another exciting year in the fair city of film for those who appreciate celebrating a diverse range of cinema.
For several years the Silk Road Film Festival has grown its reputation in Dublin, presenting an exclusive selection of Asian, Arab, Persian, Middle Eastern, African, Mediterranean and European cinema from along the ‘Silk Road’. The festival aims to narrow distances between people and cultures, to break boundaries & foster cross-cultural collaboration & social change, SRIFF offers itself as a place to learn. International guests, filmmakers, artists, and organisers alike together bridge gaps in learning about people, traditions & ideas.
Six original feature films, including a number of international premieres will be shown throughout the week of the festival, alongside Libyan and Chinese documentaries, a wide selection of shorts and a number of promising student films from across the globe. Possibly the most eye-catching offering at this year’s Silk Road festival however is Tomasso, the latest film by renowned director Abel Ferrara.
Tommaso (Willem Dafoe), an American artist living in Rome, and Nikki’s (Cristina Chiriac) marriage is in turmoil and he must come to terms with his wife’s desire to change the rules of their relationship. This change between them is set against Tommaso’s simple day-to-day life in Rome; as a student taking Italian classes, as a teacher working with young acting students, and most importantly his relationship and the pure love he feels for his three-year-old daughter and she for him. The film’s screening at the Irish Film Institute on Wednesday January 22nd will be followed by a Q&A session with the director.
The following day will see Ferrara offer a Masterclass on Directing at the Jonathan Swift Theatre in Trinity College Dublin. Tickets for this event are available from the festival for €40 (€25 for students).
Stay tuned to Film In Dublin for all the latest news and previews of film festivals across the county in 2020.