Nell Hensey is one of Ireland’s young creatives on the rise, a director drawn to Irish stories that are diverse, resonant, and relevant. Her most recent short film Good Chips screened this year at the Dublin International Film Festival, as a winner of Virgin Media’s Discovers programme. The film takes us back to Dublin in…
The IFI Documentary Film Festival kicks off this week, with the city centre cinema offering five days of features and short films, ‘from personal stories beautifully told, to a shocking investigative exploration of mysterious disappearances, from a unique viewpoint of those experiencing life behind the headlines of war, to shining a light on untold histories and discovering ordinary…
Now on Netflix, free-diving documentary The Deepest Breath has captured viewers with its high stakes storytelling and emotional turns. Ireland’s own Laura McGann, whose previous feature was the roller derby doc Revolutions, directs the film, which through word-of-mouth has become one of the most sought-out films currently streaming. Graham Day spoke with Laura about the…
People are not one genre. When a community is properly able to tell its story, we see how obviously just one story doesn’t cover it, that ‘representation’ alone doesn’t allow for the full range of expression, insight and entertainment that comes from providing underrepresented artists the freedom to create. It’s important for people to share…
Maureen ‘Mo’ O’Connell has had a busy couple of years. A director shorts, features and plays, Mo also brings up the work of others, as head of the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival. Recent shorts by the Dublin director show her range, with Haven, Hum and Bruise all stirring different emotions with powerful visuals. Haven is…
The latest volume of the animated anthology series Star Wars Visions is available now on Disney+, providing a collection of animated episodes from studios all over the world. Ireland’s own Cartoon Saloon contributed to the new batch released on May the 4th, with studio co-founder Paul Young directing the episode ‘Screecher’s Reach’, an eery and…
Released earlier this year, Mildly Different is a short film made by, starring, and about autistic individuals. Written and directed by Anna Czarska and starring IFTA nominated Irish actress Jordanne Jones (Metal Heart, You Are Not My Mother) alongside Ruby Connolly and Lára McIvor, the film follows a young woman on the autism spectrum from…
Cocaine Bear is a film title that can’t help but capture your attention. Inspired by a real story of a black bear that overdosed on a bag of cocaine dropped by smugglers in 1985, the movie is directed by Elizabeth Banks and will feature performances by Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich and more,…
A powerful examination of the experiences of people who are living with HIV in Ireland today, How to Tell A Secret is a hybrid documentary film that looks at social stigma and the art of telling your story. The highly anticipated film will open on limited release in select Irish cinemas from Thursday 1st December, coinciding with World AIDS Day 2022. Robbie Lawlor…
In 2018, director Natasha Waugh and writer Jonathan Hughes worked together on short film Mother, an offbeat, darkly funny tale of a matriarchal kitchen appliance. Their latest film, La Tumba is similarly smart, taking what seems like a pure comedy premise and delivering a sincere, emotional story. Featuring lovely performances by the leads, Eloisa Etxebarria…
