Thaddeus O’Sullivan and Stephen Rea head up a number of Irish filmmakers set to take part in the Irish Film Festival, Boston, which begins this Thursday and runs until Sunday.
The festival, the largest Irish film festival in the US, will also play host to more than 30 Irish films, including Terry George’s Oscar-winning short, ‘The Shore’, the US premiere of ‘Stella Days’ and a 60th anniversary screening of ‘The Quiet Man’.
O’Sullivan and Rea will attend the screening of ‘Stella Days’, which will open the festival at the city’s Brattle Theatre on Thursday night and will screen as the chosen winner of festival’s Directors Choice – Feature category. Writer and director Claire Dix’s ode to Ireland and the rain, ‘Downpour’, is screening as the Directors Choice Short Film Award.
Other filmmakers who will be in attendance over the course of the four-day festival include director John McIlduff and IFTA nominated actress Aoife Duffin for the US premiere of ‘Behold The Lamb’. Frank Berry will be in the Somerville Theatre on Sunday to attend a screening of ‘Ballymun Lullaby’.
Ed Godsell will present his documentary, ‘The Road to Moneygall’, which documents Barack Obama’s long lost cousin, Henry Healy, and his efforts to bring the American president to visit him in the remote Co Offaly village. Healy will also be in attendance.
In association with IFTA and John Ford Ireland, the festival will also mark the 60th anniversary of John Ford’s ‘The Quiet Man’ with the festival closing with a screening of the 1952 Irish-American classic.
Producer Vanessa Gildea will also attend the festival’s screening of her Se Merry Doyle-directed documentary, ‘Dreaming The Quiet Man’ on Saturday night
Programmed by Dawn Morrissey, the festival’s co-director, this year’s line-up has been loosely categorized as a Spotlight on Northern Ireland; Spotlight on Sports, US Premieres and two programs of shorts.
Founded in 1999, The Irish Film Festival, Boston is the largest event of its kind outside of Ireland. Deemed one of the top 20 ‘Coolest Film Festivals’ worldwide by MovieMaker Magazine, the festival looks to celebrate the very best of Ireland and the Irish on screen - past, present and future.
For more information and a full list of screenings visit www.irishfilmfestival.com
