The inaugural John Ford Ireland Film Symposium is due to get underway tonight (June 7) with the Irish premiere of John Ford’s 1924 epic masterpiece ‘The Iron Horse’ at Dublin’s National Concert Hall.
The film and music event – hailed as “an astonishing achievement” by The New York Times upon its US premiere – will begin at 8pm with the one-off screening of the silent classic featuring live orchestral accompaniment from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the film’s award winning US composer Christopher Caliendo.
The symposium will then continue in venues across Dublin city centre from tomorrow morning (June 8) until Sunday (June 10) and features a diverse programme of screenings, public interviews, musical events and movie masterclasses, inspired and informed by one of the giants of Hollywood cinema.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan will be among the guests of honor at tonight’s opening of the IFTA-run symposium. Referencing Ford’s Irish heritage, he described the Irish-American director as “a true representative of the Irish Diaspora” and “one of Ireland’s greatest emigrant sons.”
IFTA chief executive Áine Moriarty added: “Ford’s films have always connected with and continue to resonate with ordinary people around the world. He was a great storyteller but moreover he was a master-filmmaker who has influenced so many of cinema’s great filmmakers today. The Academy is proud that this annual Ford Film Symposium will now be held in Ireland each year, where film fans, Ford enthusiasts and filmmakers can help us celebrate Ford’s work and legacy.”
Tickets for tonight’s event, as well as other individual events, are currently on sale from the John Ford Ireland website. Season passes for the four-day event are also available and are priced at €80, or €65 with a discount rate for IFTA and BAFTA Members and concession rates for students/OAP.
A number of events, such as ‘The Searchers’ outdoor screening at Dublin’s Meeting House Square and a masterclass with Oscar-winning editor and longtime Clint Eastwood collaborator Joel Cox (Unforgiven) are sold out.
Among the many highlights on the festival programme – which can be viewed here – are a host of panel discussions with a number of award-winning filmmaking and John Ford experts.
Dan Ford, John Ford’s grandson, will make the opening address tomorrow morning (June 8) at the IFI in Dublin at 9am followed by acclaimed film historian Joseph McBride, who will present the John Ford Opening Lecture.
This will be followed by a screening of celebrated director Peter Bogdanovich’s documentary, ‘Directed by John Ford’. Bogdanovich will also be on hand to present a public interview which will also take place at the IFI.
Directors John Boorman, Jim Sheridan, Thaddeus O’Sullivan and Brian Kirk will also be in the IFI at 2pm tomorrow to take part in the Ford Film Hub Director’s Panel.
On Saturday, Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen) will take part in a public interview in the Project Arts Centre at 12 noon.
The Ford Film Hub Writer’s Panel will follow in the IFI at 2pm with writers Colin Bateman and Pat McCabe in the Ford Film Hub.
Editing supremo and Clint Eastwood’s go-to man Joel Cox (Million Dollar Baby/Gran Torino/J Edgar) will hold a masterclass the same day at 2pm.
Other symposium highlights include the Dublin premiere screening of Sé Merry Doyle’s ‘John Ford: Dreaming The Quiet Man’, screening on Sunday afternoon at 4.30pm.
The symposium will close in the IFI with a 60th anniversary screening of ‘The Quiet Man,’ which is presented in partnership with the IFI. The screening will take place at 6.45pm, with tickets available from www.ifi.ie.
The full symposium programme of events are
Thursday 7th June
8pm -The Iron Horse - Irish Premiere with Chrisopher Caliendo & the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Friday 8th June
9am - Joseph McBride - Opening Lecture
11am - Directed by John Ford
2pm - Ford Film Hub - Directors: Jim Sheridan, John Boorman, Thaddeus O’Sullivan & Brian Kirk
5pm - Irish Premiere of Ford’s lost classic Upstream, with Charles Barr introduction
7.30pm - Peter Bogdanovich Public Interview
10pm - The Searchers Outdoor Screening
Saturday 9th June
11am - Hell On Wheels - Irish First Look Preview
12noon - In Conversation With Stephen Frears
2pm - Ford Film Hub - Writers: Pat McCabe, Colin Bateman, Eoghan Harris, Ian Power
4pm - Fort Apache
4pm - Music for the Screen: Christopher Caliendo, Kyle Eastwood, David Holmes & Dave Fanning
4pm - John Ford and the Abbey Players
6.45pm - Unforgiven 20th Anniversary Screening with Joel Cox, Kyle Eastwood & Kim Newman
9.30pm - Kyle Eastwood Band performance
Sunday 10th June
2pm - The Informer (in partnership with the IFI)
4.20pm - Irish Premiere of John Ford: Dreaming the Quiet Man with Sé Merry Doyle, Dan Ford & Peter Bogdanovich
6.45pm - 60th Anniversary Screening of The Quiet Man (in partnership with the IFI).
