Booking Info ///
Book Now ONLINE / PHONE / CALL IN /
www.DIFF.ie 01 687 7974 FESTIVAL HOUSE 12 East Essex St Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Contents 02 / 07 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 15 / 16 / 18 / 23 / 36 / 67 / 75 / 77 / 81 / 84 / 87 /
Schedule Pick Your Films Introductions ADIFF Discovery Award Film Listings Opening Gala: Black 47 Immersive Stories: Conference & Exhibition Hong Kong Cinema Volta Award: Paul Schrader Special Presentation: Silent Cinema Volta Award: Vanessa Redgrave Closing Gala: C’est La Vie Special Events Festival Guide Film Index Fantastic Flix
Using This Programme Planning your festival – Please refer to the schedule on pages 2–4 and the film index on page 84. – Each listing includes a personal reaction from our programmers showing why they wanted to share this film with you. We hope you find them helpful. – For all the latest updates, please see DIFF.ie
/ PAGE 01
Box Office Details BOX OFFICE (01) 687 7974 / DIFF.ie FESTIVAL HOUSE 12 East Essex St Temple Bar, Dublin 2 — Open: Jan 25–Mar 4, 2018 Mon to Sat 10am–6pm Sun during festival only 12pm–6pm
REMOTE BOX OFFICES There will be pop-up box offices in place at each venue from 30 minutes prior to each screening Please note For full details of our ticketing terms and conditions, and for additional information check our website at DIFF.ie
Ticket Information TICKET PRICES Afternoon screenings €9 (before 5pm, Mon–Fri only) Evening and weekend screenings €13 Fantastic Flix €5 / 7 Special Presentations €18 / 20 Season Ticket: €250 Galas €25 (Includes entry to Opening and Closing Gala parties) Immersive Stories Conference & Exhibition €95 / 55 (con) A €1 per cart booking fee applies to all phone and online bookings. For full details of our ticketing terms and conditions see DIFF.ie. //////////////////////////////////////////////////// SEE MORE & SAVE! 10% for bookings of 10 or more (Must be the same event) TICKET BUNDLES Buy 3 x €9 tickets for €25 (save €2) Buy 4 x €9 tickets for €33 (save €3) Buy 5 x €9 tickets for €40 (save €5) Buy 3 x €13 tickets for €35 (save €4) Buy 4 x €13 tickets for €46 (save €6) Buy 5 x €13 tickets for €57 (save €8)
Discounts 10% discount is available for groups (of 10+), students, OAPs, the unwaged and those in receipt of disability benefits. Bookings must be made in person and proof of eligibility required. TICKET COLLECTION Tickets can be collected up to two hours before the screening at the Festival House box office or at the relevant cinema 30 minutes before the screening. You will be required to present your booking confirmation email or the card you paid with to receive your ticket. E-TICKETS Buy tickets online at DIFF.ie and we will email you a downloadable PDF. Print or download your tickets to your smartphone to gain admission at the venue. Special Events (see individual event listings, pages 77–79) Free events must be booked as advertised within the event description.
Schedule ///
Festival + Special Events / Feb 21–Mar 04
Wednesday 21 / 02 21:00 / BLACK 47 * 1hr 36m Cineworld 17 (Opening Gala)
Special Events During The Festival 21 Feb – Celebrating 4 Mar Irish Talent Exhibition Powerscourt Town Centre 2 Mar – 31 Mar
Cedric Gibbons Exhibition From Fri 2nd Mar NCAD Gallery
21 Feb – Exhibition: Brown 4 Mar Bag Films Behind the Scenes Light House
Thursday 22 / 02 11:00 / 1hr 26m
My Neighbour Totoro * Light House 1
14:00 / 1hr 34m
Yasuni Man * Light House 3
First Reformed * 18:00 / 1hr 48m (Special Presentation) Cineworld 9 18:00 / 2hr 10m
Our Time Will Come Light House 3
18:30 / 2hr 24m
Death of The President Light House 1
20:00 / 1hr 34m
The Breadwinner * (Gala) Cineworld 17
20:30 / 1hr 26m
Somewhere Beyond The Mist Light House 3
20:45 / 1hr 43m
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Cineworld 9
Friday 23 / 02 14:00 / Pickpocket * 1hr 16m Light House 1 16:00 / Performance * 1hr 45m Light House 1
Lego Animation Workshops 2018 The Ark
Sat 10 Feb
Zombie Prosthetics Workshop with Julie-Ann Ryan The Ark
Sat 17 Feb
Discover Graphic Design for Filmmaking The Ark
09.00 /
iMMERSIVE STORIES Round Room Mansion House
11:00 / 2hr
Dawson City: Frozen Time Light House 1
12.00 /
Film Festivals Programmers Speed Dating & Networking Session Light House Bar
14:00 / 1hr 36m
ADIFF Shorts 1 * Light House 3
14:00 / 1hr 53m
An Autumn Afternoon * Light House 1
16:15 / 1hr 50m
Sweet Country Light House 1
16:30 / 1hr 20m
That Summer Light House 3
16:30 / 1hr 36m
The Divine Order § Cineworld 9
18:15 / 1hr 48m
The Line Light House 3
18:30 / 1hr 16m
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid * Light House 1
18:45 / 2hr 18m
The Guardians Cineworld 9
20:30 / 1hr 58m
The Ciambra Light House 3
20:30 / 1hr 26m
Tueurs / Above the Law * Light House 1
20:50 / 1hr 39m
Write When You Get Work * Cineworld 9
16:00 / The White Girl 1hr 37m Light House 3 18:15 / Beast * 1hr 47m Cineworld 9 18:15 / Never Steady, 1hr 50m Never Still * Light House 1 18:30 / I’ve Got The Blues * 1hr 30m Light House 3 20:45 / In The Fade 1hr 46m Light House 1 21:00 / Paradox 1hr 41m Light House 3 22:45 / Revenge 1hr 48m Light House 1
21 Feb – NCAD Exhibition 4 Mar Light House 13–16 Feb
Saturday 24 / 02
FILM SCREENINGS: LISTED IN RED FANTASTIC FLIX: LISTED IN PURPLE SPECIAL EVENTS: LISTED IN BLUE
* Film will be accompanied by an introduction, Q+A or discussion § The regional tour of The Divine Order is supported by access>CINEMA. See page 78 for details.
/ PAGE 03
Sunday 25 / 02 09.00 /
iMMERSIVE STORIES Round Room Mansion House
11:00 / 1hr 34m
Filmworker Light House 1
13:00 / 1hr 41m
ADIFF Shorts 2 * Light House 1
Lots of Kids, 14:00 / 1hr 30m A Monkey and A Castle Light House 3 The Bookshop 14:00 / 1hr 50m Cineworld 9 What Will 15:30 / 1hr 46m People Say Light House 1 16:15 / 1hr 11m 18:30 / 1hr 10m
Wonderful Losers: A Different World * Light House 3 Behind The Door * Light House 1
Marlina the 18:00 / 1hr 30m Murderer in Four Acts Cineworld 9 18:00 / 1hr 23m
Thirst Street * Light House 3
20:10 / 1hr 53m
The Workshop Light House 2
20:15 / 1hr 35m
Light House 1
Monday 26 / 02
Tuesday 27 / 02
Wednesday 28 / 02
13:30 / The Big Parade 2hr 31m IFI
13:30 / Dinner at Eight 1hr 51m IFI
13:30 / Grand Hotel 1hr 52m IFI
Casting 17:00 / 1hr 31m Pavilion Theatre
18:10 / The Summit 1hr 54m Light House 1
18:10 / Madame 1hr 31m Cineworld 9
18:15 / My Generation 1hr 25m Cineworld 9
16:00 / ADIFF Shorts 4 1hr 38m (Followed by ADIFF Awards presentation) Light House 2
Marlina the 18:15 / 1hr 30m Murderer in Four Acts Light House 3
18:30 / Pre-Crime * 1hr 28m Light House 3
18:15 / The Rider 1hr 44m Light House 1 18:30 / The Science 1hr 20m of Ghosts * IFI
18:30 / Phantom Islands * 1hr 14m IFI 20:30 / Good Favour * 1hr 25m Light House 1 20:45 / Israfil 1hr 40m Light House 3
17:50 / 27mins
Twilight * Light House 2
18:15 / 2hr 3m
Lean On Pete Cineworld 9
18:30 / Custody * 1hr 33m Light House 1 18:30 / Isle of Dogs 1hr 35m Cineworld 17
20:00 / The Divine Order ยง 1hr 36m Pavilion Theatre
18:45 / WhILE You Live, 1hr 20m Shine * Light House 2
20:30 / ADIFF Shorts 3 * 1hr 42m Light House 3
20:30 / Red Sparrow 2hr 25m Cineworld 17
20:30 / Tower. 1hr 46m A Bright Day Cineworld 9
20:45 / Muse * 1hr 47m (Special Presentation) Light House 1
20:30 / You Were Never 1hr 25m Really Here * (Special Presentation) Light House 1
20:45 / Zama 1hr 55m Light House 3 20:45 / Thoroughbreds 1hr 30m Cineworld 9
The Cured *
/// Please note: Additional events may have been added after this catalogue went to print. Please check our website DIFF.ie for the most current schedule.
Schedule ///
Festival + Special Events / Feb 21–Mar 04
Thursday 01 / 03
Friday 02 / 03
10:00 /
Careers Day IFI
10:00 / 44mins
Vampirina * Light House 3
10:00 / 2hr
Cloudboy * Omniplex Rathmines
11:00 / Rum 213 * 1hr 36m Omniplex Rathmines
Saturday 03 / 03 11:00 / 58 mins
Sunday 04 / 03
Fantastic Flix Shorts * Omniplex Rathmines Light House 3
11:00 / Mary and the 1hr 53m Witch’s Flower Light House 1
13:00 / At Eye Level * 1hr 55m Movies@Dundrum
11:30 / Cloudboy * 1hr 53m Light House 3
16:00 / Catch The Wind 1hr 43m Light House 1
12:30 / Liyana * 1hr 32m Movies@Dundrum
18:10 / Wonderstruck * 1hr 56m Cineworld 9
13:30 / 1hr 54m
An American in Paris IFI
13:15 / So Help Me God * 1hr 40m Light House 1
18:15 / Disobedience 1hr 54m Light House 1
14.00 /
WRITERS WORKSHOP – LAURENCE CORIAT Brooks Hotel Cinema
13:50 / Casting * 1hr 31m Light House 3
18:15 / The Image 1hr 14m You Missed * Light House 2 20:30 / 2hr 5m
Ana, Mon Amour Light House 3
20:30 / Foxtrot 1hr 48m Light House 1 20:45 / Apparition / 2hr 20m L’apparition Cineworld 9
12:00 /
14:00 / Damo & Ivor * 18:10 / 1hr 30m Cineworld 17 The Other Side 18:10 / 1hr 40m of Everything Light House 3 18:15 / 1hr 35m
The Camino Voyage * IFI
18:15 / 1hr 35m
Hannah Light House 1
20:30 / 1hr 17m
Have A Nice Day Light House 3
20:30 / 2hr 5m
The Third Murder Cineworld 9
Kissing Candice * 20:45 / 1hr 42m Light House 1
Judicial Review: Law on Film
12:00 / Edie 1hr 42m Light House 3 13:30 / Racer and 2hr 10m The Jailbird Cineworld 9 14:00 / The Italian Straw Hat 1hr 45m (The Horse atE The Hat) * Light House 1 15.30 /
Catalyst Case Study — Kissing Candice Bow St Academy
15:45 / The Meeting * 1hr 33m Light House 1
Dublin Film Critics’ Circle Awards Light House
16:10 / My Friend Dahmer 1hr 47m Cineworld 9 16:15 / A Gentle Creature 2hr 23m Light House 1
16:00 / Sea Sorrow * 1hr 14m (Special Presentation) Cineworld 17 16:00 / How to Talk to 1hr 42m Girls at Parties * Light House 3 18:10 / 2hr 2m
11:00 / The Big Bad Fox 1hr 23m & Other Tales * Light House 1
Sicilian Ghost Story Cineworld 9
17:00 /
Surprise Film (Special Presentation) Odeon Point x3 Screens
19:00 / Under The Tree 1hr 29m Light House 1 20:00 / C’est La Vie 1hr 57m (Closing Gala) Cineworld 17
18:15 / A Mother Brings Her 1hr 24m Son to be Shot * Light House 1 18:30 / Journeyman * 1hr 32m Light House 2 20:30 / 1hr 43m
The Delinquent Season * Light House 1
20:45 / A Prayer 1hr 56m Before Dawn * Cineworld 9
FILM SCREENINGS: LISTED IN RED FANTASTIC FLIX: LISTED IN PURPLE SPECIAL EVENTS: LISTED IN BLUE
* Film will be accompanied by an introduction, Q+A or discussion § The regional tour of The Divine Order is supported by access>CINEMA. See page 78 for details.
/// Please note: Additional events may have been added after this catalogue went to print. Please check our website DIFF.ie for the most current schedule.
Pick Your Films ///
/ PAGE 07
— * Filmmaker in attendance
Galas & Special Presentations Black 47* 15 C’est La Vie 75 The Breadwinner* 21 Surprise Film 73 Muse* 54 First Reformed* 22 You Were Never Really Here* 45 Sea Sorrow* 65
World Cinema The Bookshop 33 First Reformed* 22 Disobedience 57 Apparition / L’apparition 59 The Line 30 A Prayer Before Dawn* 69 Sicilian Ghost Story 68 Tueurs / Above the Law* 31 Red Sparrow 54 Death of the President 20 A Gentle Creature 71 The Third Murder 62 You Were Never Really Here* 45 Ana, mon Amour 57 The Divine Order 27 Madame 44 Never Steady, Never Still* 25 The Summit 46 In the Fade 25 The Workshop 38 The Ciambra 31 Casting* 41 Edie 70 Zama 54 Israfil 49 What Will People Say 33 Have a Nice Day 62 Foxtrot 59 Custody* 51 Hannah 61 Thirst Street* 38 Marlina the Murderer in 4 Acts 38 The Guardians 30 Wonderstruck* 56 My Friend Dahmer 71 Isle of Dogs 51 Racer and the Jailbird 70 Mark Felt: The Man who Brought down the White House 21 Behind the Door* 36 The Italian Straw Hat* 36 The Rider 44 Write When You Get Work* 31 Sweet Country 27 Thoroughbreds 55
Beast* 24 Catch the Wind 56 Under the Tree 71 Revenge 25 How to Talk to Girls at Parties* 68 Journeyman* 69 Pickpocket* 24 An Autumn Afternoon* 26 Performance* 22 Tower. A Bright Day 45
Irish Cinema The Delinquent Season* 69 Black 47* 15 While you Live, Shine* 51 Kissing Candice* 62 Damo & Ivor* 60 The Camino Voyage* 61 Good Favour* 49 The Cured* 39 A Mother Brings her Son to be Shot* 68 Phantom Islands* 47 The Science of Ghosts* 44 The Breadwinner* 21 The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid* 30 Twilight* 50 The Meeting* 64 Muse* 54
Documentary While you Live, Shine* 51 My Generation 47 So Help Me God* 64 The Other Side of Everything 61 Wonderful Losers: A Different World 33 A Mother Brings her Son to be Shot* 68 The Image You Missed* 57 Lots of Kids, A Monkey, and a Castle 32 Phantom Islands* 47 The Science of Ghosts* 44 The Camino Voyage* 61 Dawson City: Frozen Time 26 That Summer 27 Filmworker 32 I’ve Got the Blues* 19 Pre-Crime* 47 Yasuni Man* 20
Shorts ADIFF Shorts 1* ADIFF Shorts 2* ADIFF Shorts 3* ADIFF Shorts 4*
29 35 43 53
Hong Kong Season The White Girl 19 Paradox 19 Somewhere Beyond the Mist 18 Our Time will Come 18 I’ve Got the Blues* 19
Classics / Out Of The Past Behind the Door* 36 The Italian Straw Hat* 36 The Big Parade 41 Dinner at Eight 46 Grand Hotel 50 An American in Paris 60 Pickpocket* 24 An Autumn Afternoon* 26 Performance* 22 My Neighbour Totoro* 87 Death of the President* 20
Crime and Law So Help Me God* 64 Custody* 51 Tueurs / Above the Law* 31 Racer and the Jailbird 70 The Line 30 Sweet Country 27 The Meeting* 64 Have a Nice Day 62 The Ciambra 31
Young People: Fantastic Flix Lean on Pete 87 The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales* 89 Mary and the Witch’s Flower 89 At Eye Level* 88 My Neighbour Totoro* 87 Rum 213* 88 Cloudboy* 87 Liyana* 89 Vampirina* 88 Fantastic Flix Shorts* 91
Sponsors & Supporters ///
Title Sponsor
Principal Funder
Gold Sponsor
Official Hotel Partner
Funding Partners
/ PAGE 09
Media Partners
Official Radio Partner
Official Print Partner
Official Post-Production Partner
Supporting Partners
Official Food Ordering App
Festival Venues
Cultural Partners and Embassies
Official Print Transport Partner
Official Online Partner
Official Digital Out of Home Partner
Introductions & Welcomes ///
Sponsor’s Introduction It’s the third year of our partnership with the Dublin International Film Festival. Our partnership is a natural fit: we both share a deep understanding for the passion that drives creativity and innovation in the arts. At Audi, this passion for innovation is central to what we do. This partnership is a natural extension of our own brand philosophy “Vorsprung durch Technik”, bringing together progressiveness, technology and creativity that inspires people. This year Audi Ireland is deepening its ties with the Festival with the launch of the inaugural ‘Immersive Stories: Conference & Exhibition’. The conference showcases how new technology can enhance story-telling in
film making. We are very proud to back this creative project which supports home-grown film making talent. 2018’s festival programme is as rich and diverse as ever. This world class programme has something for everyone. Fantastic Flix brings the magic of film making to the next generation. There is a varied and compelling line-up of films, documentaries and filmmakers from Ireland and across the globe to inspire you. There really is something for everyone. Enjoy the festival. Richard Molloy / Head of Marketing, Audi Ireland
Chairperson’s Welcome On behalf of the board of the Audi Dublin International Film Festival 2018, I am delighted to extend our warmest welcome to our supporters and audience. Yet again, we have a wonderful programme to amuse, challenge and excite film-goers of all stripes and ages.
The board would especially like to commend the work of our wonderful staff, supported by a squadron of willing volunteers, who have worked passionately and creatively, to assemble and produce a world-class festival this year.
We are now in the third year of a very productive partnership with our title sponsors, Audi, who continue to provide essential and invaluable support to the festival, as it enters its sixteenth year.
I wish to also acknowledge the continued dedication of my fellow board members, who provide essential governance, oversight and expertise in guiding and supporting the executive in their challenging duties.
Our mutual passion for innovation and creativity provides an excellent basis on which we continue to broaden and deepen our partnership on this wonderful project.
However, it is to the audience that our most sincere thanks are owed: your loyal and enthusiastic support has ensured the festival goes from strength to strength with every passing year. And I know you will be rewarded once again, with this year’s wonderful programme.
The festival, now a burgeoning teenager, has had the enduring support of two key state agencies in The Arts Council and The Irish Film Board – and we are indebted to both for their generous commitment.
Gaby Smyth / Chairperson
/ PAGE 11
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Director’s Introduction Welcome to this year’s extravaganza of film! We open with the Irish premiere of a stunning new film Black 47 – the ever-curious and ambitious director Lance Daly has crafted an old-fashioned Western that successfully trades the American frontier for Ireland at the height of the Great Famine. We have assembled a dazzling line up of new films and I’m particularly delighted to include so many Irish premieres of contemporary world cinema. Our international selections come from far and wide, but I should make special mention of this year’s wonderful selection of new French films. Fittingly, we will close the festival with an exuberant and delightful comedy, C’est La Vie. We have expanded our short film programme while our Fantastic Flix programme will entertain and inspire younger audiences. We have partnered with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival to bring two fantastic silent film presentations; Behind the Door and The Italian
Straw Hat. The great director and screenwriter Paul Schrader presents an important new film and has curated a short season of films that have inspired him. Both he and Vanessa Redgrave will receive a Volta Award and join many other festival guests who will engage audiences and discuss their careers. I am very much looking forward to 2018’s ADIFF – it marks the first year in our new Strategic Plan and a number of firsts including our Immersive Stories Conference which will bring key figures from the world of virtual reality to Dublin. I would like to pay tribute to the funders, partners and sponsors of the festival and of course to you, our audiences, who join us year on year. Enjoy. Gráinne Humphreys / Festival Director Audi Dublin International Film Festival
Picture House ignites the spark of cinema in some unusual venues The Audi Dublin International Film Festival’s outreach programme delivers a real cinematic experience to spaces that are often untouched by city life, allowing many who can’t easily access the big screen to enjoy a film closer to home. Picture House has been an integral part of the festival since 2012, previous locations include a range of care homes, day care centres and health care settings primarily focused on older audiences. Bringing some of the trappings of the classic big screen experience to these venues, ADIFF’s Picture House is a place where memories of stars, stories, show tunes and cinema trips of decades-gone-by are shared. Picture House patron, Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker, said “Picture House is... hands down... one of the brightest things about this festival. I’ve seen it make the people we bring it to laugh, cry and remember. It engages them in a get together otherwise beyond their reach. I am complimented to be a close part of something that is so vital to a marginalised segment of our society.” Last autumn, Picture House toured a 50-year celebration of Barefoot in the Park, a musical comedy starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford as a young couple finding their way in 1960s New York City. Participating venues included
Meath Community Unit, Cairdeas Day Care, Mater Post-Acute, St Luke’s Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital Phoenix Park. Picture House is part of a wider ADIFF outreach programme that brings film events to a range of communities and contexts that find accessing mainstream film events difficult. 2018 will see events in collaboration with Merchant’s Quay, the Probation Office and those in Direct Provision as ADIFF extends its outreach activity to run three programmes a year in the spring, summer and autumn. ADIFF Managing Director Sarah Sharkey said “At our Picture House outreach events the power and importance of film in our lives and communities are undeniable and audiences are visibly transformed by the experience. I’m so proud that ADIFF is now able to bring great films to audiences who are unable to easily share in the excitement of our annual festival three times a year. We’ll be continuing to roll out the programme to new venues during the coming months.” — If you would like to donate to Picture House or you wish to become involved, please visit diff.ie or contact sarah.sharkey@diff.ie
— ADIFF’s 2018–2022 Strategic Plan available at www.DIFF.ie
ADIFF Discovery Award ///
Supporting New Talent The Irish film industry has never been busier, productions both large and small are reaching wider audiences and there is an abundance of talent working in the sector today. The ADIFF Discovery Award and Short Film Award aims to identify, champion, support and encourage new and emerging talent from both in front of, and behind the camera. — The ADIFF Awards presentation for Discovery, Shorts and Fantastic Flix films will take place on Wednesday 28th February at the Light House Cinema from 6pm.
Discovery Award Jury
Jason Foran (Chair)
Alan Moloney
Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
Emer Reynolds
— Producer
— Producer
— Producer
Niamh Algar — Actor
— Director
Short Film Award Jury
Geoff Fitzpatrick
Nick Costello
Orla Brady
Sharon Badal
— Founder & MD of Orb Digital Out of Home
— Actor
— Sr. Publicity and Marketing Manager, Warner Bros. Pictures Ireland
— Vice president of filmmaker relations and shorts programming for Tribeca Film Festival
/ PAGE 13
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
2018 ADIFF Discovery Nominees
Ryan Lincoln
Jessie Buckley
— Actor: Beast Other credits include: Taboo
TJ O’Grady Peyton
— Actor: Kissing Candice Other credits include: Michael Inside, Cardboard Gangsters
Mia Mullarkey
Louise Bagnall
Rory Fleck Byrne
— Director/Documentary: Mother & Baby Other credits include: Throwline, Feats of Modest Valour
— Director/Animation: Late Afternoon Other credits include: Loose Ends, Donkey
Liz Quinn
Sharon Cronin
Trevor Whelan
— Director/Writer/Actor: The Date Other credits include: Sanctuary/ My Bonnie
Rua Meegan
— Director/Cinematographer: Bordalo II: A Life Of Waste Other credits include: Man to Man
— Producer: Acorn Other credits include: Lily, Poison Pen
— Actor/Director/Writer/Producer: Wave Other credits include: The Judas Iscariot Lunch
— Actor: Inbox Other credits include: The Foreigner, Night of the Lotus
— Director/Cinematographer: Bordalo II: A Life Of Waste Other credits include: Bridie & Arthur
Wednesday / Feb 21
/ PAGE 15
Black 47 — Opening Gala
A gripping, pulsating thriller set during the worst year of Ireland’s Great Famine, filmmaker Lance Daly’s latest feature boasts an impressive Irish and international cast.
As those around him die of starvation, he encounters a devastated countryside and a people brutalised by years of suffering in a land where chaos has replaced law and order.
The film’s tense and twisty story centres on Feeney, an Irish Ranger fighting for the British Army abroad, convinced he has been hardened by the horrors he has encountered in conflict. But nothing prepares him for the sights that meet him when he returns home to reunite with his family.
Horrified by the death and illness imposed upon his own family, Feeney sets out to avenge the injustices that have destroyed his community and country. His intentions place him on the radar of the shrewd Hannah, a former British Army colleague, tasked with thwarting Feeney’s plans for vengeance. Daly’s film unites history with horror as both men fight their enemies – and themselves – in a cruel and unforgiving landscape.
— Info: Wed 21st Feb / Cineworld 17 / 21:00 / 1hr 36m Director: Lance Daly / 2017 / Ireland WriterS: P.J Dillon, Eugene O’Brien Cast: Hugo Weaving, Barry Keoghan, Jim Broadbent — Filmmaker in Attendance
— Lance Daly’s superb new film is an Irish Western, set at the height of the Irish Famine – it’s a dark tale of revenge and redemption. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Immersive Stories ///
Immersive Stories: Conference & Exhibition Audi Ireland and ADIFF are providing festival–goers with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the future of entertainment with an exciting new Conference and Exhibition on virtual and augmented reality.
Exhibition
The Immersive Stories: Exhibition will provide a hands-on opportunity for the public and conference attendees to participate in the best multi-platform and immersive entertainment. The exhibition is a critical component to Immersive Stories and is intended to provide the opportunity to not only experience immersive storytelling in some of the best
INFO: 6pm & 8pm, 24th & 25th Feb Tickets: €10 / Venue: The Round Room at The Mansion House
experiences on these new platforms, but also to demonstrate how consuming entertainment through these mediums can, and increasingly will, form part of their daily lives. Immersive experiences will be exhibited on a range of platforms including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear.
Confirmed exhibitors include: —
Björk (UK/SWE) Blade Runner: Memory Lab Aurora (IRE) Crime Scene (UK)
(UK)
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Immersive Stories ///
/ PAGE 17
Conference
INFO: 9am, 24th & 25th Feb Tickets: €95/€55 / Venue: The Round Room at The Mansion House
Immersive Stories: Conference brings world-class experts in virtual and augmented reality fields to Dublin for an inaugural two-day conference in the Round Room at the Mansion House. The concept for the event and bursary was inspired by Audi Ireland’s commitment to technological innovation and their interest in the evolution of film and entertainment.
Curated by Eoghan Cunneen, a senior software engineer at Lucasfilm in San Francisco, speakers will include; Diana Williams, Content Strategist, Lucasfilm & Creative Development Executive, ILMxLAB; and Curtis Hickman, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at acclaimed immersive entertainment company, The VOID.
Focusing on the future of immersive entertainment, the Immersive Stories conference will explore how innovative and purposeful cross-platform storytelling allows us to shift from being passive observers to active participants in a story and how it is shaped. It’s not just about the exciting possibilities in telling new stories, but the chance to offer unique and thrilling new perspectives on existing ones.
Other speakers include Colum Slevin, Head of Experiences at Oculus VR; Solomon Rogers, Founder and CEO of Rewind; and Pink Kong Studios CoFounders Aoife Doyle and Niamh Herrity. Pink Kong Studios, alongside writer Denis James Ryan, were recently awarded a bursary of €30,000 by Audi Ireland, ADIFF and Screen Training Ireland to produce their virtual reality concept Aurora which will premiere as part of Immersive Stories.
Curtis Hickman
Diana Williams
— Content Strategist, Lucasfilm & Co-Founder, ILMxLAB
Colum Slevin
— Co-Founder, The VOID
Sol Rogers
Eoghan Cunneen — Senior Engineer, Lucasfilm
Niamh Herrity/Aoife Doyle
— Founder and CEO of Rewind
Neil Leyden
Enda Bates
Andrew Melchior
— Head of RTE.ie
— Deputy Director of the Music & Media Technologies TCD
— Head of Experiences, Oculus VR
— Co-Founders, Pink Kong Studios
— Founder, 3rd Space Agency Executive Producer: Björk Digital
Hong Kong Cinema ///
Although best known in the West for action films, there are many less known but highly distinctive elements to the cinema of Hong Kong; notably a more stylised, fluid approach to storytelling and a strong emphasis on music. For many years Hong Kong cinema was the third largest film industry in the world after Bollywood and Hollywood. Despite a major crisis in the film industry during the 1980s and Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, there is a resurgence of new names and talents emerging from Hong Kong. This small season celebrates the diversity and range of work of contemporary Hong Kong cinema and we are delighted to work alongside our partners at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.
Hong Kong Cinema Our Time Will Come — Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Light House 3 / 18:00 / 2hr 10m Director: Ann Hui / 2017 / Hong Kong Writer: Jiping He Cast: Xun Zhou, Eddie Peng, Wallace Huo Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Asian Film at the 2017 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards — With the Support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Belgium
Somewhere Beyond The Mist
— Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Light House 3 / 20:30 / 1hr 26m Director: King-wai Cheung / 2017 / Hong Kong Writer: King-wai Cheung Cast: Stephy Tang, Rachel Leung, Zeno Koo — With the Support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Belgium
Ann Hui’s epic, sweeping war drama unfolds during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War 2. The action centres on a group of resistance fighters who push for self-determination in this fascinating account of a turbulent period in history. A young primary school teacher is among those who become involved in an operation run by a local resistance unit called the East River brigade. But the impact is about to become more personal than she ever imagined in this richly detailed drama. — VeterAn Hong Kong direCtor Ann Hui’s slowburning schoolteacher’s transformation into an anti-Japanese resistance fighter in Hong Kong during World War II. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Renowned documentary maker King-wai Cheung turns to feature drama in this film, based loosely on real-life events. There is a lingering air of menace from early on in this story, which centres on a pregnant policewoman who becomes intrigued by an investigation involving a teenager charged with killing her parents. But as she gets to know the girl, the case turns out to be far more complex than originally seems the case, and shocking secrets and truths are revealed. — Loosely based on a true story, this grim and engrossing whoduNnit is a disturbing shocker about redemption, fate, and the lengths we go TO in our constant search of a better life. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The White Girl — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 3 / 16:00 / 1hr 37m Director: Jenny Suen, Christopher Doyle (co-director) / 2017 / Hong Kong WriterS: Christopher Doyle, Jenny Suen Cast: Ranya Lee, Kin-Ping Leung, Michael Ning Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Asian Film at the 2017 Golden Horse Film Festival — With the Support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Belgium
I’ve Got The Blues — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 3 / 18:30 / 1hr 30m Director: Angie Chen / 2017 / Hong Kong Cast: Yank Wong Winner/Mentions: Appeared at the 2017 Busan International Film Festival — With the Support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Belgium — Filmmaker in Attendance: Angie Chen
Paradox — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 3 / 21:00 / 1hr 41m Director: Wilson Yip / 2017 / Hong Kong Writer: Nick Cheuk (screenplay), Lai-Yin Leung (screenplay) Cast: Louis Koo, Yue Wu, Ka Tung Lam Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Action Choreography at the 2017 Golden Horse Film Festival — With the Support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Belgium
Hong Kong Cinema /// Revered cinematographer Christopher Doyle re-teams with first-time director Jenny Suen, having worked together on his documentary Hong Kong Trilogy, which Suen produced. Their offbeat drama tells the story of a girl with a sun allergy who dreams of a life less restrictive and beyond the fading fishing village in which she lives. She engages with a mysterious Japanese man who lives in a disused building nearby, and a young boy she’s befriended, in this modern-day fairytale that unfolds to a quirky pop soundtrack. — Debut director Jenny Suen collaborates with famed Christopher Doyle for this gorgeous Hong Kong-based drama, set to delight dreamers, outcasts and sensualists. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Angie Chen’s documentary about acclaimed artist and musician Yank Wong has been widely hailed for its originality and revealing nature. Wong is a complicated man who likes to resist being defined, leading to a delightful game of cat and mouse between him and Chen, as she seeks to uncover what makes him tick. The audience gets to see two big, dominant personalities pit their wits against each other in some of the film’s more colourful scenes, adding an extra frisson and energy to what unfolds. — One of the most original and fascinating documentaries to come out of Hong Kong in many years, Angie Chen’s portrait of Yank Wong (Wong Yan-kwai) – painter, blues musician, activist, cinema art director. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
A starry cast come onboard for Wilson Yip’s punchy, bloody action thriller that sees him re-team with actor and action choreographer Sammo Hung, and martial arts legend Tony Jaa. The action centres on a Hong Kong cop, Lee, who travels to Thailand in search of his missing daughter. He insinuates himself into the local investigation with plans to covertly track down clues, but there may be bigger and more sinister forces at play. Bone-crunching fight sequences and jaw-dropping action scenes ensue. — With shades of Taken in its storyline, this highoctane Hong Kong thriller quickly forges its own identity. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 19
Thursday / Feb 22
Highlights /// My Neighbour Totoro Light House 1 / 11:00 / Fantastic Flix pg 87 First Reformed Cineworld 9 / 18:00 The Breadwinner Cineworld 17 / 20:00 Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Cineworld 9 / 20:45
Thursday Feb 22 Yasuni Man — Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Light House 3 / 14:00 / 1hr 34m Director: Ryan Killackey / 2016 / Ecuador Writer: Ryan Killackey
A powerful account of human resourcefulness, survival and the battle to save your home, this documentary is set in Ecuador’s most famous nature reserve. Here, a remote community faces pressure from big business, interested in accessing their lucrative natural resources. Biologist and filmmaker Ryan Killackey tells of this stunningly beautiful region during an especially challenging time. As he moves through 1,500 metres of natural landscape, introducing us to unexplored terrain, he counts the potential costs to the area, its resources and creatures, and its people. — Shot over many years, US Biologist Ryan Killackey’s graphic documentary is a rough and raw insight into the lives of a remote forest community under threat from oil companies. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Death of The President — Info: Thur 22th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:30 / 2hr 24m Director: Jerzy Kawalerowicz / 1977 / Poland Writer: Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Boleslaw Michalek Cast: Zdzislaw Mrozewski, Marek Walczewski, Henryk Bista Winner/Mentions: Golden Berlin Bear Nominee at the 1978 Berlin International Film Festival — With the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland
Jerzy Kawalerowicz directs this epic 1977 political drama, set in Poland in the years after the brutal battles of World War I. The film chronicles the assassination of Gabriel Narutowicz, who was killed in 1922, within his first week of becoming Poland’s president. In an interview in 2001, Kawalerowicz said: “The film was against political fanaticism. In some ways I think it’s very relevant today.” His richly detailed film examines the country’s political and social landscape in the days leading up to the assassination, of a nation in turmoil. — Selected to celebrate the centenary of Polish Independence, a rare opportunity to see this award-winning film by acclaimed auteur Jerzy Kawalerowicz. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Thursday / Feb 22
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The Breadwinner — Gala
— Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Cineworld 17 / 20:00 / 1hr 34m Director: Nora Twomey / 2017 / Ireland WriterS: Anita Doran, Deborah Ellis (Novel) Cast: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Noorin Gulamgaus — With support of the Embassy of Canada to Ireland — Filmmaker in Attendance: Nora Twomey
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House — Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Cineworld 9 / 20:45 / 1hr 43m Director: Peter Landesman / 2017 / USA Writer: Peter Landesman, Mark Felt (book) Cast: Liam Neeson, Diane Lane, Marton Csokas
A LIU
/ PAGE 21
Irish filmmaker and animator Nora Twomey makes her solo directorial debut in this acclaimed feature that takes us to the streets of Afghanistan via Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon. Our heroine is Parvana, an 11-year-old girl whose family struggles for a better life under Taliban rule. Based on Deborah Ellis’s novel, Parvana disguises herself as a boy to help her family survive following the wrongful arrest of her father. Twomey’s powerful film drew the attention of UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, who is executive producer. — Nora Twomey has taken a much-loved book and fashioned a magical tale of survival with traditional Cartoon Saloon visual flair. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Filmmaker Peter Landesman directs Liam Neeson in this story of one of the most scandalous and monumental revelations in US political history. The political thriller tells the story of Felt who, using the name ‘Deep Throat’, assisted Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein expose the details of the Watergate scandal, leading to the resignation of US president, Richard Nixon. Based on Felt’s own book and extensive research and interviews, it’s a film that examines his professional and personal life, that feels incredibly relevant and timely. — Not just another White House Conspiracy film. Neeson is excellent as the FBI man who dismantles an entire Presidency...could it happen again? – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
JIAN FILM
NCAD Exhibition
HAVE A
To celebrate our move to The Digital Hub in Dublin 8, we have collaborated with a number of local institutions including the National College of Art & Design’s Second Year Graphic Design and Illustration students, who have interpreted a number of Festival films. You’ll find their original designs dotted throughout the festival in this celebration of new film and new talent. See page 77 for more details.
NICE DAY Poster by
Béibhínn McCarthy @ncad_illustration
— Have A Nice Day poster by: Béibhínn McCarthy Printed by
www.theposterco.ie
Thursday Feb 22 / Friday Feb 23
First Reformed — Special Presentation & Volta Presentation
— Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:00 / 1hr 48m Director: Paul Schrader / 2017 / USA Writer: Paul Schrader Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Venice Film Festival — Filmmaker in Attendance: Paul Schrader
Performance — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 1 / 16:00 / 1hr 45m Director: Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg / 1970 / UK Writer: Donald Cammell Cast: James Fox, Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film Editing at the 1972 BAFTA Awards — INTRODUCTION by Paul Schrader
NCAD Exhibition To celebrate our move to The Digital Hub in Dublin 8, we have collaborated with a number of local institutions including the National College of Art & Design’s Second Year Graphic Design and Illustration students, who have interpreted a number of Festival films. You’ll find their original designs dotted throughout the festival in this celebration of new film and new talent. See page 77 for more details. — Sicilian Ghost Story poster by: Ciara McDonald
Paul Schrader’s modern parable on faith and humanity has gained the great Ethan Hawke some of the finest reviews of his career. He plays Toller, a former military captain suffering a crisis of faith, following the death of a son he encouraged to join the army in Iraq. Redemption may come in the form of a troubled environmentalist, whose wife has turned to Toller for help. Their story goes to dark, surprising and deeply moving places in what critics are describing as Schrader’s modern masterpiece. — Paul Schrader’s superb new film is a bleak study of pain and redemption. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Nicolas Roeg’s and Donald Cammell’s edgy, sexy crime thriller returns to the big screen with Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg among its big-name cast. The psychodrama, whose original X rating made it a huge challenge to release, centres on a crook who goes about his business with gusto. On the run from the law, he finds a hideout in the home of a rocker. The action frequently takes surreal turns in this debauched tale of sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll, now regarded as a trippy classic. — When others ask me why I admire the film so, I find myself uncharacteristically at a loss for words. My best answer is the greatest compliment one can give a film: I say, simply, ‘It’s the real thing.’ – Paul Schrader, Director
Special Events ///
Info: Fri 23rd Feb / O’Reilly Theatre / 18.45 Tickets: €20 / Book online at DIFF.ie
— Supported by the O’Reilly Theatre
/ PAGE 23
Public Interview with Paul Schrader & Volta Presentation The Volta Award is the festival’s most prestigious award which is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of film.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY First Reformed (2017) Dying of the Light (2014) The Walker (2007) Affliction (1997) Touch (1997) Light Sleeper (1992) The Comfort of Strangers (1990) Patty Hearst (1988) Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) Raging Bull (1980)
Paul Schrader is one of the most exceptional and unique voices in cinema. The renowned director of films such as Blue Collar, Hardcore, American Gigolo, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, The Comfort of Strangers, Light Sleeper, Patty Hearst, and Affliction among many others, will visit the Audi Dublin International Film Festival to receive a Volta Award. Schrader is equally acclaimed for his screenwriting talents, writing or co-writing screenplays for four Martin Scorsese films: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and Bringing Out the Dead, among many others. His appetite for telling a great story was perhaps fostered by a need to make up for lost time – growing up in a strict Calvinist family, he did not see his first film until his late teens. He began his career as a successful film critic, under the mentorship of the acclaimed Pauline Kael. His script for crime film The Yakuza, co-written with brother Leonard, brought him to the attention of a new, cutting-edge generation of Hollywood directors. His latest film, First Reformed – which screens at the festival – stars Ethan Hawke as a troubled pastor in upstate New York, and is a rich and gripping drama on faith, politics and character.
Previous winners of Audi Dublin International Film Festival’s Volta Award include Al Pacino, Julie Andrews, Danny DeVito, Daniel DayLewis, Joss Whedon, Brendan Gleeson, Angela Lansbury, Stanley Tucci, Stellan Skarsgård, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ennio Morricone. The Volta Awards are named after Ireland’s first dedicated cinema, the Volta Picture Theatre on Mary Street in Dublin, which was opened on the 20th December 1909 by an enterprising young novelist named James Joyce. — The Volta Award will be presented to Paul Schrader at the First Reformed screening
Friday / Feb 23
Highlights /// Beast Cineworld 9 / 18:15 Never Steady, Never Still Light House 1 / 18:15 I’ve Got The Blues Light House 3 / 18:50
Friday Feb 23 Pickpocket — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 1 / 14:00 / 1hr 16m Director: Robert Bresson / 1959 / France Writer: Robert Bresson Cast: Martin LaSalle, Marika Green, Jean Pélégri — Introduction by Paul Schrader
In his terrific introduction to the Criterion Collection of Pickpocket, filmmaker Paul Schrader described it as “the most influential film in my creative life”. The filmmaker has long referenced its French director, Robert Bresson, as a major influence in his own career. The film revolves around a man released from jail, who turns to pickpocketing to survive following the death of his mother. “I realised you could make a film about a soul. A soul in transit,” Schrader said, adding that it gave him the impetus to write Taxi Driver. “When I came to write a script myself, I made such a character.” — the most influential film in my creative life [...] a direct influence on Taxi Driver. – Paul Schrader, Director
Beast — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:15 / 1hr 47m DIRECTOR: Michael Pearce / 2017 / UK WRITER: Michael Pearce Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Stockholm Film Festival — Filmmaker in Attendance: Michael Pearce and Jessie Buckley
Writer/Director Michael Pearce’s psychological thriller is set among a remote island community on the island of Jersey, and unfolds with impressive complexity and attention to detail. It tells of Moll, a troubled young woman anxious to escape from the controlling grip of her oppressive family. A handsome outsider appears to offer both an exit route and a relationship, and she vehemently defends him when he subsequently comes under suspicion for a series of brutal murders. The film is loosely inspired by a real-life case. — Pearce’s dark and delicious award-winning first feature is one of the MOST acclaimed British films of recent years – with a stand out performance by Irish actress Jessie Buckley at its cold heart. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Never Steady, Never Still — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 1 / 18:15 / 1hr 50m Director: Kathleen Hepburn / 2017 / Canada Writer: Kathleen Hepburn Cast: Shirley Henderson, Théodore Pellerin, Mary Galloway — With support of the Embassy of Canada to Ireland — Filmmaker in Attendance: Kathleen Hepburn
In The Fade — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 1 / 20:45 / 1hr 46m Director: Fatih Akin / 2017 / Germany WriterS: Fatih Akin, Hark Bohm Cast: Diane Kruger, Denis Moschitto, Numan Acar — Presented in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Irland
Friday / Feb 23 First-time feature filmmaker Kathleen Hepburn’s quietly intense portrait of grief and independence is set in an isolated community in visually stunning British Columbia. Hepburn’s film, drawn partly from her own experiences of her mother’s Parkinson’s disease, tells the story of Judy, a woman in her fifties who has had the condition for almost the entire length of her marriage to Ed, with whom she has a wayward son. It’s a deeply moving film that celebrates the strength of human spirit, especially in troubled and challenging times. — Kathleen Hepburn’s beautiful stark study of a family in crisis – a film about truth and healing. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Fatih Akin’s pulsating, intense drama continues the director’s knack for bringing edgy, multifaceted characters to the big screen. Diane Kruger won Best Actress at Cannes for her portrayal of Katja, a woman frustrated by grief and seeking retribution following the violent death of her Kurdish husband and their young son in a nail-bomb attack. Part courtroom drama, part revenge flick, the film works as an investigative procedural until a broken, disillusioned Katja seeks other methods of finding justice. Kruger is a powerhouse throughout. — Diane Kruger seeks justice for the neo-Nazi murder of her husband and son in Faith Atkin’s Golden Globe winner. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Revenge — Info: Fri 23rd Feb / Light House 1 / 22:45 / 1hr 48m Director: Coralie Fargaet / 2017 / France Writer: Coralie Fargaet Cast: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Kevin Janssens — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat’s bloody and brutal revenge thriller was one of Toronto’s biggest – and most debated – sensations. It centres on Jen, a withdrawn young woman who is pushed to extreme acts of vengeance when her boyfriend and his friends carry out a most extreme act of violence and betrayal during a debauched weekend trip. The story tracks her evolution from victim to badass as she fights back, initially for survival and later for retribution. It makes for a blood-splattered, unforgettable movie experience. — Coralie Fargeat’s bloody debut is a graphic but hugely entertaining genre film that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 25
Saturday / Feb 24
Highlights /// Dawson City: Frozen Time Light House 1 / 11:00 The Divine Order Cineworld 9 / 16:30 The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid Light House 1 / 18:30
Saturday Feb 24 Dawson City: Frozen Time — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 1 / 11:00 / 2hr Director: Bill Morrison / 2017 / USA Writer: Bill Morrison Winner/Mentions: Won Best Documentary at the 2017 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
An Autumn Afternoon — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 1 / 14:00 / 1hr 53m Director: Yasujirô Ozu / 1962 / Japan Writer: Kôgo Noda (screenplay), Yasujirô Ozu (screenplay) Cast: Chishû Ryû, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada Winner/Mentions: Won Best Cinematography at the 1963 Mainichi Film Concours — Introduction by Paul Schrader
This unique found-footage documentary takes us back in time, through the serendipitous discovery of a cinematic treasure trove. It brings us to the Canadian town of Dawson City, where in 1978, construction workers unearthed a large pile of film reels left there at the end of their run. They included newsreels, old silent movies thought lost forever, and images of the town’s dramatic ‘gold rush’ of 1896, when thousands flocked there for a better life. Bill Morrison’s moving, poetic documentary allows us a magical glimpse into the past. — One of the films of the year – Decasia director Bill Morrison with collaborators including Sigur Rós AND collaborator and composer Alex Somers have created A truly stunning cinematic experience. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The final film from writer/director Yasujirō Ozu returns to the big screen in this moving, wry tale of old ways and new generations. Shuhei, father of the unmarried Michiko, is being urged by peers to help find a suitable suitor for his daughter. The gently touching film follows his gradual, reluctant acceptance that it is time for her to make her own life and move from the family home. Its theme on ageing and the passing of time is a fitting directorial swansong. — Ozu’s masterpieces are generally regarded to be Tokyo Story, which usually makes every critic’s Top 10 list, and Late Spring. For me An Autumn Afternoon is among his best. Perhaps because it was in coloUr, perhaps because it was his last, perhaps because it was my first. – Paul Schrader, Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Sweet Country — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 1 / 16:15 / 1hr 50m Director: Warwick Thornton / 2017 / Australia Writer: Steven McGregor, David Tranter Cast: Bryan Brown, Matt Day, Tremayne Doolan Winner/Mentions: Won Best Feature at the 2017 Adelaide Film Festival
That Summer — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 3 / 16:30 / 1hr 20m Director: Göran Olsson / 2017 / Sweden/USA/Denmark Cast: Peter Beard, William Vanden Heuvel, Paul Morrissey
Saturday / Feb 24 Filmmaker Warwick Thornton, whose previous film Samson & Delilah won Cannes’ Caméra d’Or, goes to the outback for this emotive period drama based on true events. A western set in the Northern Territory in the 1920s, it tells the story of an older Aboriginal farmworker, forced to go on the run after shooting a white man, he claims, in self-defence. He and his wife flee across the unforgiving, lawless and deadly land, with a group determined to bring him to justice in hot pursuit. — A slow-burning Western that is ANYTHING but sweet, Warwick Thornton’s superb follow up to Samson and Deliah is angry and incendiary cinema. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
That Summer breaths new life into a film project initiated back in the 1970s by the American artist Peter Beard. Lost for years, some spectacular footage of the mooted documentary about the Beales of Grey Gardens has been unearthed, as this film moves focus to Beard and his efforts to make the film. The artist and his contemporaries were extremely influential in the culture of this period, and had worked with Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s sibling Lee Radziwill on the tale of the Beales before the project was scrapped. — Another opportunity to spend time with the wonderful inhabitants of Grey Gardens – fascinating and gossIpy – a guilty pleasure. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Divine Order — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 16:30 / 1hr 36m Director: Petra Biondina Volpe / 2017 / Switzerland Writer: Petra Biondina Volpe — With the Support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland — See page 78 for details of regional tour, supported by access>CINEMA
An unassuming housewife fights for the right of women in her homeland to vote in this rousing crowdpleaser from writer/director Petra Biondina Volpe. It centres on Nora, a young housewife who lives in a quiet Swiss village that has seen little of the social upheaval of the 1968 movement. But when Nora begins to campaign for the right of women to vote, she begins to experience some resistance of her own. The film’s timely, character-driven story shows how the political is always the personal. — Will be preceded by short film Newport Gun Girls — The Divine Order is a heartfelt and captivating film about regular people demanding their right to an equal voice. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 27
Saturday / Feb 24
ADIFF Shorts 1
/ PAGE 29
INFO: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 3 / 14:00 / 1hr 36mins Directors: Various
Mary Mother
Hey Ronnie Reagan
Fern
Director/Writer: Sadam Wahidi / Afghanistan / 19 mins
Director: Maurice O’Brien / Ireland / 11 mins
Director: Johnny Kelly / UK / 6 mins
In 1984 a tiny anonymous Tipperary village was thrust in to the world’s spotlight when US President Ronald Reagan arrived to visit his ancestral home. It was said that Ballyporeen would never be the same again...
A woman loses her husband, and finds a potted plant. An unlikely friendship between a lonely woman (Monica Dolan) and a household plant turns ugly in Fern.
Zara
For When I Die
Acorn
Director/Writer: Sawat Ghaleb / Iraq / 5 mins
Director: Paul Power / Ireland / 10 mins
Director: Kevin de la Isla / Ireland / 11 mins Writer: Jonathan Hughes
Mary lives in a remote village in Afghanistan. Her only son is serving in the military in the Kunduz province. One day she hears the news of the fall of the Kunduz province to the hand of the Taliban on the radio and decides to start her own journey.
Zara, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, lives in a camp in Northen Iraq alone with her Dad. Every morning when she wakes up to go to school, she goes through a horror trip...
Guard
Director: Jonathan Harden / UK / 13 mins Writer: Bronagh Taggart An emotionally hardened young woman wrestles with difficult memories when her estranged father returns from time in prison. As he teaches her how to box, reconciliation seems possible, but their traumatic past will not be easily washed away.
Jennifer Sleeman is going to die. But we all die. Jennifer has no problem talking about how to accept and prepare for death – even going so far as to buy her own coffin.
The Other Side Of Dooman River
Director/Writer: Se Woong Bae / Republic of Korea / 21 mins Two North Korean soldiers guard a watch looking out for defectors across the Dooman river, when one meets a family who gives their life savings to bribe their way out of the country...
Busy-body mother Maureen battles Principal Finan during a parent-teacher meeting concerning her son Greg and his unusual behaviour during the school’s nativity play rehearsals.
Saturday / Feb 24
The Line — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 3 / 18:15 / 1hr 48m Director: Peter Bebjak / 2017 / Slovakia Writer: Peter Balko Cast: Géza Benkõ, Stanislav Boklan, Zuzana Fialová Winner/Mentions: Won Best Art Direction at the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival
Selected as the Slovak entry for best foreign language film at the Oscars, Peter Bebjak’s confident, pulsating crime thriller is set in the border region near Ukraine, where criminal smugglers make their money. But this is a Europe that is changing entirely, and their racket is under threat in the months before Slovakia joins the Schengen Zone in 2007. At the centre of it all is crime boss Adam, a man with a code of honour of sorts, and the associates and foes that surround him. — A tough crime drama with great characters and a smashing car chase, a Ukrainian genre movie that’s too clever by half. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:30 / 1hr 16m Director: Feargal Ward / 2017 / Ireland WriterS: Adrian Duncan, Luke McManus, Tadhg O’Sullivan, Feargal Ward — Filmmaker in Attendance
The Guardians — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:45 / 2hr 18m Director: Xavier Beauvois / 2017 / Switzerland WriterS: Xavier Beauvois, Marie-Julie Maille, Frédérique Moreau, Ernest Pérochon (novel) Cast: Nathalie Baye, Laura Smet, Iris Bry Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
It’s stressful and challenging to be in a dispute with your neighbour – but when that neighbour is technology giant Intel, it’s another league entirely. Feargal Ward’s emotional documentary centres on Kildare farmer Thomas Reid, who has for years been entrenched in a battle to keep his land. It tells how he risked everything to keep his 300-year-old ancestral home, taking on a body eager to boost employment in the area, through the courts when ordered to sell through a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). — Feargal Ward takes a lyrical approach to this tale of an eccentric Irish farmer who defies an American computing corporation. – Wendy Ide, Screen
French filmmaker Xavier Beauvois, whose Of Gods and Men won the Grand Prix at Cannes, turns to World War I with this evocative drama. Beauvois looks at the conflict from another angle – at home, where a group of women are working to manage the Paridier family farm in remote rural France while their men fight at the frontline. It tells the story of family matriarch Hortense, her daughter, and a local woman they employ. Iconic French actress Nathalie Baye has received widespread praise for her lead performance. — Xavier Beauvois’ masterful portrayal of Life during wartime – a stunning insight into the women who were left behind – with Nathalie Baye and Laura Smet. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The Ciambra — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 3 / 20:30 / 1hr 58m Director: Jonas Carpignano / 2017 / Italy Writer: Jonas Carpignano Cast: Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon, Damiano Amato Winners/Mentions: Winner for Cinema Extraordinaire (Jonas Carpignano) at Bergen International Film Festival 2017 — With the support of the Italian Institute of Culture
Tueurs / Above the Law — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 1hr 26m DirectorS: Jean-François Hensgens, François Troukens / 2017 / Belgium, France Writer: François Troukens Cast: Olivier Gourmet, Lubna Azabal, Kevin Janssens — With the support of the Embassy of Belgium in Ireland — Filmmaker in Attendance: François Troukens, Jean-François Hensgens
Write When You Get Work — Info: Sat 24th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 20:50 / 1hr 39m Director: Stacy Cochran / 2017 / USA Writer: Stacy Cochran Cast: Rachel Keller, Finn Wittrock, Emily Mortimer — Filmmaker in Attendance
Saturday / Feb 24 Set among the Romani community in smalltown Italy, 14-year-old Pio Amato is a teenager who drinks, smokes and is keen to grow up fast. He dreams of emulating his brother, Cosimo, who he follows everywhere, learning the tricks to survive life on the streets. But when events conspire against him, Pio is forced to decide if he is really willing to become a man in writer/ director Jonas Carpignano’s immersive, rousing film that tells the coming-of-age story from a unique angle. — One of the biggest discoveries in Cannes was Jonas Carpignano’S raw unflinching coming of age film, packed with powerful performances. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
A slick crime thriller from directors Jean-François Hensgens and François Troukens centres on an old-school armed robber who sticks to a code of conduct despite his violent crimes, but finds himself pushed into dark places. The film refers to a notorious Belgian case within its story, that of the Brabant Killers, who wreaked havoc in the 1980s in controversial circumstances. Many details about them remain a mystery. Former armed robber-turned-filmmaker Troukens has wryly compared making his debut feature film to planning a heist. — A hugely enjoyable Belgian take on MICHAEL MANN’s Heat – a classic cat and mouse game is played out on the streets of Brussels with the wonderful Oliver Gourmet in charge. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Writer/Director Stacy Cochran’s latest feature is a witty, knowing tale of success and excess. Shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood), it centres on two former friends reunited in unlikely circumstances. Ruth is getting by in her job in an upmarket girls’ school in Manhattan, and crosses paths with Jonny for the first time in years. He’s as taken with her as when they last met, but Jonny now supplements his income as a wiley thief, and is hatching a plan. — AN Upper East Side comedy of manners with a wonderful cast and smart direction FROM Stacy Cochran. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 31
Sunday / Feb 25
Highlights /// Filmworker Light House 1 / 11:00 The Bookshop Cineworld 9 / 14:00 Thirst Street Light House 3 / 18:00 Behind The Door Light House 1 / 18:30
Sunday Feb 25 Filmworker — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 1 / 11:00 / 1hr 34m Director: Tony Zierra / 2017 / USA Writer:Tony Zierra Cast:Leon Vitali, Ryan O’Neal, Danny Lloyd Winner/Mentions: Appeared at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
After getting strong reviews for his performance in Stanley Kubrick’s classic Barry Lyndon, actor Leon Vitali could have expected a successful and fruitful onscreen career. But the young star saw a bigger picture, aligning himself instead to Kubrick’s cinematic vision and becoming his right-hand man for more than two decades. Tony Zierra’s fascinating documentary examines their complex relationship, their mutual passion for the creative filmmaking process, and asks what prompted Vitali to give up his own promising career to work tirelessly behind the scenes for Kubrick. — Meet the man who sacrificed an acting career to become the right-hand man of acclaimed and NOTORIOUS director Stanley Kubrick. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Lots of Kids, A Monkey and A Castle — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 3 / 14:00 / 1hr 30m Director: Gustavo Salmerón / 2017 / Spain Writer: Beatriz Montañez, Gustavo Salmerón Winner/Mentions: Won Best Documentary Feature (Special Mention) at the 2017 Camden International Film Festival
This award-winning documentary is a colourful and delightful portrait of an eccentric matriarch. It tells the story of powerhouse mother Julieta Salmerón through the eyes and film lenses of her son Gustavo. Convinced all of her life that happiness would come if she had lots of children, a monkey and a castle, Julieta has set out to achieve these very things. Telling her story through times of wealth and downturn, it documents the oddball living arrangements of an unusual but loving family. — A rambunctious, warmhearted portrait of Spanish actor-director Gustavo Salmerón’s large family, especially his unforgettable mom. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The Bookshop — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 14:00 / 1hr 50m Director: Isabel Coixet / 2017 / UK/Spain Writer: Isabel Coixet, Penelope Fitzgerald (Novel) Cast: Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Valladolid International Film Festival
Sunday / Feb 25 A sleepy English town in the 1950s is the setting for Isabel Coixet’s adaptation of Penelope Fitzgerald’s much-loved novel. Following the death of her husband years before, it focuses on Florence, who aims to find purpose – and breathe new life into the quiet Anglican town in which she lives – by opening a bookshop. Many locals are re-energised by books like Fahrenheit 451 and Lolita, but there is fierce resistance too, in this film that is a powerful love letter to literature and the written word. — Penelope Fitzgerald’s wistful novel beautifully adapated for the screen with a great cast led by Mortimer and Nighy. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
What Will People Say — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 1 / 15:30 / 1hr 46m Director: Iram Haq / 2017 / Norway Writer: Iram Haq Cast: Maria Mozhdah, Adil Hussain, Ekavali Khanna Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Feature at the 2017 Hamburg Film Festival — With the Support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ireland
Wonderful Losers: A Different World — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 3 / 16:15 / 1hr 11m Director: Arunas Matelis / 2017 / Lithuania Writer: Arunas Matelis Winner/Mentions: Won Best Documentary at the 2017 Warsaw International Film Festival — Filmmaker in Attendance
Cultures and personalities collide in writer/ director Iram Haq’s fascinating drama on identity, patriarchy and family expectations. It revolves around Nisha, a Norwegian-raised teenager of Pakistani descent who navigates typical school life with the traditional values of her kind-hearted but strict father. After being caught with a boyfriend, her enraged father sends her to Pakistan to live with other family members in a bid to make her conform to their values. She’s forced to adapt to a different culture in this powerful story. — A superb AND compelling coming-of-age drama, director Iram Haq plays it straight and hard with this simple story – which generates hugE power. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
They’re the cyclists who can never win – Italy’s so-called ‘gregarios’ who sacrifice their own potentials to support their teammates. Always found towards the back of the field, with no possibility of victory to motivate them, writer/ director Arūnas Matelis’ sports documentary focuses on the cyclists who take the same risks but rarely experience the glory of being the greatest. Shot over seven years of the prestigious Giro d’Italia, the film looks at the sport through the eyes of these unsung champions. — Bringing you right inside the heat and pain of professional cycling – a documentary which shows what it’s really like. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 33
Sunday / Feb 25
ADIFF Shorts 2 Bordalo II: A Life of Waste
/ PAGE 35
INFO: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 1 / 13:00 / 1hr 41m Directors: Various
Late Afternoon
Retouch
Director/Writer: Louise Bagnall / Ireland / 9 mins
Director/Writer: Kaveh Mazaheri / Iran / 20 mins
An elderly woman drifts back through her memories. She exists between two states: the past and the present.
In the corner of the home, Maryam’s husband does weight lifting. Suddenly, the weight falls on his throat and puts him between life and death.
Copa-Loca
Earthy Encounters
Simon, You Ass
Director: Christos Massalas / Greece / 14mins Writer: Christos Massalas
Director: Sam Johnson / UK / 22 mins
Director: Claire Barrault / France / 14 mins Writer: Claire Barrault
DirectorS: Trevor Whelan, Rua Meegan / Ireland, Portugal / 10 mins Bordalo II is an intimate portrait of Portuguese street artist Artur Bordalo, as he aims to highlight the extent of our wastefulness through his ‘Trash Animals’ sculptures.
Paulina is the girl at the heart of Copa-Loca, an abandoned Greek summer resort. Everyone cares for her and she cares about everyone – in every possible way.
Time Traveller
Director/Writer: Steve Kenny / Ireland / 12 mins A Back To The Future obsessed traveller boy strives to finish building his own DeLorean replica before his family are evicted from their halting site.
15-year-old Kyle believes he can save his dying older brother with a plant he’s found in the garden centre he works at – problem is, there’s a shadowy government agency out to destroy it first.
Alain visits his grandson who attempted suicide for the first time. However, the talk he had planned doesn’t unfold as expected.
Silent Cinema ///
In association with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
/ PAGE 36
Special Presentation In association with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, there will be two special screenings of the silent films, Behind the Door (accompanied by live piano) and The Italian Straw Hat (accompanied by live quartet) as part of this year’s Silent Cinema programme.
Behind The Door — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:30 / 1hr 10m DIRECTOR: Irvin Willat / 1919 / USA Writers: Gouverneur Morris (story), Luther Reed Cast: Hobart Bosworth, Jane Novak, Wallace Beery Musical Accompaniment: Stephen Horne
The Italian Straw Hat (The Horse Ate The Hat)
— Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House 1 / 14:00 / 1hr 45m DIRECTOR: René Clair / 1928 / France Writers: René Clair,Eugène Labiche (play) Cast: Alice Tissot, Alexis Bondireff, Marise Maia Musical Accompaniment: Günter A. Buchwald, Matthew Jacobson, Nick Roth, Derek Whyte — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
Originally released in 1919, Irvin Willat’s rare, silent World War I classic features some shocking sequences in its depiction of conflict and nationality. It centres around the character of Captain Oscar Krug, an American of German heritage whose family has lived in the US for generations but who is viewed with distain and suspicion by those around him as the war rages. A disapproved of marriage and a brutal submarine and revenge attack feature in the film, regarded as groundbreaking given the era in which it was made. — One of the Silent era’s most notorious films and a forerunner of the horror genre, this rare opportunity should not be missed by Irish film fans. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
French filmmaker René Clair’s great silent comedy from 1928, based on the play of the same name, unfolds around the day of lead character Ferdinand’s marriage. When his horse eats the hat of a lady – who is up to mischief with her lover behind a hedge – she can’t return home without her hat without questions being asked. Under threat from her lover, he must find her a new hat while getting himself to the church on time in this timeless, sparkling and playful farce. — One of René Clair’s best loved films ‘The Italian Straw Hat’ is a highly kinetic satirical farce but also a warm and sweet film that will charm audiences everywhere. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Sunday / Feb 25
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts
A woman seeks vengeance on her attackers in this bloody feminist western set among the sweeping landscapes of Indonesia. The story centres on Marlina, a grieving young widow, who is visited by a nasty piece of work who tells her he will soon by joined by other members of his gang who will rape and rob her. She is forced to think and act fast – which she does with gritty aplomb – in a story that unfolds in four chapters as the movie’s title suggests.
— Info: Sun 25th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:00 / 1hr 30m Info: Mon 26th Feb / Light House 3 / 18:15 / 1hr 30m DIRECTOR: Mouly Surya / 2017 / Indonesia Writers: Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho Cast: Egy Fedly, Dea Panendra, Yoga Pratama Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Five Flavours Film Festival
— One of the most beautiful films in this year’s festival – Indonesian neo-Western Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts has a shimmering quality to images which will stay with you for years to come. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Thirst Street — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 3 / 18:00 / 1hr 23m DIRECTOR: Nathan Silver / 2017 / USA Writers: Nathan Silver, C. Mason Wells Cast: Anjelica Huston, Lindsay Burdge, Damien Bonnard Winner/Mentions: Won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Denver International Film Festival — Filmmaker in Attendance: Nathan Silver
The Workshop — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 3 / 20:10 / 1hr 53m Director: Laurent Cantet / 2017 / France Writer: Robin Campillo, Laurent Cantet Cast: Marina Foïs, Matthieu Lucci, Florian Beaujean Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Feature at the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
An American flight attendant falls for a charming Parisian barman in this twisty, award-winning romantic thriller about passion and obsession. Struggling with the impact of her long-term partner’s suicide, Gina is back at work and travelling from city to city but just about managing to function. Following a passionate encounter with a charismatic Frenchman, Gina feels alive again. But her prompt decision to move to Paris is the first uneasy hint of her obsession, and when his ex-girlfriend returns, madness ensues. — Director Silver’s mordant wit, lead actress Burdge’s perfectly CALIBRATED turn and Angelica Huston’s voiceover are three of many reasons to see this film. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Laurent Cantet brings a smart and savvy drama to screen in a film set in a once-prosperous port town in the south of France. It revolves around Antoine, one of a group of teenagers taking part in a writing workshop hosted by a well-known novelist. But it’s not long before the volatile young man starts to clash with other students in this talky drama which, like Cantet’s international hit The Class, celebrates and displays a passion for the exchange of views and ideas. — Laurent Cantet’s new film brilliantly dissects the shifting power dynamics between a teacher and her best pupil of a writing workshop. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The Cured — Info: Sun 25th Feb / Light House 1 / 20:15 / 1hr 35m Director: David Freyne / 2017 / Ireland Writer: David Freyne Cast: Ellen Page (Producer and Acting Credits), Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Sam Keeley Winner/Mentions: Appeared at Glasgow Film Festival 2017, Toronto International Film Festival 2017 — Filmmaker in Attendance
Sunday / Feb 25 Writer/director David Freyne has assembled an impressive cast for this contemporary horror drama that marks his feature debut. The film is set in the aftermath of a devastating virus that struck Europe and changed humans into zombie-like monsters years before. While some remain ‘Resistants’ – immune to the antidote that has been found – many are haunted by memories as they attempt to reintegrate into society. Freyne’s fresh, bold take on the zombie film examines our ability to forgive the past and rise above fear. — Director Freyne’s fiendishly clever addition to the zombie genre, works as both a thriller and a powerful political allegory. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 39
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Monday / Feb 26
Highlights ///
Monday Feb 26
The Big Parade IFI / 13:30 Casting Pavilion Theatre / 17:00 The Rider Light House 1 / 18:15 You Were Never Really Here Light House 1 / 20:30
The Big Parade — Info: Mon 26th Feb / IFI / 13:30 / 2hr 31m Director: King Vidor / 1925 / USA Writer: Laurence Stallings (story), Harry Behn (scenario) Cast: John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth — Screening as part of ADIFF’s celebration of Cedric Gibbons. See page 77 for more details.
Casting — Info: Mon 26th Feb / Pavilion Theatre / 17:00 / 1hr 31m Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 3 / 13:50 / 1hr 31m Director: Nicolas Wackerbarth / 2017 / Germany WriterS: Nicolas Wackerbarth, Hannes Held Cast: Toby Ashraf, Milena Dreißig, Judith Engel — Presented in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Irland
Cedric Gibbons’ assured artwork enhances this classic silent film which vividly recounts the emotional as well as the physical costs of the Great War. Featuring tough, trailblazing battle scenes and shifting effortlessly between romance, drama and pathos, the 1925 film features powerful set-pieces that have stood the test of time, ever since the film became the newly formed MGM Studios’ first big box-office hit. Director King Vidor’s assured, forward-thinking style was considered truly groundbreaking, and inspired and influenced many other filmmakers. — A huge hit when it was released and John Gilbert’s performance remains one of the most acclaimed of the silent period, Gibbons designed the MGM backlots where the entire film was shot. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Nicolas Wackerbarth’s sparkling and mischievous comedy drama is set around the world of casting actors for television. Director Vera is anxious to secure the best possible cast for her TV movie, a Fassbinder adaptation, but is struggling to find the right actress for the lead. This is of little consequence to audition reader Gerwin, who feeds lines of other dialogue to the leading lady hopefuls. But when the film’s male lead becomes unavailable at the last minute, Gerwin feels this could be his shot at the big time. — THIS GERMAN FILM POKES FUN AT THE EXPENSE OF FILM ARTISTS IN THIS WITTY, clever comedY drama about casting sessions. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 41
Monday / Feb 26
ADIFF Shorts 3
/ PAGE 43
INFO: Mon 26th Feb / Light House 3 / 20:30 / 1hr 42m Directors: Various
Mother & Baby
Cake
Night Shade
Director: Mia Mularkey / Ireland / 18 mins
Director: Alan Friel / UK / 6 mins Writer: Andreas Hadjivassiliou
Director/Writer: Shady El-Hamus / The Netherlands / 14 mins
Discarded in death as they were in life, Mother & Baby bears witness to children of the fallen women of Ireland.
Two women in a barren wasteland discuss the best way to die.
Eleven-year-old Tarik helps his father Elias to transport illegal immigrants into the Netherlands. When an accident occurs, Tarik gains the acknowledgment from his father he has yearned for, but at a high price – the loss of his own innocence.
The Wall
When We Meet Again
Blood Shed
DirectorS: Nick Baker and Tristan Klein / Australia / 6 mins Writer: Nick Baker
Director/Writer: William Sehested Høeg / Denmark / 19 mins
Director: James Moran / UK / 13 mins Writer: James Moran & Cat Davies
A grandmother and her grandson flee their city when, one night, the darkness arrives. They escape only to reach a tall, endless wall. The grandmother decides to sell everything she has to help the pair get over and away.
Mads has been traveling across Europe for three months with his two childhood friends, Simon and Sara. Mads’ family has organised a welcome home lunch – but the meal is interrupted by a call which throws Mads into the biggest dilemma of his life.
Jack loves a bargain. And he loves sheds. When he buys suspiciously cheap second-hand parts to build his very own dream shed, he and longsuffering wife Helen get more than they bargained for: a killer shed with an appetite for blood.
Dreamer
Inbox
Director/Writer: Peter Jones / US / 18 mins
Director: B. Welby Delimere / UK / 9 mins Writer: B. Welby Delimere & Rory Fleck Byrne
A Native American struggling with survivor’s guilt finds redemption serving his fellow veterans.
When an agoraphobic has his mail delivered by a socially anxious post woman a strange but magical date ensues through the letterbox. Starring Rory Fleck Byrne and Charlie Murphy.
Monday / Feb 26
Madame — Info: Mon 26th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:10 / 1hr 31m Director: Amanda Sthers / 2017 / France Writer: Amanda Sthers Cast: Toni Collette, Harvey Keitel, Rossy de Palma
The vibrant Rossy de Palma gives a virtuoso performance in Amanda Sthers’ sparkling comedy drama. In a bid to spice up their relationship, rich and well connected American couple Anne and Bob set up home in Paris. Upon discovering their dinner party will have 13 guests, Anne asks her maid to pose as a Spanish aristocrat and join them. A little wine and a lot of romance later, and Anne is struggling to put the genie back in the bottle in this breezy comedy. — Almodovar favourite Rossy de Palma takes centRE stage in her first starring show as a housemaid who is mistaken for a society madame. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Rider — Info: Mon 26th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:15 / 1hr 44m DIRECTOR: Chloé Zhao / 2017 / USA Writer: Chloé Zhao Cast: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau
Chloé Zhao’s moving, rousing drama centres on a young Indian reservation cowboy who is passionate about rodeo. When a near-fatal accident leaves him with serious injuries and no longer equipped to compete, he’s forced to search for a new sense of meaning and purpose in his life, and reimagine what it means to be a man in the community within which he lives. The Art Cinema Award winner at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight is based around the experiences of real-life locals and features fine breakout performances. — One of the most acclaimed films of the year – Chloe Zhao’s beguiling story of loss and redemption. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Science of Ghosts — Info: Mon 26th Feb / IFI / 18:30 / 1hr 20m Director: Niall McCann / 2017 / Ireland WriterS: Niall McCann, Adrian Crowley Cast: Adrian Crowley, Kevin Barry, Radie Peat, Brigid Mae Power, The Crash Ensemble — Filmmaker in Attendance
Director Niall McCann’s observational drama centres on a well-known Irish musician, Adrian Crowley. While being interviewed by a film crew for his latest album, an interruption causes Adrian to ponder – what would a film about his life be like? Could it ever really reflect who he is? His imagination takes him – and the audience – on a journey as he becomes a ghost visiting his own life, past and future. What emerges is a humorous and original take on the power of storytelling. — A portrait of a minstrel and a free spirit – Adrian Crowley partners completely with Niall McCann on this film. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Tower. A Bright Day — Info: Mon 26th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 20:30 / 1hr 46m Director: Jagoda Szelc / 2017 / Poland Writer: Jagoda Szelc Cast: Anna Krotoska, Malgorzata Szczerbowska, Anna Zubrzycki — With the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland
You Were Never Really Here — Special Presentation
— Info: Mon 26th Feb / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 1hr 25m Director: Lynne Ramsay / 2017 / France, UK, USA WriterS: Jonathan Ames (Novel), Lynne Ramsay (Screenplay) Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola — Filmmaker in Attendance: Lynne Ramsay
Monday / Feb 26
/ PAGE 45
The relationship between two sisters threatens to unravel a family status quo in this unnerving, character-driven psychological thriller. Jagoda Szelc’s debut feature unfolds at a house in the countryside, where Mula resides with her ill mother, daughter and husband. As the child’s First Holy Communion approaches, Mula’s younger, unstable sister Kaja arrives at the house. She had suddenly disappeared years before and is the child’s biological mother, sparking fears within the family that she will try to take the young girl away. — A family reconciliation backfires with far reaching consequences...a stunniNg debut from gifted Polish writer director Jagoda Szelc – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The story of a traumatised veteran unfolds in the powerful new drama from Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin). It tells the story of Joe, a troubled man unburdened by the threat of violence, who now makes a living by tracing missing girls. When one case descends into chaos, Joe’s response and actions could be the making of him or the death of him. The intense, memorable drama that unfolds is made more unnerving by the score from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. — Lynne Ramsey’s latest and best film is a long terrifying scream of a film – guttural and extreme with a terrifying performance by Joaquin Phoenix. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
NCAD Exhibition To celebrate our move to The Digital Hub in Dublin 8, we have collaborated with a number of local institutions including the National College of Art & Design’s Second Year Graphic Design and Illustration students, who have interpreted a number of Festival films. You’ll find their original designs dotted throughout the festival in this celebration of new film and new talent. See page 77 for more details. — The Italian Straw Hat poster by: Roxanna Kenjeeva
Tuesday / Feb 27
Highlights /// Dinner at Eight IFI / 13:30 The Summit Light House 3 / 18:10 Pre-Crime Light House 3 / 18:30 Good Favour Light House 1 / 20:30
Tuesday Feb 27 Dinner at Eight — Info: Tue 27th Feb / IFI / 13:30 / 1hr 51m Director: George Cukor / 1933 / USA Writer: Frances Marion (screen play), Herman J. Mankiewicz (screen play) Cast: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery — Screening as part of ADIFF’s celebration of Cedric Gibbons. See page 77 for more details.
The Summit — Info: Tue 27th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:10 / 1hr 54m Director: Santiago Mitre / 2017 / Argentina/Spain/France Writer: Mariano Llinás, Santiago Mitre Cast: Walter Andrade, Ricardo Darín, Dolores Fonzi Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina
Cedric Gibbons’ glorious art deco sets add fizz to this sparkling 1933 comedy. George Cukor’s classic focuses on Mrs Oliver Jordan, a social butterfly hosting the perfect dinner party to benefit her husband’s business dealings. By then the most revered studio in Hollywood, MGM’s hit has a whole lot of fun with the comedy of errors that follow, and the determination of the host that no matter what happens, dinner shall be served on time. An on-form cast make the most of the pithy script. — A wonderful example of Gibbons’s touch – there are no exterior shots which allows Gibbons to create a ‘show off’ set THAT USES ELEVEN SHADES OF WHITE. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The latest movie from filmmaker Santiago Mitre, whose Paulina was a winner at Cannes, is a tense and smart thriller set around the exciting world of a major political summit. The meeting for Latin American presidents in Chile is one where deals and alliances are at stake. But president Hernan Blanco is wrestling with his own demons, as two major decisions he has to make could have a lasting influence on both his family and political life, in Mitre’s slick take on politics and power. — Santiago Mitre’s sleekly made political thriller stars a who’s-who of great Latin American talent. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
My Generation — Info: Tue 27th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:15 / 1hr 25m Director: David Batty / 2017 / UK WriterS: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais Cast: David Bailey, Michael Caine, Joan Collins Winner/Mentions: Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award received by Michael Caine at the 2017 Venice Film Festival
Tuesday / Feb 27 The swinging sixties is brought colourfully and evocatively to life in this charming, witty account of changing times during one of the most culturally vibrant periods in history. Produced and narrated by Michael Caine, My Generation is an insightful documentary that captures the sense of time and place with vivacity and colour. As well as recounting Caine’s own experiences, the documentary features accounts from contemporaries of the actor who rose to success at that time, among them Paul McCartney, Mary Quant and Roger Daltrey. — Loaded with great footage from the era and accompanied by superb cleaned-up music from the Kinks, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and many others, this is love letter-as-documentary. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Pre-Crime — Info: Tue 27th Feb / Light House 3 / 18:30 / 1hr 28m DirectorS: Matthias Heeder and Monika Hielscher / 2017 / Germany WriterS: Matthias Heeder and Monika Hielscher — Presented in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Irland — Filmmaker in attendance: Director and Writer Matthias Heeder
Phantom Islands — Info: Tue 27th Feb / IFI / 18:30 / 1hr 14m Director: Rouzbeh Rashidi / 2017 / Ireland — Filmmaker in attendance
Welcome to the real-life world of Minority Report – a documentary that explores the chilling vision first put forward by Philip K. Dick of socalled ‘protective policing’. This documentary shows how the concept is becoming a reality, with police departments and private enterprises using public and private information and even algorithms to discover who is likely to commit illegal acts. It explores how this world of highconcept fiction is gradually becoming a reality – and the implications for society in a world where everyone is a suspect. — A chilling documentary about surveillance which FASCINATES AND TERRIFIES in equal measure. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Phantom Islands is an experimental film that exists at the boundaries of documentary and fiction. Directed by Rouzbeh Rashidi, with the visual intensity that has marked him as one of Ireland’s most unique and radical filmmakers, it follows a couple adrift and disoriented in the stunning landscape of Ireland’s islands. Yet this deliberately melodramatic romance is constantly questioned by a provocative cinematic approach that ultimately results in a hypnotic and visceral inquiry into the very possibility of documentary objectivity. — His latest film is less a documentary and more of a filmic meditation, Rouzbah Rashidi has a unique vision which avoidS traditional definitions. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 47
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Good Favour — Info: Tue 27th Feb / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 1hr 25m Director: Rebecca Daly / 2017 / Ireland WriterS: Rebecca Daly, Glenn Montgomery Cast: Vincent Romeo, Lars Brygmann, Clara Rugaard — Filmmaker in attendance
Tuesday / Feb 27
/ PAGE 49
Writer/director Rebecca Daly follows her acclaimed films Mammal and The Other Side of Sleep with this atmospheric parable which unfolds deep in the remote forests of central Europe. The film is set in a devout Catholic village, where many residents are experiencing a crisis in their faith, and where a young stranger is welcomed into the community. To their surprise, he gradually reveals what appear to be special powers, prompting them to wonder whether he’s a positive force, or someone with more sinister motivations. — A strange eeriness floats through Rebecca Daly’s atmospheric parable about a boy hiding amongst a reclusive community. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Israfil — Info: Tue 27th Feb / Light House 3 / 20:45 / 1hr 40m Director: Ida Panahandeh / 2017 / Iran Writer: Arsalan Amiri, Ida Panahandeh Cast: Hediyeh Tehrani, Merila Zare’i, Pejman Bazeghi Winner/Mentions: Official selection Fajir Film Festival 2017 and BFI London Film Festival 2017
Ida Panahandeh’s (Nahid) much-anticipated second film centres on two former lovers whose lives are reconnected in tragic circumstances, a young woman on a journey, and a family whose mother has health issues. Set in northern Iran, the drama unfolds through the eyes and experiences of three women, and explores such universal themes as lost love, familial expectations and unrealised ambitions. The award-winning film also looks at small-town loneliness through the prism of the town in which it’s set and the characters who inhabit it. — Ida Panahandeh’s second feature eloquently explores love and loss, as two former lovers are reunited following a fatal accident. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
AUDI-ENCE AWARD Each year, you, the audience gets to vote on the films that bring a smile to your face; a tear to your eye; inspire you or clean knock your socks off! Our team of supremo volunteers will be at hand to help you cast your votes after each film. The winning filmmakers will be flown to the Berlinale Internationale Filmfestspiele in 2019, where they will enjoy a true VIP Audi experience. PREVIOUS WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE AWARD 2017: The Farthest 2011: Benda Bilili! 2016: Viva 2010: His & Hers 2015: The Salt of the Earth 2009: Anvil! The Story of Anvil 2014: Los Wild Ones 2008: Waveriders 2013: Broken Song 2012: The Raid
Wednesday / Feb 28
Highlights /// Twilight Light House 3 / 17:50 Custody Light House 1 / 18:30 Isle of Dogs Cineworld 17 / 18:30 While You Live, Shine Light House 3 / 17:50
Wednesday Feb 28 Grand Hotel — Info: Wed 28th Feb / IFI / 13:30 / 1hr 52m Director: Edmund Goulding / 1932 / USA Writer: Vicki Baum (by), William Absalom Drake (play) (as William A. Drake) Cast: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford Winner/Mentions: Won Best Picture at the 1932 Academy Awards, USA — Screening as part of ADIFF’s celebration of Cedric Gibbons. See page 77 for more details.
Twilight — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 2 / 17:50 / 27mins DIRECTOR: Pat Collins / 2017 / Ireland WRITER: Pat Collins Cast: Pat Collins — Filmmaker in attendance: Pat Collins
Edmund Goulding’s Oscar winner for Best Picture showcases the talents of some of the brightest stars in cinematic history. Made in 1932, the lavish Grand Hotel in Berlin is ostensibly a place where “nothing ever happens” but that premise falls apart over the course of one memorable day, as the lives and dramas of different guests begin to intertwine. They include Greta Garbo’s Grusinskaya, whose: “I want to be alone” was to go down in history. Cedric Gibbons brings his unmistakable flair to the art-deco production. — A wonderful example of Gibbons’ use of Art Deco – watch out for the spectacular hotel foyer. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
With acclaimed films such as Song of Granite and Silence, West Cork filmmaker Pat Collins has emerged as one of Ireland’s most gifted and beloved cinematic voices. With Twilight, he returns to his roots as a documentary maker with this film shot over two years in the beautiful surroundings close to his home in Baltimore. Featuring field recordings from the world-renowned sound artist Chris Watson, it is a poetic and contemplative film, focused on the twilight and the changing of day into night. — Pat Collins’ beautiful celebration of light at the closing of the day. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Custody — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 1 / 18:30 / 1hr 33m DIRECTOR: Xavier Legrand / 2017 / France Writer: Xavier Legrand Cast: Léa Drucker, Denis Ménochet, Thomas Gioria — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland — FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE: Xavier Legrand
Isle of Dogs — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Cineworld 17 / 18:30 / 1hr 35m Director: Wes Anderson / 2018 / USA/Germany Writer: Wes Anderson Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand
Wednesday / Feb 28 French actor-turned-director Xavier Legrand’s powerful, memorable first feature expands on the subject of his Oscar-nominated short, Just Before Losing Everything. It revolves around a boy, Julien, who, in the midst of his parents’ bitter divorce, is directed by a court to split his time between his mother and father. Julien is estranged from his father, who he regards as an abusive and frightening man. The subject of domestic violence is explored in this drama/thriller, which builds greatly in tension and suspense. — Xavier Legrand’s dazzling debut is a nailbiting thriller about a court decision that tears a family apart. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The groundbreaking Wes Anderson returns to stop-motion animation – following The Fantastic Mr. Fox – for his latest adventure, which is set in a futuristic Japan. It is a dystopian place for dogs, where canine flu has ravaged the population and dogs have been sent to a remote island off the Japanese coast to prevent the disease from spreading further. Their only hope of avoiding isolation comes in the form of Atari, a boy who ventures to the island in search of his pet. — Hurray! a new Wes Anderson FILM is here... stop-motion animation and a cast to die for... can’t wait! – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
While You Live, Shine — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 2 / 18:45 / 1hr 20m Director: Paul Duane / 2017 / Ireland, Greece, USA — Filmmaker in Attendance: Paul Duane
American musicologist Chris King is legendary in his field. His collection of and passion for old 78 records is inspiring, as is his ability to use modern technology to unlock their sonic secrets. But his discovery of the music of Epirus in northern Greece was to transform King’s life, and the raw folk music he believes connects us with our most ancient ancestors prompted him to travel to the region. What emerges is some of the most hypnotic and stirring music you’ve never heard. — An incredibly enjoyable melodic odyssey, Paul Duane’s endlessly curious film travels to Greece searching for the oldest music in the Western World. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 51
Wednesday / Feb 28
ADIFF Shorts 4
— Followed by ADIFF Awards presentation at 18:00 Light House Bar
/ PAGE 53
INFO: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 1 / 16:00 / 1hr 38m Directors: Various
For You
Take Me Swimming
Little Potato
Director: Brendan Canty / Ireland / 12 mins Writer: Alan O’Gorman
Director: Claire Dix / Ireland / 15 mins Writer: Ailbhe Keogan
Director: Wes Hurley / USA / 14 mins Writer: Wes Hurley
A young girl struggles with an alcoholic mother, her environment and entering adulthood, until an act of devotion from her boyfriend offers relief and the strength to love.
A son must overcome his own conflicted feelings and honour his father’s intentions to keep his mother alive, despite her expressed wish to the contrary.
Struggling to survive in the USSR during the turbulent years of Perestroika, Elena and her young gay son escape into the world of pirated American movies.
The Date
Lost Property Office
Homeland
Director: Selina Cartmell / Ireland / 16 mins Writer: Liz Quinn
Director: Daniel Agdag / Australia / 10 mins Writer: Daniel Agdag
Director: Sam Peeters / The Netherlands / 14 mins
In a strange, smokey bar on the edge of a rural Irish town, Sinead and Brian remember the love they once shared.
This Oscar-nominated short film tells the story of Edward, a meticulous and thorough custodian of a large city transit’s Lost Property Office.
Right-wing populism is spreading through Western Europe like wildfire. It is most popular in quiet, white neighbourhoods where people are shielded from different cultures and lifestyles.
Nightmare On Deskteeth Street
Wave
Director: Dylan Holmes Williams / UK / 3 mins Writer: Robbie Macinnes Harold Miller has a bizarre obsession. He loves boots. After a mysterious intruder steals his favourite pair, he sets out on a voyage across West London...
Director: Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady Peyton / Ireland / 14 mins Writer: Benjamin Cleary A man wakes from a coma speaking a fully formed but unrecognisable language, baffling linguistic experts from around the globe.
Wednesday / Feb 28
Red Sparrow — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Cineworld 17 / 20:30 / 2hr 25m Director: Francis Lawrence / 2018 / USA WriterS: Justin Haythe, Jason Matthews (Novel) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Mary-Louise Parker
Adapted from Jason Matthews’ acclaimed novel, Red Sparrow tells the story of a Russian ballerina whose career is cut short in tragic circumstances. With nowhere else to turn, she’s recruited to a covert Russian intelligencetraining school, where she’s forced to use her body as a weapon. As she rises through the ranks, she is called upon to make some potentially deadly decisions. The film sees Jennifer Lawrence re-team with filmmaker Francis Lawrence, who directed her in the last three Hunger Games movies. — Black Swan meets Nikita, an impossibly cool Jennifer Lawrence leads aN all star cast in this slick and seductive thriller. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Muse
— Special Presentation — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 1 / 20:45 / 1hr 47m Director: Jaume Balagueró / 2017 / Spain/Ireland Writer: Jaume Balagueró, Fernando Navarro Cast: Elliot Cowan, Franka Potente, Ana Ularu Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2018 Gaudí Awards. — Filmmaker in attendance
Zama — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Light House 3 / 20:45 / 1hr 55m Director: Lucrecia Martel / 2017 / Argentina Writer: Antonio Di Benedetto (based on the novel by), Lucrecia Martel Cast: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina
Jaume Balagueró’s seductive supernatural thriller centres on a college professor struggling to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend. His attempts to return to a semblance of normal life have been thwarted by a recurring nightmare in which a woman is murdered violently. When he learns a woman just like the one in his dreams dies in the exact same manner, he joins forces with another woman, who also dreams of her, placing them in a frightening world controlled by figures known as the Muses. — Set and shot in Dublin by Spanish director Jaume Balagueró, it’s a smart and sexy thriller with a cast to die for – Frank Potente, Joanne Whalley, Leonor Watling and Christopher Lloyd. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Based on the historical novel, Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel’s anticipated, wide-ranging film sees her add her unique standpoint to the story. Zama is an officer of the Spanish crown, who reflects on his life as he awaits a posting from South America to a more prolific location, to which he feels a sense of entitlement. He has done little for the poor region besides making a local woman pregnant, but as he takes out his frustration on easy targets, Zama faces justices of his own. — Argentinean auteur Lucrecia Martel’s first feature in nine years depicts the steady unraveling of an officer of the Spanish crown in 18th-century South America. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Thoroughbreds — Info: Wed 28th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 20:45 / 1hr 30m Director: Cory Finley / 2017 / USA Writer: Cory Finley Cast: Olivia Cooke, Anja Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin
Wednesday / Feb 28 The late Anton Yelchin takes on his final performance in Cory Finley’s suspenseful drama. It revolves around two friends, Lily and Amanda, who reconnect having drifted apart. Both have honed very different skills to navigate their way through life – though Amanda has become a social outcast after being involved in the killing of a horse – and find a new sense of purpose in their contempt for Lily’s domineering stepfather. Emboldened by each other, they seek the assistance of a local hustler to hatch an outrageous plan. — Cory Finley’s Thoroughbreds is as dark and bitter as arsenic. a gripping drama/thriller with incredible central performances. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 55
Thursday / Mar 01
Highlights /// Catch The Wind Light House 1 / 16:00 Disobedience Light House 1 / 18:15 The Image You Missed Light House 3 / 18:15 Foxtrot Light House 1 / 20:30
Thursday Mar 01 Catch The Wind — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Light House 1 / 16:00 / 1hr 43m Director: Gael Morel / 2017 / France Writer: Gael Morel Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Mouna Fettou, Kamal El Amri — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
Wonderstruck — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Cineworld 9 / 18:10 / 1hr 56m Director: Todd Haynes / 2017 / USA Writer: Brian Selznick (Novel/Screenplay) Cast: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams — Filmmaker in Attendance
Gael Morel’s thoughtful, timely drama sees a woman embrace drastic change in socioeconomic circumstances. When the owners of a French-based factory decide to cut costs by relocating to Tangiers in Morocco, leaving workers with the option of unemployment or relocation, they expect little uptake – least of all from middle-aged mother Edith. But she has other ideas. Estranged from her son and with little to hold her down, Edith decides to pack up her life and take on the change – and complications – that follow. — Sandrine Bonnaire is SUPERB AS A French woman relocateD to Morocco in hopes of finding employment and a better life. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Following the critical and commercial success of the sublime Carol, Todd Haynes returns with this tale based on Brian Selznick’s adaptation of his own acclaimed novel. Spanning separate eras, it is told through the eyes of two very different children, Ben and Rose, who yearn for better lives. Ben dreams of spending time with the father he has never known, while Rose keeps a record of a mysterious actress. Clues and coincidences spur them both to embark on a remarkable and expansive journey. — Todd Haynes beautifully re-creates Brian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel about two children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Disobedience — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Light House 1 / 18:15 / 1hr 54m Director: Sebastián Lelio / 2017 / UK WriterS: Sebastián Lelio (adaptation), Naomi Alderman (novel) Cast: Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz, Alessandro Nivola
Thursday / Mar 01 Chilean director Sebastián Lelio has shown in films like Gloria and A Fantastic Woman how adept he is at portraying unconventional stories onscreen. In his English-language debut, he turns to an Orthodox Jewish community. A story of love and sexuality within the confines of this religious community, it focuses on Ronit, who returns to London from New York following the sudden death of her father. Her reception suggests her departure was not on good terms, as this slow-building, character-driven drama reveals dark secrets and hidden passions. — Sebastián Lelio continues to be a brave and sophisticated champion of women and the pressures placed upon them by society. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Image You Missed — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Light House 2 / 18:15 / 1hr 14m Director: Donal Foreman / 2017 / Ireland Writer: Arthur MacCaig — Filmmaker in Attendance: Donal Foreman
Ana, Mon Amour — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Light House 3 / 20:30 / 2hr 5m Director: Cãlin Peter Netzer / 2017 / Romania Writer: Cãlin Peter Netzer Cast: Diana Cavallioti, Mircea Postelnicu, Carmen Tanase — With the Support of the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Embassy of Romania in Dublin
The complexities of a father/son relationship are explored in this documentary from Irish director Donal Foreman (Out of Here). In it, Foreman grapples with the legacy of his estranged father, the late documentarian Arthur MacCaig, who gathered detailed archives during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, and contributions from others on their different experiences of nationalism. Using over three decades of unseen footage, the film weaves a history of The North with the story of a son’s search to better know and understand his complicated father. — A superb but shattering family history, a father and son – separated by circumstances bUT united by their mutual love of filmmaking. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
A Silver Bear winner for technical achievement at Berlin, Cãlin Peter Netzer’s romantic drama about a passionate and co-dependent relationship treads new ground. Blending a love story with that of mental fragility, it centres on Toma and Ana, a couple who fall deeply in love after meeting at university. She has family issues and suffers from crippling panic attacks, but enjoys full support from her lover, as they both begin to isolate themselves from others in what is a fascinating take on love and human nature. — Dense and complex, Cãlin Peter Netzer’s drama about doomed romance handsomely rewards the patient viewer. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 57
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Foxtrot — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 1hr 48m Director: Samuel Maoz / 2017 / Israel Writer: Samuel Maoz Cast: Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonaton Shiray Winner/Mentions: Grand Jury Prize Venice Film Festival 2017
Thursday / Mar 01
/ PAGE 59
Israeli director Samuel Maoz builds spectacularly on his Venice Golden Lion winner, Lebanon, with this family drama which unfolds in three acts. It’s a film that moves between dark humour and gut-wrenching sadness. Foxtrot focuses on a couple, Michael and Dafna, who are distraught when army officials deliver the news of the death of their soldier son. Michael becomes frustrated by army bureaucracy and the interference of well-intentioned relatives as grief turns to anger, in what is a shrewd, daring examination of bereavement and guilt. — Maoz’ s trumphant follow up to acclaimed Lebanon is a joyous celebration of life. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Apparition / L’apparition — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Cineworld 9 / 20:45 / 2hr 20m Director: Xavier Giannoli Writer: Xavier Giannoli Cast: Anatole Taubman, Vincent Lindon, Patrick d’Assumçao — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
A senior journalist is tasked with a very unusual investigation in French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli’s unique new story. Palme d’Or winner Vincent Lindon is Jacques, an established, reliable reporter at a well-known regional newspaper. Contacted by the Vatican to examine the veracity of an apparition of the Virgin Mary, he lands on a small French village, where he meets a young woman who is torn between her devout faith and the attention it brings her. Faiths and beliefs are tested and shaken in this strongly woven mystery. — Xavier Giannoli’s beautifully paced meditation on faith and belief features a wonderful central performance from the great Vincent Lindon. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
French Producer’s Summit Info: Thurs 1 Mar / The Digital Hub Tickets: Free Event / email info@diff.ie — The French Producer’s Summit will create a forum for Irish Production Companies who are interested in working with French Film Festivals, Film Distributors and Producers at a one-day festival event. With such diverse opportunities available, the French market can sometimes seem like a daunting place to navigate. Speakers will answer questions about production and distribution options available, including insights into diverse platform releases and finding the right festival for your film. Guests include Carole Scotta (Producer: The Class, The Lobster, The Ciambra) — A joint initiative from ADIFF and the Irish Film Board with support of the Embassy of France in Ireland.
Friday / Mar 02
Highlights /// The Other Side of Everything Light House 3 / 18:10 Hannah Light House 1 / 18:15 The Third Murder Cineworld 9 / 20:30 Kissing Candice Light House 1 / 20:45
Friday Mar 02 An American in Paris — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / IFI / 13:30 / 1hr 54m Director: Vincente Minnelli / 1951 / USA Writer: Alan Jay Lerner (story by), Alan Jay Lerner (screen play by) Cast: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant Winner/Mentions: Won Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color at the 1952 Academy Awards, USA — Screening as part of ADIFF’s celebration of Cedric Gibbons. See page 77 for more details.
Damo & Ivor — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Cineworld 17 / 18:10 / 1hr 30m DirectorS: Rob Burke, Ronan Burke / 2018 / Ireland WriterS: Jules Coll, Andy Quirke Cast: Devon Murray, Rebecca Grimes, Ruth McCabe — Filmmaker in Attendance
Gene Kelly’s and Leslie Caron’s onscreen charisma, the classic songs of George and Ira Gershwin and Vincente Minnelli’s confident directorial work combined to make this joyous film a six-Oscar winner, including for Cedric Gibbons’ design work. Kelly’s Jerry, an American painter living among Paris’s artistic set, romances two different women in this musical which showcases MGM’s and Hollywood’s sense of opulence at its very height. The climax of the film, a lengthy and delightful ballet sequence, demands to be seen on the big screen. — This celebration of all things Parisian was shot at the MGM studios in California where Gibbon’s designed 44 glorious sets. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
They started life as a YouTube and TV sensation, now improbable siblings Damo & Ivor are bringing their unique brand of humour to the big screen. The slapstick action centres around the unlikely pair’s search for their long-lost brother, taking them on a wild adventure across Ireland. But unknown to Damo, Ivor is also hoping to bring the family closer together by reuniting them with their mother. As fans of the series will already be aware, with these two siblings involved, plans rarely run smoothly. — The wait is over – grab your gran, get your tickets and fasten your seatbelts...it’s Damo & Ivor on the Big Screen – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
The Other Side of Everything — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 3 / 18:10 / 1hr 40m Director: Mila Turaljic / 2017 / Serbia Winner/Mentions: Won Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 2017 IDFA
Friday / Mar 02 The personal is the political, a point brought home to powerful effect by filmmaker Mila Turajlic through an intimate portrait of her mother. This award-winning documentary opens out like a spiral from the Belgrade apartment in which her elderly mother, Srbijanka, a former activist and university professor, lives. The apartment and those who have lived there serve as a prism through which we learn of their complicated history, often lived through turbulent times, and that of their homeland, the former Yugoslavia. — This Serbian documentary about a family’s apartment in Belgrade is a fascinating study of how war and politics shaped THEIR LIVES. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Camino Voyage — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / IFI / 18:15 / 1hr 35m Director: Dónal Ó Céilleachair / 2017 / Ireland Cast: Glen Hansard — Filmmaker in Attendance: Dónal Ó Céilleachair
Hannah — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 1 / 18:15 / 1hr 35m DIRECTOR: Andrea Pallaoro / 2017 / Italy Writers: Andrea Pallaoro, Orlando Tirado Cast: Charlotte Rampling, André Wilms, Stéphanie Van Vyve Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Feature at the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival — With the support of the Italian Institute of Culture
A crew of explorers take to the beloved, sacred Camino – not by land but by sea – in this evocative, immersive documentary. The adventurers, including a writer, two musicians, an artist and a stonemason, take to the waters in a traditional boat which they built themselves. There are dangers and challenges in their 2,500 km modern-day Celtic odyssey all the way from Ireland to Northern Spain, but joys and inspiration too, as we are invited to join them on their remarkable, surprising journey. — A crew including a Writer, two Musicians, an Artist and a Stonemason embark on the Camino not on land, but by sea, in a traditional boat that they built themselves on an inspiring, and often times dangerous, 2,500 km modern day Celtic odyssey. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The incomparable Charlotte Rampling was awarded best actress at Venice for her performance in this searing drama from filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro. It’s the story of a woman struggling with an internalised emotional strain, moving between reality and denial, following the arrest and imprisonment of her husband. She accompanies her husband to prison for a crime that is alluded to but never fully explained, and returns to her job as a cleaning lady for a younger woman in a slow-burning drama anchored by its exceptional lead performance. — Charlotte Rampling gives a career-best performance in this austere and chilly chamber piece about a woman beset by doubts and denial. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 61
Friday / Mar 02
Have A Nice Day — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 3 / 20:30 / 1hr 17m Director: Liu Jian / 2017 / China Writer: Liu Jian Cast: Xiao Zhang, Lao Zhao Winner/Mentions: Won Best Animated Feature at Fantasia Film Festival 2017
The Third Murder — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Cineworld 9 / 20:30 / 2hr 5m Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda / 2017 / Japan Writer: Hirokazu Kore-eda (Screenplay) Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakusho, Isao Hashizume Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival 2017
Kissing Candice — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 1 / 20:45 / 1hr 42m Director: Aoife McArdle / 2017 / Ireland Writer: Aoife McArdle Cast: Ann Skelly, Ryan Lincoln, Conall Keating Winner/Mentions: Toronto International Film Festival 2017, Glasgow Film Festival 2017 — Filmmaker in Attendance: Aoife McArdle
Director Liu Jian’s gritty, groundbreaking animated feature is a violent and darkly funny take on the gangster genre. A young driver, in a bid to help overturn his fiancee’s failed plastic surgery, steals a bag of money containing a fortune. This places him on the radar of several unsavoury characters from different backgrounds, who are all drawn into the resulting bloody conflict by their own motives. The action literally follows the money as gangsters, criminals or others struggling to get by get their hands on the cash. — This Chinese animated crime film deftly mixes social comment with a pulpy noir aesthetic to great effect. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda turns his lens towards the legal world in this compelling crime drama. The film revolves around a top lawyer who is tasked with taking on the case of a charged killer who has previously served a lengthy sentence for a double murder. The case seems straightforward, but as he unravels the evidence and facts, it emerges there is a great deal more to it than was initially apparent. The twisty, multi-layered film toys with its audience to impressive effect. — Japanese auteur Kore-eda changes genre with what seems like a simple courtroom drama, but becomes a rich and layered examination of truth. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Filmed under the Irish Film Board’s Catalyst scheme, Aoife McArdle’s stylish debut feature centres around a small Irish seaside community. It tells the story of Candice, a young woman who manages to be both volatile and vulnerable, and her relationship with a man who is sexy, fascinating, and involved with the wrong crowd. Her infatuation places her in an invidious position with her tough, policeman father, in an area where a young boy has disappeared. McArdle’s energetic debut is enhanced by Jon Clarke’s original score. — Aoife McArdle’s incendiary debut is gathering major industry buzz and every frame of this film shows a new talent with talent to burn. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Saturday / Mar 03
Highlights /// So Help Me God Light House 1 / 13:15 Sea Sorrow Cineworld 17 / 16:00 Sicilian Ghost Story Cineworld 9 / 18:10 The Delinquent Season Light House 1 / 20:30
Saturday Mar 03 So Help Me God — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 1 / 13:15 / 1hr 40m DIRECTOR: Yves Hinant / 2017 / France, Belgium Writers: Yves Hinant, Jean Libon Cast: Anne Gruwez Winner/Mentions: Best Actress – Anne Gruwez at the 2017 San Sebastián International Film Festival — With support of the Embassy of Belgium in Ireland — Filmmaker in attendance: Yves Hinant, Jean Libon, Anne Gruwez
The Meeting — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 1 / 15:45 / 1hr 33m DIRECTOR: Alan Gilsenan / 2017/ Ireland
The unconventional and sometimes outrageous Belgian judge Anne Gruwez – a sort of extreme Judge Judy – is the subject of this darkly funny and often graphic documentary. Made by the people behind cult satirical TV series Strip Tease, it follows her on the job as she takes on violent murders and other high-profile cases. She also reexamines the unsolved murders of two prostitutes years before. Gruwez, with her no-nonsense approach to criminals and her wicked, devious sense of humour, remains a fascinating subject throughout. — A fly on the wall PORTRAIT OF Belgian judge and a rare insight into a secret world. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Following widespread acclaim for his film Meetings With Ivor, Alan Gilsenan returns with a powerful feature based on real-life events. During an emotional and highly charged encounter, a young rape victim seeks answers to questions which have haunted her since her attack. The woman is determined the experience will not deny her the right to personal freedoms as she endeavours to find some form of closure. It’s based upon a real-life encounter between a rape victim and her attacker upon his prison release. — Profilic Irish filmmaker Alan Gilsenan is one of our most provocative and challenging film artists – with his new film The Meeting he deftly avoids typecasting and genres and creates something entirely new. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Saturday / Mar 03
/ PAGE 65
Sea Sorrow — Special Presentation
Iconic actress and political activist Vanessa Redgrave makes her directorial debut in this impassioned film that blends documentary with drama in its telling of the current global refugee crisis. As thousands of people from troubled or war-ravaged nations continue to die or become displaced as they seek refuge, Redgrave’s film examines the crisis from the perspectives of campaigners, aid workers and of course the refugees themselves. She also draws on memories of WWII and visits a massive camp in Calais in the film, which cleverly uses news and archive footage.
The project is clearly a personal one for Redgrave and at times she speaks directly to her audience, holding up a poster which was designed by her granddaughter. The film features dramatisations from Redgrave and some well-known actors, including Ralph Fiennes and Emma Thompson, who deliver moving contributions.
— Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Cineworld 17 / 16:00 / 1hr 14m Director: Vanessa Redgrave / 2017 / UK Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Emma Thompson Winner/Mentions: Appeared at Cannes Film Festival 2017 (Vanessa Redgrave nominated for Golden Camera and Golden Eye awards)
— Vanessa Redgrave’s intensely moving essay is both heartfelt and sincere and a powerful polictical statement. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
It’s a fiery and passionate call for governments and leaders to come to the aid of child refugees seeking a safer and better life in Europe. — Filmmaker in Attendance: Vanessa Redgrave and Carlo Nero
Special Events ///
Info: Sun 4th Mar / The Gate / 12.00 / 1 hr Tickets: €15 / Book online at DIFF.ie
/ PAGE 67
Vanessa Redgrave Volta Presentation The Volta Award is the festival’s most prestigious award which is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of film.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY A Man for All Seasons (1966) Blow-Up (1966) Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) Camelot (1967) Isadora (1968) The Devils (1971) Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Julia (1977) The Bostonians (1984) Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Howards End (1992) A Month by the Lake (1995) Mrs. Dalloway (1997) Girl, Interrupted (1999) The Gathering Storm (2002) Atonement (2007) Foxcatcher (2014) The Secret Scripture (2016)
During an unparalleled career, Vanessa has starred in more than 35 productions in London’s West End and on Broadway including Much Ado About Nothing (Old Vic), The Revisionist (Cherry Lane Theatre, New York), Driving Miss Daisy (Wyndham’s Theatre) and Long Day’s Journey into Night (Plymouth Theatre, Broadway). Rising to prominence in 1961 playing the role of Rosalind in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of As You Like It, Redgrave has gone on to win every major acting award including an Olivier for The Aspern Papers and an Academy Award for Julia. In 2010, Vanessa was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship Award. Most recently she has played Queen Margaret in Almeida Theatre’s acclaimed production of Richard III. She has also recently appeared in the feature films Foxcatcher and The Secret Scripture.
Previous winners of Audi Dublin International Film Festival’s Volta Award include Al Pacino, Julie Andrews, Danny DeVito, Daniel DayLewis, Joss Whedon, Brendan Gleeson, Angela Lansbury, Stanley Tucci, Stellan Skarsgård, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ennio Morricone. The Volta Awards are named after Ireland’s first dedicated cinema, the Volta Picture Theatre on Mary Street in Dublin, which was opened on the 20th December 1909 by an enterprising young novelist named James Joyce.
Saturday / Mar 03
How to Talk to Girls at Parties — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 3 / 16:00 / 1hr 42m Director: John Cameron Mitchell / 2017 / USA Writer: Philippa Goslett, John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Stephen Campbell Moore — Filmmaker in Attendance
Sicilian Ghost Story — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Cineworld 9 / 18:10 / 2hr 2m DirectorS: Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza / 2017 / Italy Writers: Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza Cast: Julia Jedlikowska, Gaetano Fernandez, Corinne Musallari — With the support of the Italian Institute of Culture
A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 1 / 18:15 / 1hr 24m Director: Sinead O’Shea / 2017 / Ireland Winner/Mentions: Official Selection at BFI London Film Festival 2017 — Filmmaker in Attendance: Sinead O’Shea
How would you explain the 1970s London punk scene to a visiting alien? That’s the premise put forward by John Cameron Mitchell in his colourful blend of sci-fi, comedy and romance. Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s short story, we are in Croydon in 1977, just before The Sex Pistols crash the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. The action centres on the relationship between a young punk rocker and a mysterious alien visitor, who wants to learn more about this unique music and the human art of seduction. — Director John Cameron Mitchell brings his anarchic sensibility to Neil Gaiman’s short story – while Sandy Powell’s fantastic costumes have to be seen to be believed. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Italian directors Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia follow up their widely admired Salvo with this cutting-edge crime drama based on true events. The film dramatises the shocking and gruesome abduction of the young son of a mafia informant. Guiseppe Di Matteo was just 12 when he was taken captive in 1993 in a bid to silence his father, on the verge of turning informer. The film adds another dimension to the story in the form of a fictional character, Luna, Guiseppe’s classmate and friend. — Italian filmmaking at its best – Imagine Stranger Things meets I’m not Scared. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Director Sinead O’Shea spent five years bringing this documentary about paramilitary activity at a time of peace in Northern Ireland to the big screen. As the film’s extraordinary title suggests, it centres on a shocking real-life case in a Republican stronghold in Northern Ireland where a Derry mother co-operates with the intervention of dissident Republicans in controlling her teenage son, who has a serious drugs problem. The story that emerges is a fascinating and timely exploration of a postconflict community. — By turns, shocking and sad – Sinead O’Shea’s fascinating portrait of a DERRY family at war with the world and each other. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Journeyman — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 2 / 18:30 / 1hr 32m Director: Paddy Considine / 2017 / UK Writer: Paddy Considine Cast: Paddy Considine, Jodie Whittaker, Paul Popplewell Winner/Mentions: British Independent Film Awards 2017 Nomination (Best Actor – Paddy Considine) — Filmmaker in Attendance
The Delinquent Season — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 1hr 43m Director: Mark O’Rowe / 2017 / Ireland Writer: Mark O’Rowe Cast: Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott, Catherine Walker, Eva Birthistle, Nathan O’Toole — Filmmaker in Attendance
A Prayer Before Dawn — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Cineworld 9 / 20:45 / 1hr 56m DIRECTOR: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire / 2017 / France Writers: Jonathan Hirschbein (screenplay), Nick Saltrese (screenwriter) Cast: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Panya Yimmumphai — Filmmaker in Attendance
Saturday / Mar 03 Paddy Considine follows Tyrannosaur with his second feature as writer/director, a raw, powerful drama about a boxer forced to confront a terrifying new reality. Considine plays middleweight boxing champ Matty Burton, a man anxious to make as much as he can from his skills as he approaches retirement. Following a big fight against a formidable and controversial opponent, Matty suffers a delayed, devastating reaction, and faces a fight quite unlike any other in his life. Considine, a life-long boxing fan, delivers an unforgettable performance. — Paddy Considine’s second feature is a heartfelt and sombre character study, a personal project for life-long boxing fan with superb support from Jodie Whitaker. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Mark O’Rowe (Intermission, Boy A) makes his directorial feature debut starring a stellar Irish cast. The movie is a character-driven drama which revolves around two couples who live in suburban Dublin. On the face of it, Jim and Danielle and Yvonne and Chris enjoy stable, happy marriages. But the cracks in their unions begin to appear when one of the couples has an altercation. It’s a tale of love and human nature that asks: how well can we ever really know each other? — Mark O’Rowe’s much anticipated debut feature is A beautifully acted chamber piece about FOUR adults TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Based on an extraordinary true story, JeanStéphane Sauvaire’s gritty, immersive thriller documents the experiences of a boxer, Billy Moore, whose hope of redemption is to literally fight his way out of prison. Jailed in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons, he finds that taking part in Muay Thai combat tournaments may help him find a way out of prison life. The fact that the film was shot in a former Thai prison, with the cast including many former inmates, gives the movie a sense of urgency and authenticity. — Joe Cole is mesmerising as the English boxer Billy Moore fighting to survive a Thai prison. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 69
Sunday / Mar 04
Highlights /// Edie Light House 3 / 12:00 The Italian Straw Hat (The Horse Ate The Hat) Light House 1 / 14:00 A Gentle Creature Light House 1 / 16:15 C’est La Vie Cineworld 17 / 20:00
Sunday Mar 04 Edie — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House 3 / 12:00 / 1hr 42m Director: Simon Hunter / 2017 / UK Writer: Simon Hunter (based on an idea by), Edward Lynden-Bell (story by) Cast: Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie, Paul Brannigan Winner/Mentions: Official Selection at the 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Simon Hunter’s moving drama tells the story of Edith Moore, a woman struggling with life in the months following the death of her husband. A gruff woman in her eighties, Edie’s already testy relationship with her daughter deteriorates as she prepares to move her mother into a retirement home. Redemption may come in a trip she has waited a lifetime for – a climbing holiday in the Scottish Highlands which Edie has always wanted to complete. Feeling she has nothing to lose, she takes to the mountains alone. — SHEILA HANCOCK SHINES AS THE TITLE CHARACTER – A CANTANKEROUS CLIMBER. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Racer and The Jailbird — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Cineworld 9 / 13:30 / 2hr 10m DIRECTOR: Michael R. Roskam / 2017 / Belgium Writers: Thomas Bidegain, Noé Debré Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Eric De Staercke — With support of the Embassy of Belgium in Ireland
Filmmaker Michael R. Roskam – nominated for an Oscar for Bullhead – reteams with that film’s leading man, Matthias Schoenaerts, for a love story set in the glamorous world of motor racing. He is Gigi, a violent bank robber who falls for the charms of female racing driver Bibi, who has no idea that the new man in her life is a criminal. Roskam’s intense, character-driven drama, which unfolds in three parts, is a gritty tale of an unlikely romance with charismatic lead performances. — THIS DELICIOUS STAR-CROSSED LOVERS ROMANCE SWITCHES TRACK INTO AN UNEXPECTED DIRECTION. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
My Friend Dahmer — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Cineworld 9 / 16:10 / 1hr 47m DIRECTOR: Marc Meyers / 2017 / USA Writers: Marc Meyers, Derf Backderf (based on the book My Friend Dahmer) Cast: Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche Winner/Mentions: Won Best Picture at the 2017 Austin Fantastic Fest
A Gentle Creature — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House 1 / 16:15 / 2hr 23m Director: Sergei Loznitsa / 2017 / France Writer: Sergei Loznitsa Cast: Vasilina Makovtseva Winner/Mentions: Munich Film Festival 2017, Cannes Film Festival 2017, Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2017 (Nominated for Best Film)
Under The Tree — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House 1 / 19:00 / 1hr 29m Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson Writer: Huldar Breiðfjörð, Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson Cast: Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson Winner/Mentions: Won Best Film at the 2017 Denver International Film Festival
Sunday / Mar 04 Writer/Director Marc Meyers approaches the story of one of America’s most notorious serial killers from a unique perspective. Jeffrey Dahmer raped and murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, with cannibalism a feature of some of his killings. Meyers’ film explores the story before the story – that of the awkward, teenage Dahmer struggling to make it through school and his troubled family life. His bad behaviour in the classroom earns him a following of peers, as his conduct continues towards an eerie decline. — Eerie, chilling and desperately sad – fans of Manhunt Unabomber will recognise echoes in the study of Dahmer’s high school years. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Loosely inspired by a short story from Dostoyevsky, Sergei Loznitsa’s harrowing crime thriller centres on a woman who aims to discover why a parcel she sent to her husband, a prisoner, has been returned. Puzzled and confused, and with nobody willing to offer assistance, she travels to the town in which he is jailed, all the while stymied by bureaucracy and officialdom. Her nightmarish scenario, populated by prison guards and nasty criminals, represents a cry for a more just and empathetic society. — A widow journeys into the heart of darkness in Sergei Loznitsa’’s bleak but beautiful masterpice. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
An unfortunate disagreement between nextdoor neighbours goes violently out of control in Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s dark and wry drama. The movie simmers ostensibly around a long-running spat between two neighbours in the suburbs in Reykjavik, where one has a large tree that casts a shadow on the other’s home. But we learn there are stories behind the feud and conflicts within the characters. A uniformly excellent cast perfectly tread the line between comedy and drama, making the most of a noteperfect script. — Rival neighbours’ petty issues escalate in this pitch perfect Icelandic black comedy. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
/ PAGE 71
Sunday / Mar 04
/ PAGE 73
The Just Eat Surprise Film — Special Presentation
— Just Eat, Official Food Ordering App —
The Story Behind the Surprise Film In 1985, the late Michael Dwyer launched the first Dublin Film Festival. Only after the programme went to press did he realise they were one film short. Michael turned this mishap into one of the most beloved slots in the festival – the Surprise Film. In the 33 years since, the Surprise Film, sponsored by Just Eat, has gained a massive following and is shown amid great speculation. No one – not even the projectionist – knows, until the first few frames appear on screen, its true identity.
— Info: Sun 4th Mar / Odeon Point x3 Screens / 17:00 Director: Redacted Writer: Redacted
— 2017 Get Out 2016 Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot 2015 Good Kill 2014 Muppets Most Wanted 2013 Welcome to the Punch 2012 This must be the Place, El Casa de Mi Padre 2011 Cedar Rapids 2010 Greenberg 2009 Hamlet 2 2008 The Escapist 2007 300 2006 The Jacket 2005 The Squid & The Whale 2004 Starsky & Hutch 2003 Buffalo Soldiers
— All I have to do is find a Surprise Film to follow 2017’s Surprise Film ‘Get Out’ – so no pressure. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
Sunday / Mar 04
French Focus —
ADIFF is delighted to introduce a wonderful selection of French titles this year, presented in partnership with the French Embassy in Ireland.
/ PAGE 75
C’est La Vie — Closing Gala
—
— Custody (Xavier Legrand, 2017) Wed 28th Feb / Light House The Guardians (Xavier Beauvois, 2017) Sat 24th Feb / Cineworld The Apparition / L’Apparition (Xavier Giannoli, 2017) Thur 1st Mar / Cineworld Revenge (Coralie Fargeat, 2017) Fri 23rd Feb / Light House Catch the Wind (Gael Morel, 2017) Thur 1st Mar / Light House The Workshop (Laurent Cantet, 2017) Sun 25th Feb / Light House
Six years ago, director/writing duo Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano saw their comedy/ drama The Untouchables become a French domestic smash hit and an international success. The funny, irreverent and charming story of friendship and trust struck a chord with audiences, making it one of France’s biggest ever box-office hits and drawing a wide international audience.
They return with C’est La Vie, bringing more merriment and an ensemble cast. A cranky French caterer and planner must create a perfect wedding day for his demanding clients – but to do so he must work with some of the most inept staff any venue has ever had the misfortune of hiring, and keep the egotistical wedding singer on side. Working his final wedding event, Max just wants to get through the evening without any hitches, but what emerges is a cleverly plotted and assembled comedy of errors. It’s a boisterous romp of a film, set in a beautiful 17th century French chateau, that is the ultimate in escapist cinema.
— Info: Sun 4th Mar / Cineworld 17 / 20:00 / 1hr 57m Director: Olivier Nakache / 2017 / France WriterS: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano Cast: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gilles Lellouche Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best European Film at the 2018 Goya Awards — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland
— A broad French comedy directed WITH deft wit and humour, beautifully acted by the entire cast – a film which will send you out of the cinema with a smile on your face. – Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director
The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales (Benjamin Renner & Patrick Imbert, 2017) Sun 4th Mar / Light House The Italian Straw Hat (Rene Clair, 1928) with special musical accompaniment Sun 4th Mar / Light House C’est La Vie (Eric Toledano & Olivier Nakache, 2017) Sun 4th Mar / Light House French Producers Summit Thurs 1st Mar
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Special Events ///
Cedric Gibbons Exhibition
/ PAGE 77
Celebrating Irish Talent Exhibition
Info: Powerscourt Town Centre / See DIFF.ie for more information — After the resounding success that was Hugh O’Conor’s first solo exhibition of black and white portraits featuring Irish talent in 2017, the Audi Dublin International Film Festival is delighted to continue this creative strand for a second year. Returning to Powerscourt Town Centre, you are invited to and appreciate a new series of wonderful portraits featuring new and well known faces from Irish film as featured in the 2018 ADIFF programme. Shooting 35mm on his Hasselblad, Hugh’s approach utilising only natural light, yields stunning results. We would eagerly encourage you to pay this exhibition a visit www.hughoconor.com
Info: Fri 2nd Mar / NCAD Gallery
NCAD Exhibition
—
Dublin-born Cedric Gibbons was the most successful art director in the history of cinema. His team at MGM shaped the sets, props and costumes for more than a thousand films, contributing greatly to the studio’s reputation as Hollywood’s number one ‘dream factory.’ He conceived the colossal sets of Ben-Hur (1925); the technicolour realm of The Wizard of Oz (1939); and Van Gogh’s world in Lust for Life (1956). Gibbons’ enthusiasm for abstract art and art deco interiors probably did more to promote modernist design than any architect or designer of the era. He won eleven Oscars for his art direction, receiving the famous statuette that he himself had designed. Gibbons’ life and work will be marked by the Audi Dublin International Film Festival with screenings in various venues; and a foyer exhibition and one-day conference on the role of design in the cinema (Friday 2nd March) at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. More details to follow on diff.ie. — The Cedric Gibbons retrospective includes: The Big Parade, Mon 26th Feb / IFI 1/ 13.30 (page 41) Dinner at Eight, Tues 27th Feb / IFI 1/ 13.30 (page 46) Grand Hotel, Wed 28th Feb / IFI 1/ 13.30 (page 50) An American in Paris, Fri 1st Mar / IFI 1/ 13.30 (page 60)
Info: 21st Feb – 4th Mar / Light House — To celebrate our move to The Digital Hub in Dublin 8, we have collaborated with a number of local institutions including the National College of Art & Design’s Second Year Graphic Design and Illustration students, who have interpreted a number of Festival films. You’ll find their original designs dotted throughout the festival in this celebration of new film and new talent. — Thirst Street poster by: James O’Connor
Special Events ///
Judicial Review: Law on Film
Info: Sat 3rd Mar / 12.00 Tickets: €5 / Book online at DIFF.ie —
From heated jury debates such as the one in 12 Angry Men to courtroom dramas like The Good Wife, we love to watch plaintiffs and defendants battling it out on screen. As part of this year’s Law on Film strand, we are bringing together some of ADIFF 2018’s filmmakers and their subjects, with some of Ireland’s legal top professionals and academics to interrogate the fact and the fiction behind the scenes. Retired Senior Counsel John McBratney will chair this discussion.
Catalyst Case Study — Kissing Candice
Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Bow St Academy / 14.00 Tickets: €9 / Book online at DIFF.ie —
A case study will be presented by the producers of Kissing Candice who will reveal their journey from initial pitch to the Bord Scannán na hEireann/ the Irish Film Board as part of the Catalyst Scheme, to their premieres at TIFF and ADIFF. The panel will be made up of the filmmakers and heads of department involved, revealing all the triumphs and challenges of creating your first feature film.
ADIFF on Tour with access>CINEMA
Writers Masterclass – Laurence Coriat
In association with access>CINEMA and with the support of the Arts Council, we are delighted to announce 5 additional screenings of The Divine Order, directed by Petra Volpe, in venues outside of Dublin during the festival dates. The film will also be preceded by short film Newport Gun Girls, directed by Lauren Orme.
Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Brooks Hotel Cinema / 14.00 Tickets: €12 / Book online at DIFF.ie
Sat 24th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 16:30 / 1hr 36m Mon 26th Feb / Pavilion Theatre / 20:00 Tue 27th Feb / Droichead Arts Centre / 20:00 Thur 1st Mar / Sligo Film Society @The Model / 20:00 Fri 2nd Mar / Riverbank Arts Centre / 20:00 Sat 3rd Mar / Solstice Arts Centre / 20:00 — Tickets : Booking via venue websites: paviliontheatre.ie / droichead.com / riverbank.ie / themodel.ie / solsticeartscentre.ie
—
As part of ADIFF’s focus on screenwriters, we look at world cinema with a focus on Laurence Coriat’s career including her work on Wonderland, Me Without You, Genova, and McMafia in this masterclass hosted by Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did).
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Special Events ///
Audience Panel
Careers Day
Info: See DIFF.ie for more info
Info: Thur 1st Mar / IFI / 10:00 Tickets: €5 / Book online at DIFF.ie
/ PAGE 79
—
Growing audiences for Irish films and a wider range of international cinema throughout Ireland across cinemas, arts centre and film societies is a key priority for the Arts Council and a strategic objective for audience activities of Dublin International Film Festival and other Irish film festivals. Featuring Ben Luxford, Head of UK Audiences at the British Film Institute, whose experience in finding new ways to attract audiences to a wide variety of films coupled with his industry expertise in key roles in Optimum Releasing, Curzon/ Artificial Eye and his knowledge of the Irish exhibition landscape make him the perfect speaker for this inaugural Audience event as part of this years festival.
—
Film Festivals Programmers Speed Dating & Networking Session
Dublin Film Critics’ Circle Awards
This one day event aimed at Senior Year Secondary Level students will unpack some the many different film and television departments and skills required. There will be insights from sparks and foley artists, script supervisors and VFX supervisors, and will feature some of the Irish film industry’s most talented artists including Darragh O’Connell (Brown Bag Films), Louise Kiely (Casting Agent), Piers McGrail (Cinematographer), Steven Fanagan (Sound Editor & Composer). — The Career’s Day is a joint initiative from Audi Dublin International Film Festival, the Irish Film Institute, Irish Film Board and Broadcasting Authority Ireland.
Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House / 15.30 Tickets: Free Event / Book online at DIFF.IE Presented with the support of Limelight Communications Info: Sat 24th Feb / Light House Bar / 12.00 Tickets: Free Event / Book online at DIFF.ie/email info@diff.ie etc —
This speed-dating session for filmmakers to meet and pitch their work to with festival directors and film distributors in one evening and to mingle with others. The event will give you the opportunity to get feedback and advice on your films from top Irish and International guests including Mark Adams (Director, EIFF), Ania Trzebiatowska (AUTLOOK Films) and more to be announced.
—
Ireland’s professional film critics will announce their awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Irish Film, Best Documentary and Best Performances from ADIFF’s 2018 line-up. This year’s jury is comprised of Brogen Hayes (movies.ie), Cara O’ Doherty (Evening Echo), Chris Wasser (Herald), Daniel Anderson, David Turpin (No More Workhorse), Donald Clarke (Irish Times), Gavin Burke (entertainment.ie), John Maguire (Sunday Business Post), Nicola Timmins (Average Film Reviews), Paul Whitington (Irish Independent), and Tara Brady (Irish Times).
Festival Guide ///
Guide To help you make the most of the festival fare, follow these useful tips Please arrive at the cinema on time. All seating is unreserved and allocated on a first come, first served basis. Q&As: Each year we invite filmmakers from around the world to meet and talk to our audiences. This year we’ve made it even easier to find everything you need to know about our guests. Check www.diff.ie and our Social Media outlets for information and daily updates on the Q&As taking place each day. Keep us in the loop: Grab your phone and tell us about your festival experience. Share your photos, comments and reviews with everyone. You can connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo, as well as sharing content from diff.ie. Explore the city: Make your way around the city by Dublin Bus, DART, LUAS, hop on a Dublin Bike or grab a Hailo cab. Sink your teeth into the FESTIVAL FEAST menu on the next page for special festival deals and offers for all ticket holders. Chat to us: If you are looking for film or event recommendations, talk to our Box Office staff who are on hand to help you explore the programme and send you on a cinematic adventure. Or you can talk to any of the wonderful volunteers and staff stationed at every venue and they’ll be glad to answer all your questions. Feel free to ask for directions, chat about the weather, or share your festival opinions and suggestions. Buying tickets: Now you can print your own tickets or better still, bring your smartphone along and we’ll scan the barcode directly off the screen, minimizing your carbon footprint. You can buy tickets online at www.diff.ie (available on desktop / mobile / tablet) up until the very last minute before screening (although we do advise to book early as capacities are limited!) You can also book by calling 01 687 7974 or by dropping into any of our ticket offices.
/ PAGE 81
Audi Dublin International Film Festival is here for its 16th year, once again offering a feast of film for all appetites. Festival Venues Festival House 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Cineworld Parnell Street Light House Cinema Smithfield Irish Film Institute Eustace Street
The Ark Eustace Street Movies@Dundrum Dundrum Town Centre Omniplex Rathmines Lower Rathmines Road Pavilion Theatre Dún Laoghaire
How To Interact Twitter & Instagram: @dublinfilmfest HASHTAGS # All Festival News: #ADIFF18 / Fantastic Flix strand: #ADIFFflix / Official Selection: #ADIFFjourney / Red Carpets: #redcarpetsdublin — We’ll keep an eye out for the hashtags and share your posts to a wide audience.
Powerscourt Centre South William Street (Exhibition) O’Reilly Theatre Belvedere College Odeon Point Square
ADIFF Team & ADIFF Feasts ///
Volunteers
The ADIFF Volunteers Programme is an exciting means to become an integral part of Ireland’s premier cinematic event this coming February. Every year, the diverse range of characters we recruit both amazes and excites me. From all ages and nationalities, the volunteers generously contribute to staffing the various departments and venues for the run of the festival. Where ever they are needed, they are there with an enthusiasm, warmth and dedication that make me proud to know them. From everyone here on the festival team, thank you to all the wonderful people who volunteer their time, and help make the festival what it is. Your smiles and personalities are what the audience remembers and takes with them, long after the festival has ended. John McHale Volunteers Co-ordinator
Festival Bar Ideally situated on the corner of Parnell St and Capel St, The Black Sheep is the perfect setting for the 2018 Audi Dublin International Film Festival Bar. With ADIFF presenting such an exciting and diverse programme of films, what could be better than sitting down over a drink to discuss, debate and recall the highs and lows, ups and downs of a day spent in the cinema. For those needing a break from a steady popcorn diet, The Black Sheep offers an excellent menu for both lunch and dinner, with discounts available to Festival ticket holders. We cannot wait to welcome you and raise a glass to another wonderful edition of the Audi Dublin International Film Festival.
Board + Festival Team BOARD OF DIRECTORS — Sue Bruce-Smith Anne-Marie Curran Aidan Greene Jonathan Kelly Hugh Linehan David McLoughlin Suzanne Noble Mark O’Halloran Gaby Smyth – Chairperson
FESTIVAL TEAM — Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys Managing Director Sarah Sharkey Projects Manager, Fantastic Flix & Shorts Programmer Sarah Ahern Production Manager, Shorts Programmer Liam Ryan Administrator Adam Wright Accounts Officer Kay Fitzsimons Box Office Manager Naoimh Ni Mhaolagáin Assistant Box Office Manager Andrew Hanley Assistant to Programming Kat Ennis Marketing Consultant Tom Lawlor Marketing Manager Louise Healy Marketing Assistant Maeve O’Brien Marketing Assistant Hugh Cannon Marketing Assistant Weronika Urban Hospitality Manager Paul Donnelly Hospitality Co-ordinator Trish Ryan Publicity Manager Patrick Stewart Publicity Assistant Kim Acheson Print Transport Manager Si Edwards Volunteers Co-ordinator John McHale Assistant Volunteers Co-ordinator Eileen Stevenson Festival Graphic Designer Sarah Moloney DIFF TV by Cashmere Media: Tony Callally Conor Maloney Graham Halpin Brian Murphy Festival Agencies: Livewire – a Core Media company Cake – a Havas agency freuds
ADIFF Festival Feasts During a break from enjoying the world’s best films, why not indulge in a festival feast at some of Dublin’s best restaurants, cafes and bars? Present your ticket stub/film pass to avail of these special deals. — Sparks Bistro // 10% off full bill Sparks Bistro, Smithfield Square, Dublin 7 Jo’Burger // 15% off full bill Jo’Burger Smithfield, Smithfield Village, D7 Morrison Hotel // A complimentary glass of house red/white/prosecco or pint Heineken with any 2 courses order when guest show their ticket stubs Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 Brother Hubbard // Special three-course Middle East Feast menu for the price of two-courses. Enjoy a dessert (in house or take away) for a discounted price of €25.95 Klaw Poké // 159 Capel St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 FK50 Seafood and Shellfish Set Menu Oyster Starter and Main Course for €18.00 Klaw The Seafood Café // Unit 11, Sprangers Yard, Fownes Street Upper Seafood and Shellfish Set Menu Oyster Starter and Main Course for €18.00
Index ///
g
a A Gentle Creature A Mother Brings her Son to be Shot A Prayer Before Dawn ADIFF Shorts 1 ADIFF Shorts 2 ADIFF Shorts 3 ADIFF Shorts 4 An American in Paris An Autumn Afternoon Ana, mon Amour Apparition / L’apparition At Eye Level*
71 68 69 29 35 43 53 60 26 57 59 88
b Beast 24 Behind the Door 36 Big Bad Fox and Other Tales, The 89 Big Parade, The 41 Black 47 15 Bookshop, The 33 Breadwinner, The 21
C’est La Vie 75 Camino Voyage, The 61 Casting 41 Catch the Wind 56 Ciambra, The 31 Cloudboy 87 Cured, The 39 Custody 51
d 60 26 20 69 46 27 57
e Edie
70
Paradox 19 Performance 22 Phantom Islands 47 Pickpocket 24 Pre-Crime 47
61 62 68
r
h Hannah Have a Nice Day How to Talk to Girls at Parties
i I’ve Got the Blues Image You Missed, The In the Fade Isle of Dogs Israfil Italian Straw Hat, The
19 57 25 51 49 36
j Journeyman 69
Kissing Candice
62
l Lean on Pete 87 Line, The 30 Liyana 89 Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid, The 30 Lots of Kids, A Monkey, and a Castle 32
91 32 22 59
Madame 44 Mark Felt: The Man who Brought down the White House 21 Marlina the Murderer in 4 Acts 38 Mary and the Witch’s Flower 89 Meeting, The 64 Muse 54 My Friend Dahmer 71 My Generation 47 My Neighbour Totoro 87
Never Steady, Never Still
25
o Other Side of Everything, The Our Time will Come
Racer and the Jailbird Red Sparrow Revenge Rider, The Rum 213
70 54 25 44 88
s Science of Ghosts, The Sea Sorrow Sicilian Ghost Story So Help Me God Somewhere Beyond the Mist Thirst Street Surprise Film Sweet Country
44 65 68 64 18 38 73 27
t That Summer 27 Third Murder, The 62 Thoroughbreds 55 Tower. A Bright Day 45 Tueurs / Above the Law 31 Twilight 50
u
m
n
f Fantastic Flix Shorts Filmworker First Reformed Foxtrot
49 50 30
k
c
Damo & Ivor Dawson City: Frozen Time Death of the President Delinquent Season, The Dinner at Eight Divine Order, The Disobedience
Good Favour Grand Hotel Guardians, The
p
61 18
Under The Tree
71
v Vampirina 88
w What Will People Say 33 While you Live, Shine 51 White Girl, The 19 Wonderful Losers: A Different World 33 Wonderstruck 56 Workshop, The 38 Write When You Get Work 31
y Yasuni Man You Were Never Really Here
20 45
z Zama
54
Proudly supported by Cheestrings
Lean on Pete — Fantastic Flix Opening Film
— Info: Wed 28th Feb / Cineworld 9 / 18:15 / 2hr 3m / Director: Andrew Haigh / 2017 / UK, France Writer: Andrew Haigh, Willy Vlautin (novel) Cast: Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny Winner/Mentions: Venice Film Festival 2017, Marcello Mastroianni Award Best Young Actor Charlie Plummer Age recommendation: 15+
My Neighbour Totoro — Info: Thur 22nd Feb / Light House 1 / 11:00 / 1hr 26m / Cert: General Director: Hayao Miyazaki / 1988 / Japan Writer: Hayao Miyazaki Cast: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto Age recommendation: 5+ — Introduction by Nora Twomey
Cloudboy — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Omniplex Rathmines / 10:00 / 2hr / Cert: PG Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 3 / 11:30 / 1hr 53m / Cert: PG Director: Meikeminne Clinckspoor / 2017 / Belgium Writer: Meikeminne Clinckspoor Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Film at TIFF Kids International Film Festival 2017 Age recommendation: 9+ — With support of the Embassy of Belgium in Ireland — Filmmaker in attendance: Meikeminne Clinckspoor
Fantastic Flix /// Charlie Plummer delivers an astonishing breakthrough performance in this rousing, heartfelt drama from Andrew Haigh (45 Years). The young actor plays a teenager with no family stability in his life, who finds a home, of sorts, in the form of a stables where he takes a summer job. There, he forms a deep bond with Lean on Pete, a oncegreat racehorse who has been run into the ground. It’s a melancholy, moving but never manipulative film – and you’ll be rooting for its down-on-their-luck protagonists. — Andrew Haigh’s adaptation of this Willy Vlautin novel pulls at the heart strings, with an outstanding central performance from Charlie Plummer as the downtrodden outsider. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
Selected by top Irish animator Nora Twomey as an inspirational film, Studio Ghibli’s enchanting classic comes to ADIFF as a 30th-anniversary screening. Richly detailed with a story that builds delightfully, Hayao Miyazaki’s film is told through two young girls who, as their mother lies sick in hospital, discover their new home is near a magical, remote forest. On exploring this special place, they find it’s populated by mystical creatures called Totoros, and befriend their leader. It’s a charming testament to the power of childhood imagination. — Nora Twomey selects Studio Ghibli’s beloved classic for this 30th Anniversary screening. Nothing short of perfect. All aboard the Catbus! – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
A city boy gets to explore country life in this charming, live-action movie set in Swedish Lapland. That’s where a young boy, Niilas, is sent against his will when he goes north to spend time with his mother. There, he struggles to engage with anyone other than his new sister, Sunna, until he discovers a nearby woodlands and embraces his new environment. Energised and revitalised by these unique surroundings, Niilas, to his and others’ surprise, begins to leave behind city life and immerses himself in nature. — First Screening: preceded by short film Footsteps. Second Screening: preceded by short film Earthy Enounters
— City life versus the beauty of nature seen through the eyes of a young boy facing a new reality. Stunning scenery and a sparkling debut. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
/ PAGE 87
Fantastic Flix ///
At Eye Level — Info: Thur 1st Mar / Movies@Dundrum / 13:00 / 1hr 55m / Cert: 12A Director: Joachim Dollhopf, Evi Goldbrunner / 2016 / German (Subtitled) Writer: Evi Goldbrunner (screenplay), Joachim Dollhopf (screenplay) POST SCREENING TALK: Dan Colley (Director, Collapsing Horse Theatre Company) Age recommendation: 12+ — Presented in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Irland
Vampirina — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Light House 3 / 10:00 / 44mins / Age recommendation 4+ Director: Ehud Landsberg, Marten Jonmark, Nicky Phelan, Norton Virgien Writer: Chelsea Beyl, Travis Braun, Jeffrey King, Chris Nee (creator) Cast: James Van Der Beek, Isabella Crovetti, Wanda Sykes, Mitchell Whitfield Filmmaker in attendance
Rum 213 — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Omniplex Rathmines / 11:00 / 1hr 36m / Cert: 12A Director: Emelie Lindblom / 2017 / Sweden (Subtitled) Writer: Ingelin Angerborn (Novel), Martin Jern, Emil Larsson Cast: Wilma Lundgren, Arman Fanni, Lisette Pagler, Anki Lidén Winner/Mentions: Nominated for Best Children’s Film at Cinekid 2017 Age recommendation: 12+ — Filmmaker in Attendance: Wilma Lundgren
Similarities and differences are examined and celebrated in this story of an unconventional father/son relationship. Michael, an adolescent struggling with daily life in a children’s home, decides to seek out his father in the hope of forging a meaningful relationship. But when it emerges that dad Tom, overjoyed at the prospect of fatherhood, is of small stature and a comparable height to his son, Michael must examine his idealistic concept of role models and manliness, while Tom endeavours to embrace their differences. — Screening preceded by short film Mrs. McCutcheon. — A hugely heartwarming coming-of-age film that celebrates differences and challenges you to look inward. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
Vampirina, inspired by Disney Publishing’s popular children’s book series “Vampirina Ballerina” by author Anne Marie Pace and illustrator LeUyen Pham, tells the story of a young vampire girl who becomes the new kid in town when her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.The series is centered around Vampirina (Vee), as she settles into her new surroundings, including making friends and attending a new school. Excited to experience everything that the human world has to offer, Vee will learn it’s important to celebrate the differences that make everyone unique. — Vee the Vampirina will steal your heart, a cool female vampire protagonist to root for in another sparkling animation from Brown Bag Films. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
Strange things go bump in the night in Emelie Lindblom’s endearingly eerie ghost story, set around a group of young adults who experience odd goings on while at summer camp. Adapted from the award-winning novel, it’s centred around three friends sent to a disused room when their dorm is flooded. Unnerved by the move and illogical occurrences like missing possessions and supernatural moments, the girls start to suspect that rumours of a ghost haunting the camp may be true – while simultaneously becoming wary of each other. — Screening preceded by short film Trigga. — Mysteries abound in this delightfully spooky tale for teens. Definitely one for Goosebumps fans! – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
01 687 7974 / www.DIFF.ie /
Liyana — Info: Fri 2nd Mar / Movies@Dundrum / 12:30 / 1hr 32m / Cert: 12A Director: Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp / 2017 / Swaziland Cast: Gcina Mhlophe POST SCREENING TALK: Dan Colley (Director, Collapsing Horse Theatre Company) Winner/Mentions: Won Best Film and Best of Show at at BendFilm Festival 2017 Age recommendation: 12+
Mary and The Witch’s Flower — Info: Sat 3rd Mar / Light House 1 / 11:00 / 1hr 53m Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi / 2017 / Japan (Dubbed) Writer: Mary Stewart (Novel), Riko Sakaguchi (Screenplay) Cast: Hana Sugisaki, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Yûki Amami Age recommendation: 6+
The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales — Info: Sun 4th Mar / Light House 1 / 11:00 / 1hr 23m / Cert: General Director: Patrick Imbert / 2017 / France Writer: Benjamin Renner Cast: Kamel Abdessadok, Jules Bienvenu, Guillaume Bouchède Age recommendation: 6+ — With the support of the French Embassy in Ireland — Filmmaker in Attendance: Patrick Imbert
Feb 21 – Mar 04 A young girl embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her younger twin brothers in this beautifully animated, evocative tale set in Africa’s Swaziland. Part drama, part documentary, the story in this truly unique film evolves from the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland, a tiny nation with the highest HIV infection rate in the world. Filmmakers Aaron and Amanda Kopp allow the children’s complex stories and accounts to breathe, building into a tale of a resilient heroine whose courage and challenges are not unlike their own. — Screening preceded by short film Possum. — The astonishing spirit of these bright children is captured in this documentary, featuring a compelling narrative animation infused with the stories of their lives. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
Award-winning director Hiromasa Yonebayashi – whose former work for Studio Ghibli included the beloved Arrietty and When Marnie Was Here – continues his fine form with the recently formed Studio Ponoc. The charming story centres around an awkward girl who is given a place in a secretive school for witches, reminiscent of Hogwarts. The story is based on the much-loved 1971 novel The Little Broomstick, penned by British novelist Mary Stewart. Mary, a girl who struggles to soar, is a heroine to root for. — The completely charming Mary takes us by the hand and sweeps us into a world oozing with magic and adventure. Yonebayashi’s animation shines. – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
Energetic animation and great humour and sight gags loom large in this film from attending director Patrick Imbert and Oscar-nominee Benjamin Renner, sourced from his own graphic novel. There’s a spirit of the classic ‘Looney Tunes’ style in the zany sense of fun in this movie, a three-part story in which characters we think we know as ‘types’ are anything but. The action, peppered with little wisdoms, is set around such vibrant characters as a cute but clumsy rabbit, a wacky duck and a well-meaning pig. — Prepare to be tickled! A pig who acts like a stork, a fox that dresses as a chicken and a duck pretending to be Santa. Need we say more? – Sarah Ahern, Fantastic Flix Programmer
/ PAGE 89
Fantastic Flix Shorts ///
/ PAGE 91
Our international programme of Fantastic Flix shorts for ages 4 plus! More titles to be announced soon!
INFO: Sat 3rd Mar / Omniplex Rathmines 7/Light House 3 / 11:00 / 58 mins Directors: Various
Dreamweaver
Stars
Looney Foodz!
Director: Myles Conti / Australia / 11 mins Writer: Andrew Georgiou, Tam Morris, Myles Conti
Director/Writer: Han Zhang / US / 6 mins
Director/Writer: Paolo Gaudio / Italy / 3 mins
Grandpa and grandson street sellers sell stars in a town near the shore. One night, they run out of the stars...
What would happen if the food and drink that every day we put in our refrigerator could move and speak? What would be the dynamics within this big ‘condominium’ that clearly separates the foods for the top rack from those of the first?
Dark, Dark Woods
Hedgehog’s Home
Our Wonderful Nature
Director: Emile Gignoux / Den / 6 mins Writer: Mik Løvenbalch Kirchheiner, Alexandre Hatimi, Louise Emilie Hovgård
Director/Writer: Eva Cvijanovic / Canada / 10 mins
Director/Writer: Tomer Eshed / Germany / 4 mins
In a lush and lively forest lives a hedgehog. He is respected and envied by the other animals. However, Hedgehog’s devotion to his home annoys a quartet of insatiable beasts.
The feeding habits of the common chameleon as never seen before.
Wishing Box
Macarooned
Departure
Director: Wenli Zhang / US / 5 mins Writer: Wenli Zhang, Zhang Nan Li
Director/Writer: Alan Short & Seamus Malone / Ireland / 4 mins
Director: Aoife Doyle / Ireland / 9 mins Writer: Aoife Doyle, Leo Crowley
The pirate Derek and his sidekick monkey after years sailing, finally found a treasure box, and this box is a magic box can make your wishes come true.
Mac is marooned, hungry, and pines for the lush tropical island across the water – if he can only get past Feargal the Shark, who happens to be hungry too.
An Irish grandmother’s unexpected departure from her lonely life.
A young boy moves to a new neighbourhood and discovers his passion for go-karting.
Young princess Maria has had about enough of her royal life – it’s all lesson, responsibilities and duties on top of each other, every hour of every day. Overwhelmed, Maria is swept away on an adventure into the monster-filled dark, dark woods.
Fantastic Flix Events ///
Discover Graphic Design for Filmmaking
/ PAGE 92
Exhibition: Brown Bag Films Behind the Scenes
Info: Sat 17 Feb / The Ark / 11:00 & 14:30 / 2 hours / Ages 9+ Tickets: €11.50 / €8.50 (20% off for members) —
Join Annie Atkins, Graphic Designer on The Box Trolls and The Grand Budapest Hotel in a fun workshop in which you will create a passport for Dracula, just as she would for the movies! In this workshop, Annie will show you just how important graphic props are in filmmaking. Then you will then use some of Annie’s design techniques including stitching, calligraphy and rubber-stamping to create your own spooky prop to take home! —
Presented in partnership with The Ark.
Zombie Prosthetics Workshop with Julie-Ann Ryan Info: Sat 10 Feb / The Ark / 11:00—15:00 / 4 hours (including a break) / Ages 9+ Tickets: €16 / €12.80 (20% off for members)
Info: 21st Feb – 4th Mar / Light House Cinema Tickets: Free admittance —
There are so many people behind the scenes, of any animation production, who must combine their exceptional gifts in order to bring the work to life. Characters begin their lives drawn on paper and often go through hundreds of iterations, with a variety of teams, before they are approved for screen. It’s not often that the talented team of artists, designers, colourists, modellers and art directors get their work seen and appreciated by a larger audience, so it’s with great pride we are happy to showcase this work. – Darragh O’Connell, Creative Director, Brown Bag Films
—
Julie-Ann Ryan, special effects makeup artist on productions such as The Tudors, The Cured, will show you how to transform into a spooky zombie! In this workshop, Julie will show you just how she uses prosthetics to create realistic characters, just as she would have created in her recent film The Cured (ADIFF 2018) with Ellen Page. Then you can do your best zombie impression to scare your friends and family!
Fantastic Flix Children’s Jury
—
Presented in partnership with The Ark.
Lego Animation Workshops 2018 Info: 13–16 Feb / The Ark / 11:00—15:00 / 2.5 hours / Ages 8–12 Tickets: €16 / €14 (20% off for members) —
Make your own Lego movie in this practical workshop with Brick Flicks. Part of Fantastic Flix at The Ark. All you need to bring is your favourite Lego character to cast as the star of your film. With plenty of hands-on learning and simple demonstrations, you will work in small groups to create a set, storyboard and plan for your movie, which you will then film, edit, and record using iPads. —
Presented in partnership with The Ark.
Members: Katelyn McCluskey, Rose Devaney, Cuán White,
Megan Fitzmaurice, Laoise Connolly Heery, Conn Butler, Kieran McNamara, Brooke Robertson, Gracie Javanagh, Teagan Byrne, Alicia Hickey, Naomi Moonvekd-Nkosi —
A jury of 11–12 year olds will have the opportunity to watch, evaluate, and review Fantastic Flix titles from around the world. They’ll confer and then award one film Best Fantastic Flix Film of 2018. Along the way, their opinions will be featured on ADIFF channels and their names will appear in the ADIFF catalogue. This is a great opportunity for movie mad children to see some great films, share their opinions, and discover the craft of critiquing film. – Fantastic Flix Children’s Jury is in collaboration with The Ark’s Children’s Council and the Irish Film Classification Office.