Free Public Panel Discussions at the IFI This Weekend
Following a month of new Irish film releases, the IFI and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board's partnership spotlighting Irish Cinema will culminate in a series of free events and gala screenings this weekend.
Throughout this weekend (April 26th - 28th) the IFI will play host to two special panel discussions which will reflect on the last 20 years and discuss the future of the Irish film industry.
This inaugural showcase of the Irish film industry will mark the beginning of the 20th anniversary of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board celebrations.
SATURDAY 27th APRIL, 14.00
20:20 Visions: New Directions in Irish Cinema
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Irish Film Board, a number of Irish film directors will consider the substantial body of film work that has been produced in Ireland over the past 20 years and reflect on new directions for Irish cinema today.
Dr. Díóg O'Connell (IADT/author of New Irish Storytellers: Narrative Strategies in Film) will be joined by stalwart Jim Sheridan, Kieron J. Walsh (Jump), Carmel Winters (Snap), Juanita Wilson (As If I Am Not There) and Mark O'Connor ( King of the Travellers) to talk about their films and processes and explore their sometimes conflicting perspectives on the role of Irish cinema in shaping Irish identity.
(Free but ticketed.)
SUNDAY 28th APRIL, 14.00
A National Cinema in the Global Age?
What have been the highlights of the Irish film industry over the last two decades? What films have shaped discussions about Irish cinema? What sectors of the industry has the IFB supported and developed? Should the IFB support a culture or an industry and is it possible to support one without the other?
These questions will be the basis of a panel discussion among a range of film commentators chaired by Tony Tracy, NUI Galway, which aims to acknowledge the breadth of the Irish film industry's accomplishments as well as the purpose and priorities of the IFB.
(Free but ticketed.)