Film Fleadh presents diverse programme – and all online

This year’s Galway Film Fleadh will take place from July 7-12 and it’s all online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will have ten world premieres among a programme of around 40 new features and 10 new short films from emerging and established filmmakers.

The opening film on Tuesday, July 7, is The 8th, is a documentary about how, in 2018, Ireland overturned one of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws, leading to a more liberal Irish society.

The new Irish cinema section is packed with first features, including Philip Doherty’s black comedy Redemption of a Rogue. Set in west Cavan, it’s about a prodigal son (Aaron Monaghan) who seeks salvation before saying goodbye to the world. The highly-anticipated The Winter Lake, directed by Phil Sheerin from a script by David Turpin (The Lodgers), is set around a macabre discovery and dark family secrets in the west of Ireland. Meanwhile Dave Minogue’s Poster Boys is a semi-autobiographical comedy, following the adventures of a dysfunctional adult who agrees to mind his 10-year-old nephew for a week.

Another world premiere is Here are the Young Men from actor/director Eoin Macken, adapted from Rob Doyle’s debut novel. This frenetic tale of a teenage binge that unfolds over a hot, hedonistic Dublin summer, features a multi-national cast.

Fleadh screenings also include Tom Sullivan’s debut, the Irish-language Arracht, a period drama set on the eve of the Great Famine.

There’s also a new documentary feature about the residents of Tory Island in Donegal from Loïc Jourdain (A Turning Tide in the Life of Man). It explores the divide between Tory, Dublin and Europe, and the last days of the King of Tory, Patsy Dan Rodgers.

Other documentaries include the travels and cultural exploration of renowned American folklorist Henry Glassie, chronicled in Henry Glassie: Fieldwork by director (and former Fleadh programmer) Pat Collins.

Tomorrow is Saturday explores the cultural legacy of artist Seán Hillen, as he deals with the practicalities of living with Asperger’s syndrome.

From Northern Ireland, Trevor Birney’s The Dakota Entrapment Tapes and Grace Sweeney’s The Sheriff focus on the topical issue of American law enforcement.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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