In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Trevor Birney, Producer of 'Kneecap'.

When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise & Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other.

Rapping in their native Irish language, Kneecap fast become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue.

But the trio must first overcome police, paramilitaries & politicians trying to silence their defiant sound - whilst their anarchic approach to life often makes them their own worst enemies.

In this fiercely original sex, drugs and hip-hop biopic Kneecap play themselves, laying down a global rallying cry for the defense of native cultures.

In cinemas from 9th August 2024.

https://filmireland.net/

Ahead of the GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival, Gemma Creagh talks to Festival Director Greg Thorpe and Dominic Savage, Director of Close To You, starring co-writer and producer Elliot Page, which closes this year’s festival.

Close To You

Elliot Page gives a delicate but defiantly star turn in his first feature role as a trans man since coming out in 2020. Sam (Page) is facing a nerve-shredding experience familiar to many queer people – returning home to a family occasion after a period of estrangement. What begins as a gentle reunion drama soon unravels, and in his time-out from familial stresses, Sam runs into a former hometown lover, Katherine, played by the brilliant Hillary Baack.

The nostalgia of their younger days threatens to sweep them both away, but the world has changed and so have they. Close To You’s improvised script and close co-production with the actors and director Dominic Savage is a model of queer film-making that lends the piece an intimate natural realism that is such a deep pleasure to sink into.

The GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival runs 1 – 5 August 2025.

https://www.gaze.ie/

https://filmireland.net/

In this podcast in partnership with the Galway Film Fleadh, Gemma Creagh talks to filmmakers Zoe Gibney, winner of this year's Wild Atlantic Pitching Competition, Trevor Whelan, whose film The Story of Zak Moradi  screened at the festival, and Maeve McGrath, the Director of Programming.

In partnership with Screen Ireland, we are delighted to present Screen Sessions – a series of in-depth conversations on craft between emerging and established talent from the Irish Screen industries. 

In this episode, Nora Twomey and Jessica Patterson shine a light on the animation industry and paths into it, and discuss their respective careers and delve into the creative processes behind their filmmaking.

This discussion has been made possible with the support of Screen Ireland.

The next Screen Sessions podcast will be available in August and the series will culminate in a live event later this year.

Subscribe to our newsletter here and never miss another event - https://filmireland.net/newsletter/

https://filmireland.net/

Covering the importance of a sound mix as well as the unruly nature of photogenic sheep, in this podcast, Gemma Creagh chats with Cara Holmes, Director of ‘Notes from Sheepland’.

Orla Barry is a self-confessed ovine addict. She is a decade in sheep, she’s still wondering what possessed her to start but yet she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Orla lived in Brussels for 16 years and now lives and works in South East Ireland where she runs a flock of pedigree Lleyn sheep. Her work deals with the tensions of being an artist and an eco-farmer in rural Ireland. The Sheep have slowed her art career but at the same, caring for them has hugely inspired it. She escapes the studio by going to the sheep, escapes the sheep by hiding in her studio. Notes from Sheepland follows Orla, an outlier, as she floats between these worlds. It reflects upon the primal, poetic and unpredictable bond she has with the natural world.

In cinemas from 26th July 2024.

Subscribe to the Film Ireland podcast on your favourite platform here -https://linktr.ee/filmireland

https://filmireland.net/

In this podcast, in partnership with the Galway Film Fleadh, Gemma Creagh talks to Aisha Bolaji, Jackson Lennon and Paudie Baggott about their short films screening at this year's festival.

https://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/

https://filmireland.net/

This year the Country of Focus at the Galway Film Fleadh is Palestine. In this podcast in partnership with the Galway Film Fleadh, Gemma Creagh talks to Inas Halabi, Director of 'We No Longer Prefer Mountains'. which is screening at this year’s festival (9-14 July 2024).

We No Longer Prefer Mountains begins with an ascent of Mount Carmel upon which the Druze towns of Dalyet el Carmel and Isfiya are located, drawing the viewer into a world of geographic isolation and a locale shaped by coercion and control. Weaving together intimate engagements with members of the community in shared domestic spaces and outdoor environments, the film explores how the inner politics of the Druze have been reconfigured and reshaped since 1948; whilst opening up possibilities for imagining alternative futures.

We No Longer Prefer Mountains screens at Galway Film Fleadh 2024 on Wednesday 10th July.

https://filmireland.net/This year the Country of Focus at the Galway Film Fleadh is Palestine.

Delving into the complexities of the creative process, in this podcast, Gemma Creagh chats with Michael Kinirons, Writer/Director & Alicia Ní Ghráinne, Producer of 'The Sparrow' as it hits the big screen nationwide. .

Wild teen Kevin Coyle grapples with guilt over a deadly secret.  As his world unravels and consequences mount, Kevin is pushed to confront the truth in a heart-wrenching climax that will change him forever.

In cinemas from 5th July 2024.

https://filmireland.net/

In this podcast in partnership with the Galway Film Fleadh, Gemma Creagh talks to Steven McKenna, Writer & Director and Jaro Waldeck DOP of Dreamtown, which is screening at this year's festival (9-14 July 2024).

An aging rocker who never realised his dreams is forced to come to terms with his failures as he tries to start a relationship with his estranged son. A coming of age drama in the mind of a 56 year old.

Dreamtown screens at Galway Film Fleadh 2024 on Saturday 13th July at 2pm.  https://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com

Steven McKenna

Steven McKenna is an award-winning filmmaker based in Dublin, Ireland. Since graduating from college, he has been crafting his own films, earning numerous accolades at festivals nationwide. His debut feature film, Dreamtown, which he wrote, produced, and directed, will premiere at the prestigious 36th Galway Film Festival. His recent short films, Rum & Raisin and The Work Party, have won him Best Irish Short and Best Comedy awards, respectively, while his other works have garnered multiple nominations. Another short film, Lover Boy, became an online sensation, amassing over a million views. Steven's passion for film shines through in his creation of compelling, larger-than-life characters whose tragic stories resonate deeply with audiences and leave a lasting impression. An avid movie collector, he brings a rich understanding of cinema to his work. In addition to writing and directing, Steven has composed music for all his films and has been sought after for other projects. Notably, he composed the entire score for the indie feature Follow The Dead.

Jaro Waldeck

Jaro earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Cinematography from Columbia College Chicago and Film and TV Academy of Performing Arts Prague (FAMU), respectively. Her main body of work consists of low budget short live-action films as well as music videos and longer form documentaries. In 2023, Jaro transitioned into features, having worked on the Screen Ireland funded documentary Housewife of the Year and independent drama Dreamtown.

Listen to our former chat with Jaro here: https://filmireland.net/2019/07/01/jaro-waldeck-cinematographer/

In partnership with Screen Ireland, we are delighted to launch our inaugural Screen Sessions - a series of in-depth conversations on craft between emerging and established talent from the Irish Screen industries. 

Our first podcast of the series will tackle the art of writing for the screen. It's been 20 years since the iconic Adam and Paul took the nation by storm and redefined Irish cinema for the next generation. Join actor and writer Mark O'Halloran in conversation with writer/filmmaker Katie McNeice as they delve into their creative journeys as well as the twists and turns they faced along the way.

This discussion has been made possible with the support of Screen Ireland.

The next Screen Sessions podcast will be available in July and the series will culminate in a live event later this year.

Subscribe to our newsletter here and never miss another event: https://filmireland.net/newsletter/