This November the Alvin Sherman Library and the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will sponsor an Irish Film Festival that allows a South Florida audience to see independent contemporary Irish films not widely released in the U.S. The Festival, now in its seventh year, was the brainchild of Professor David Kilroy, a native of Ireland and a faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. Working with the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, Professor Kilroy has been able secure a wide of array of films over the years, from cutting edge dramas to hard-nosed documentaries, representing the work of some of Ireland most exciting filmmakers. This year’s lineup includes one feature length film and two documentaries.
The Festival will open on November 10 with Ballymun Lullaby a poignant documentary following the efforts of a music teacher to reach out to kids the high rise projects of Dublin working class Ballymun estate.
Next up on November 12 is an award winning documentary titled Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey which examines the amazing political career of Bernadette Devlin McAliskey who burst onto the world stage as fiery 21 year-old activist in Northern Ireland in 1969.
The Festival concludes on November 16 with King of the Travellers (2012), an Irish revenge drama directed by Mark O’Connor, that offers viewers a glimpse inside the often marginalized world of the Irish Travelling (Gypsy) community.
The Irish Film Festival is co-sponsored by the South Florida Irish Studies Consortium. It is free and open to the public. For more information contact David Kilroy at dkilroy@nova.edu or Kimberli Kidd/Alvin Sherman Library at (954) 262-5477.