Irish Film Festival returns to London with something for everyone

The greatest in Irish film returned to London on Wednesday as Irish Film Festival audiences enjoyed the largest line up yet.

Back for its 8th year, the Irish Film Festival London (IFFL) presents Ireland’s latest mainstream and independent films over 5 days across London with exclusive previews, panel discussions and director’s Q&As.

Having recently announced Colin Farrell as its latest patron, IFFL hopes it can match the growing strength and influence of Ireland’s talent on the global film industry.

Festival director Kelly O’Connor said: “Ireland’s place in the global film industry is growing year by year, whether as a location for some of the most high-profile productions of recent times, or through the extraordinary quality of the talent and output being generated.

“Having received a raft of quality submissions for the Festival, our 2018 programme genuinely has something for everyone, including fans of comedies and thrillers, soundtrack and live music aficionados, documentary devotees, through to young children and family audiences.

“Once again, we have very strong female representation in the programme – in front of and behind the camera – particularly among the two shorts programmes, which indicates to me that the future of Irish Film will boast an abundance of world-class female directors and producers.”

IFFL 2018 opens on a romantic note with Smithy & Dickie, Hannah Quinn’s delightful short about Irish 1940’s love letters, followed by Under the Clock, directed by Colm Nicell, which tells the enchanting stories of a generation of people whose relationships began under one of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks, Clerys clock.

The festival finishes on Sunday, with closing film We Ourselves starring Aidan Gillen, Catherine Walker, Declan Conlon, Paul Reid, Seána Kerslake, Gavin Drea, and Caitríona Ennis. Paul Mercier’s second feature is an intimate and intense journey into the minds and hearts of a group of idealists and careerists as they go their separate paths in life, though are still bound together through a shared experience, a shared culture and a shared nation.

To officially launch the festival, the Irish Film London Awards returned to the beautiful setting of the Irish Embassy Ballroom on 13 November, honouring world-class Irish feature films, shorts and documentaries alongside Irish acting and filmmaking talent.

Among the awards was the annual Ros Hubbard Award for Acting, this year the award went to Sarah Greene for her performance in Rosie.

Previous winners of the award include The Young Offenders’ Chris Walley and Alex Murphy.