The 2015 British and Irish Film Season (BIFS) was held from 22 September to 2 October 2015.
British and Irish Film Season 2015 Presents:
45 Years (EN)
Director : Andrew Haigh
Starring : Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay
Genre : Drama - Duration: 95 mins
Synopsis : An engaging, delicate and thoughtful drama featuring a
couple about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary in 5 days’
time. The arrival of a letter threatens to destroy the happy union. Based
on a short story. At this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival,
the film won the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film,
with Charlotte Rampling sharing the Best Performance Award.
A Doctor’s Sword (IR)
Director : Gary Lennon
Starring : n/a
Genre : Documentary Duration: 70 mins
Synopsis : Dr. Aidan MacCarthy stands as one of the most incredible
survivors of WorldWar II. He survived Dunkirk and the fall of Singapore;
he spent four years as a POW in Japan and was just a few hundred
metres from an atomic bomb falling. From the ashes of Nagasaki
he was given an ancestral sword by a Japanese officer but its provenance
was shrouded in mystery. Going to Japan, Aidan’s daughter Niki
discovers much more about her father and his remarkable story and
the war from both the Allied and Japanese sides. Recreated through
animation this is a story of survival, forgiveness and how humanity
can scale the highest heights.
A Royal Night Out (EN / SE)
Instead of A Royal Night Out (as per the printed programme) we will instead be screening Shooting for Socrates which will enable it be in competition as well as the Closing Screening
Absolutely Anything (EN / US)
Director : Terry Jones
Starring : Kate Beckinsale, Simon Pegg, Robin Williams, John Cleese,
Eddie Izzard, Johanna Lumley, Michael Palin, Eric Idle
Genre : Comedy Sci-fi - Duration: 85 mins
Synopsis : A group of eccentric aliens, who travel from planet to planet
to see what kind of species inhabit them, come to Earth. If the inhabitants
are, according to their standards, decent, then they are welcomed
as friends; if not, the planet is destroyed. To find out they choose
one inhabitant and give that person the power to do whatever he/she
wants. On Earth, they choose Neil Clarke, a special needs teacher. He
is constantly being berated by the headmaster and is attracted to his
neighbour, Catherine, but doesn’t have the guts to approach her. But
now he can do anything he wants, but has to be careful...
An Klondike (IR / EN with EN sub-titles)
Director : Dathaí Keane
Starring : Owen McDonnell, Julian Black Antelope, Dara Devaney
Genre : Drama / Western - Duration: 110 mins
Synopsis : Set against the backdrop of the Alaskan Gold Rush of the
1890s, An Klondike is an exciting new drama that tells the story of the
Connolly brothers from Rosmuc, Galway. While in Montana, they encounter
someone the family knows who has struck it rich in the Yukon.
They follow their dream and make their way towards the Klondike river
where they encounter a seemingly lawless town complete with saloon.
While the brothers begin making money, it triggers tension and the
brothers’ characters start to diverge, helped by an unscrupulous local.
A Co Galway mine was transformed into the set for the shoot.
Andrew Carnegie; Rags to Riches, Power to Peace (SC)
Director : Vicky Matthews
Starring : n/a
Genre : Documentary - Duration: 59 mins
Synopsis : A frank account of the life of Andrew Carnegie, a poor Scottish
immigrant who made his fortune in the steel industry in the US,
becoming the richest man in the world in the process, before giving it
all away on philanthropic activities and peace initiatives. The film also
examines how Carnegie’s steel empire changed America and his forgotten
attempt to bring about peace in the run up to the First World
War.
narrated by Brian Cox
Black Mountain Poets (WA)
Director : Jamie Adams
Starring : Alice Lowe, Dolly Wells, Tom Cullen
Genre : Comedy Drama - Duration: 90 mins
Synopsis : A hilarious comedy featuring two young women down on
their luck who grasp an opportunity presented to them, meaning that
they impersonate two respected freestyle poets on a poetry retreat in
the Welsh mountains. While there the two anti-heroines both fall for
the smouldering charms of Richard (Tom Cullen from ‘Downton Abbey’)
and dig deeper holes for themselves. However, they do learn important
life lessons and one of them discovers her inner muse.
Generate the State (IR / EN with EN sub-titles)
Director : Johnny Gogan
Starring : n/a
Genre : Documentary - Duration: 50 mins
Synopsis : The building of the Shannon Scheme (1925-29) around the
Ardnacrusha hydroelectric power plant was based on 100% renewable
energy and revolutionised electricity production and supply in Ireland.
Created in the shadow of the Civil War and amid chronic shortages of
food and money, this massive undertaking generated more than electricity.
There was controversy, strikes and art. Using contemporary cinema,
the impressive Siemens photographic collection and Seán Keating’s
series of paintings of the work in progress, the director Johnny
Gogan creates a rich picture of how the State dared to dream of a better
future for its people in a time of crisis.
Man Up (EN/FR)
Director : Ben Palmer
Starring : Simon Pegg, Rory Kinnear, Lake Bell
Genre : Romantic Comedy - Duration: 88 mins
Synopsis : A 34 year old single woman, Nancy, frustrated by the endless
blind dates set up by her friends, travels across London to toast
another 10 years of her parent’s successful happy magical marriage.
She runs into a 40 year old divorcee, Jack, who mistakes her for his
24 year old blind date. Nancy, deciding to go along with it, happens to
hop on the most chaotic yet hilarious journey of her life which neither
of them will ever forget. A romantic comedy about taking chances, finding
about being yourself, making decisions and rolling with the consequences.
Pursuit (IR)
Director : Paul Mercier
Starring : Ruth Bradley, Barry Ward, Brendan Gleeson, Owen Roe, Liam
Cunningham
Genre : Comedy Thiller - Duration: 95 mins
Synopsis : Once upon a time, there was a princess who sang in the forest
until she could sing no more. Her father was a king who was feared
but never loved. And it made him angry. For it was Fionn, his appointed
chief, who won the hearts of the people. It was Fionn who protected
them from their enemies. It was he who roamed the forests, the mountains
and the seas. And wherever Fionn went, he was never without his
trusted warrior, Diarmuid…”. Paul Mercier’s modern take on the legend
of Diarmuid and Gráinne makes for a contemporary myth about the
pursuit of power, class, love and the chance to start again. The film features
an exciting ensemble of Irish actors.
Scottish Mussel (SC)
Director : Talulah Riley
Starring : Talulah Riley, Martin Compston, Harry Enfield
Genre : Comedy Drama - Duration: 93 mins
Synopsis : A hilarious Scottish comedy which sees a chancer from
Glasgow try his hand at poaching rare mussels from highland rivers
until he falls for an environmentalist who is doing everything she can
to stop poachers from destroying the stocks. A comedy with an Eco
message about protecting the environment.
Set Fire to the Stars (WA) in B/W
Director : Andy Goddard
Starring : Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Kelly Reilly
Genre : Drama - Duration: 97 mins
Synopsis : Set in 1950s New York, an aspiring poet invites his hero, the
highly acclaimed and infamous Dylan Thomas, across the Atlantic for a
series of poetry readings. Ignoring rumours of Thomas’ frivolities back
home, he has his hands full when the poet arrives. Desperate to get his
watchful university chaplains off his back, Brinnan takes Thomas to his
family retreat in the woods of Connecticut. But even in the middle of
nowhere, the resourceful and cantankerous Thomas finds an audience
for his art, passion, love and aggression... A truly powerful performance
from Celyn Jones who co-wrote the screenplay and who starred in the
2014 BIFS film Castles in the Sky.
Shooting for Socrates (NI)
Director : James Erskine
Starring : John Hannah, Barry Ward, Conleth Hill, Ciarán McMenamin
Genre : Drama - Duration: 91 mins
Synopsis: Set around the Northern Ireland football team’s qualification and
play at Mexico World Cup in 1986, set with the Troubles as a backdrop. 9 year
old Tommy, nonchalantly dribbles a ball through the troubled streets of Belfast
duirng rioting. Whilst politicians argue over the peace process, there’s only
one thing on young Tommy’s football-mad mind - the forthcoming World Cup,
where tiny Northern Ireland will take on the mighty Brazil in the biggest game
of their lives. On the football field, eccentric Northern Ireland coach Billy Bingham
(they call him Mr FIFA - «a fee for this and a fee for that») must plug
together a bunch of misfits and third division players.
Standby (IR/LU)
Director : Rob Burke, Ronan Burke
Starring : Brian Gleeson, Jessica Paré, Stanley Townsend
Genre : Comedy Drama - Duration: 90 mins
Synopsis : Alice is stuck in Dublin airport on standby for a flight home to New
York. She meets Alan, down on his luck but who works at the airport. They
had a summer romance eight years previously with Alan promising to return
to the US one day. He never did, and they haven’t spoken since. Seizing
his chance, Alan convinces a reluctant Alice to stay one more night in Dublin.
Over the course of an unforgettable evening, they may just realise that they
are more compatible than ever. But time is running out on this brief encounter.
When does an unexpected second chance become the one you’ve always been
looking for?
Strangerland (IR/AU)
Director : Kim Farrant
Starring : Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Joseph Fiennes
Genre : Thriller - Duration: 112 mins
Synopsis : Soon after the Parkers move to the remote desert town of Nathgari
in Australia, the teenage children of Catherine and Matthew mysteriously disappear.
With the town eerily smothered in red dust and darkness, the townsfolk
join the search led by a local policeman. The children’s chances of survival
plummet with each passing day and both parents find themselves pushed
to the brink. Were they taken? Did they leave of their own volition? These are
some of the questions the townsfolk and the audience start to ask themselves.
You will scarcely recognise Nicole Kidman...
The Face of an Angel (EN / IT / ES) in EN & IT
Director : Michael Winterbottom
Starring : Cara Delevingne, Kate Beckinsale, Daniel Brühl
Genre : Drama - Duration: 101 mins
Synopsis : The film tells the story of a journalist and a filmmaker as they lose
themselves in a notorious murder case they are covering. Based on true events,
a riveting account of the controversial case of an American student accused of
murder in Italy. The journalist attempts an investigation into the truth behind
the murder...
The Lobster (IR / EN / FR / NL / GR)
Director : Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring : Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman
Genre : Comedy Sci-fi - Duration: 118 mins
Synopsis : A surreal comedic love story set in a dystopian near future where
single people are arrested and transferred to a creepy hotel. There they are
obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days; if they fail, they are transformed
into an animal and released into the woods. Colin Farrell plays a recently divorced
architect risks being transformed into a lobster. As his days start running
out, he decides to feign common interest with a heartless woman (Rachel
Weisz) in order to escape his fate. But can he pull it off? The film won the Jury
Prize at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
Two by Two (Oops! Noah is Gone…) (IR / LU / DE / BE / US)
Director : Toby Genkel, Sean McCormack
Starring : voices of Dermot Magennis, Callum Maloney, Tara Flynn
Genre : Animated Adventure - Duration: 87 mins
Synopsis : It’s the end of the world. A flood is coming. Luckily for Dave and
his son Finny, a couple of clumsy Nestrians, an Ark has been built to save all
animals. But as it turns out, Nestrians aren’t allowed. Sneaking on board with
the involuntary help of Hazel and her daughter Leah, two Grymps, they think
they’re safe. Until the curious kids fall off the Ark. Now Finny and Leah struggle
to survive the flood and hungry predators and attempt to reach the top of a
mountain, while Dave and Hazel must put aside their differences, turn the Ark
around and save their kids. It’s definitely not going to be smooth sailing.
You’re Ugly Too (IR)
Director : Mark Noonan
Starring : Aidan Gillen, Lauren Kinsella, Jesse Morris
Genre : Comedy Drama - Duration: 81 mins
Synopsis : Will is released from prison on compassionate leave to care for his
niece Stacey after the death of her mother. As they both head into the sleepy
Irish midlands and attempt to be a family, they suffer a series of setbacks; Stacey
is refused admission to the local school because of her recently developed
narcolepsy; Will repeatedly comes close to breaking his prison-ordered curfew;
and his attempts at being a father figure to her prove disastrous… As their future
hangs in the balance, they must search for a new way forward together.
The two leads emit great chemistry! Similarities with the 2011 German film Kokowääh.
