Irish Film London (IFL) is back with another line up of great Irish drama, documentary and short films to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London, in association with the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority.

Friday 17th to Sunday 19th March 2023

At cinemas across London

and online via Irish Film From Home 

Irishfilmlondon.com

#IrishFilmLondon

[24th February 2023]

Irish Film London (IFL) are back with their annual St Patrick’s day film festival. Following where last year’s festival left off, the 2023 festival will take place at venues across London, from Camden to Kilburn and from West London to the West End. This year’s programme includes previews of major new releases and events catering specifically for London’s extensive Irish community.

The St Patrick’s Film Festival 2023 will take place at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios, as well as the Kiln Cinema (Kilburn), The Garden Cinema (Holborn), PictureHouse Central (Shaftsbury Ave) and the London Irish Center (Camden). The IFL team will also be present on Trafalgar Square on Sunday the 12th at a dedicated market stall, meeting and chatting with the London Public. If you can’t make it out for the festivities, additional screenings will also take place online through the popular Irish Film From Home platform. 

IFL’s Festival Director Gerry Maguire said of the festivities:

“St Patrick’s Day is a time of year when everyone can celebrate the best of being Irish. With this year’s film programme, Irish Film London is playing a part in Ireland’s continued success on the big screen, by introducing London audiences to some of the best new Irish films. We look forward to seeing everyone in cinemas, as well as on Trafalgar Square for the Mayor’s wonderful annual get together.”

FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

Festivities begin on St Patrick’s Day, Friday 17th March with the feature length drama Lakelands, screening at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Lakelands follows Cian, a young Gaelic footballer struggling to come to terms with a career-ending injury after an attack on a night out.  He undertakes a search for his own identity in a small town where Gaelic football is a religion, and identity is defined by what you can do on the pitch.  The film features a cast of emerging Irish stars including Éanna Hardwicke (Vivarium, Normal People) and Danielle Galligan (Netflix’s Shadow and Bone) and is the directorial debut from Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney.

The programme continues at The Kiln Cinema in Kilburn with Aisling Trí Néallaibh (Clouded Reveries), a documentary by director Ciara Nic Chormaic that follows beloved Irish writer and poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa. presented in both the English and Irish language, Clouded Reveries is an intimate exploration of Ní Ghríofa’s world and creative process. It is a film about memories, motherhood and the mysterious nature of creativity. Captured through intimate performances of her own work and in-depth interviews, the film reveals Ní Ghríofa’s creative impulses and journeys with her to the heart of her inspiration, her home place in Co. Clare.

The festival continues on Saturday 18th with a short film programme hosted at the Garden Cinema in trendy Covent Garden. This handpicked selection of thought provoking and original films is selected from open submissions and represents some of the best new Irish filmmaking talent. Look out for hard hitting dramas like Forever Hold Your Peace by director Jason Branigan or domestic violence parable Whale by Lorna Fitzsimmons, as well as beautiful animation The Small Makings of a Storm from National Film School IADT student Avery Angle.

Saturday evening sees IFL present a preview screening of a new release from BFI Distribution and indie powerhouse A24: God’s Creatures, directed by Saela Davis & Anna Rose Holmer, stars BAFTA nominated Paul Mescal alongside the esteemed Emily Watson, with Aisling Franciosi and Toni O’Rourke. Set in a windswept fishing village on the coast of Ireland, the film follows a mother who is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community in this tense, sweepingly emotional epic. An actor Q&A will follow the screening at Picturehouse Central in London’s West End, with Emily Watson confirmed to attend.

Wrapping things up on Sunday 19th, IFL offers another chance to see the BAFTA and Oscar nominated An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) at the London Irish Centre. Having won 24 awards, and been nominated for a further 29, this film has made waves since its first appearance at Berlin Film Festival in Feb 2022. Set in 1981, the story follows Caít, a young girl sent to live with relatives for the summer, and who undergoes an emotional transformation during that time. Audiences can catch the film at London Irish Center at 3pm on Sunday 19th, with an intro by representatives of Conradh na Gaeilge.

ONLINE PROGRAMME

Irish Film London’s celebrations will also take place online via the popular Irish Film From Home platform. The online programme means those not able to attend in person call still join in the fun from the comfort of their own home. Featuring a selection of short films taken from open submissions, this year’s online content is as strong as ever.

Also featured is the RTÉ documentary Clodagh, telling the story of the eponymous designer. Named among the Top 100 Designers in the World by Architectural Digest and already inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, Clodagh, as she’s simply known, is at the top of her game. This is the story of an extraordinary Irish woman and artistic trailblazer who continues to inspire modern designers worldwide. It is the story of how courageous difficult personal decisions she has made throughout her life have impacted her and her family and define how she views the world today.

Audiences can visit www.irishfilmlondon.com/irishfilmfromhome to learn more.

SHORT FILMS AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Before the cinema programme begins, IFL will take part in the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day festivities at Trafalgar Square on Sunday March 12th. The annual event includes a parade which walks from Green Park to Whitehall and a programme of events on the big stage at Trafalgar Square from 12 to 6pm. Irish Film London are providing a programme of 6 family-friendly shorts which will play on the big screen at Trafalgar Square throughout the day, giving audiences a chance to see Irish films for free, and offering Irish filmmakers a screening opportunity in front of the circa 50,000 people who will attend the events across the day. 

IFL’s Shorts programmer Madeleine Casey said: “It has been such a pleasure working on this year’s selections for the Mayor of London's St Patrick’s festivities and our film festival. In Trafalgar Square, the audience will see short films that are all about community spirit: the things that bring us together and enrich our lives be they music, dance, food, play or the great outdoors. While in cinema and online, audiences will enjoy an exciting and eclectic mix of dramas, comedies, animation and documentary from new and emerging voices in Irish film.”

Tickets for all film showings are available via the Irish Film London website or from partner venues Riverside Studios, Picturehouse Central, The Kiln, Garden Cinema and London Irish Centre. To be the first to know, sign up to the IFL mailing list at www.irishfilmlondon.com.

IFL Friends and Champions avail of free tickets to events as well as access to the Awards ceremony - sign up today at www.irishfilmlondon.com/become-a-member to access these benefits.

https://www.irishfilmlondon.com/

https://riversidestudios.co.uk/ 

https://kilntheatre.com/cinema-listings/ 

https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/picturehouse-central 

https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/ 

https://www.london.gov.uk/events/st-patricks-festival-2023 

Press enquiries: marketing@irishfilmlondon.com  +44 (0)7866 816126

INFORMATION

Venues:

Riverside Studios 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9BN

The Kiln Cinema, 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR

Picturehouse Central 13 Coventry Street, Piccadilly Circus, W1D 7DH

The Garden Cinema 39-41 Parker Street, WC2B 5PQ

London Irish Centre 50-52 Camden Square, NW1 9XB

Trafalgar Square London SW1Y

Dates: Friday 17th March – Sunday 19th March 2023 and beyond, for online content

Line-up: Full line-up listings are available on www.irishfilmlondon.com/events 

Ticket Prices: Varies according to event. Check irishfilmlondon.com for details

Box office: Via www.irishfilmlondon.com or our venue partners websites: 

https://riversidestudios.co.uk/ 

https://kilntheatre.com/cinema-listings/ 

https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/picturehouse-central 

https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/ 

 

Details: Returning to cinemas across London to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, the Irish Film London announces their latest programme of events taking place over St Patrick's Day weekend 2023, including feature films, documentaries, short films and filmmaker Q&As. 

About Irish Film London

Irish Film London, now in its 12th year, presents the latest and greatest of Irish Film & Animation to a London audience. Their patrons include Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Fiona Shaw, Lenny Abrahamson, Moe Dunford and Ros Hubbard. The organisation runs events through the year, including UK Premieres, workshops, the film arm of the Embassy of Ireland’s St. Brigid’s Day Festival in February, and the St. Patrick’s Film Festival under the umbrella of the St. Patrick's Day Festival with the Mayor of London and the annual Irish Film London Awards. Its activities then culminate in the 5-day Irish Film Festival London in November/December each year.

Through Premiere screenings, Director Q&A sessions, related workshops, exhibitions and performances, the organisation aims to bring together industry professionals, film fans and fans of Irish Arts & Culture alike. Focusing on Irish productions, scripts and casts, they strive to provide a significant platform for Irish Film in London, and to ensure that the best of Irish creative talent is continually promoted here in the UK.

Irish Film London events are made possible with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Ireland, Screen Ireland, Culture Ireland, IFI International, the Irish Youth Foundation and Film London. 2022 Sponsors include Tourism Ireland, MUBI, Final Draft and Getty Images. Further partnership opportunities are available, and interested parties are welcomed to get in touch for more information. Please contact partnerships@irishfilmlondon.com  with partnership requests.