Discoveries from Northern Ireland World Cinema

A group of youths find their friendship strained when a ill-executed flash mob at Monaghan Shopping Centre sends an unsuspecting elderly woman to Hospital.

Almost a year after the death of her mother, April begins to hear a strange noise occasionally throughout her daily life. This interference eventually leads her on a wild hunt which seemingly hints towards the idea that her mother's death may not be all what it seems.

With the likelihood of a border poll becoming an increasing possibility, do we really understand what that could mean for all those living on the island of Ireland? Or are we stumbling into some possible future as Britain once sleep-walked into Brexit? With unique contributions from the likes of Leo Varadker, Bill Clinton, Mary-Lou McDonald, Mike Nesbitt, Monica McWilliams, John Major, Susan McKay, Bertie Ahern, Fintan O’Toole, Gerry Adams, Linda Ervine and Peter Mandelson amongst many others, The Irish Question takes a fresh and sometimes surprising look at the dark trauma of the past and the unique possibilities of the future.

Bicep live at Printworks on November 23, 2018.

In a world where ballet is ruled by pedigrees, Lilly, a spirited mutt, dreams of proving that all dogs can dance. When her beloved dance school faces closure, she rallies her scruffy friends to save their studio by performing on the grandest stage. Battling snobbery, sabotage, and her own self-doubt, Lilly must prove that true talent knows no breed.

A day in the life of Laura and Corey, a married couple struggling with mental health issues. Corey has lost his job to alcoholism and is now trapped in a spiral of depressive hedonia, constantly in haste for the next fleeting high. Laura has found herself in a life confined by societal expectations, serving a life term of supporting her husband who is paralyzed by depression and addiction, and hopelessly wishing for a better life she'll never afford. The young couple live with clashing internal lives, Corey secretly coming closer to actualizing his suicidal ideation while Laura secretly hides a discovery that may weigh the couple deeper into an existential hell

An intimate, grainy portrait of a dog’s solitary life indoors, revealing the heartbreaking reality of those left home alone in the shadows of a busy owner’s schedule.

Allison and her friends decide to kidnap a local unionist chav, after he rigs the local bingo hall, and sends Allison's Grandmother to Hospital with a panic attack.

A young alien superhero investigates the disappearance of his pet chicken.

Experimental short film about nostalgia.

I Will Go On Missing You Till Then is an experimental documentary taking words from a young woman's love letters, from Ireland to America, written in 1960 exploring what remains across a cavern of time and momentous change on both sides of the Irish border

Mairead and Brian are due to be wed, but tensions come to a head due to Brian's gambling addiction and Mairead's indiscretion with Brian's best mate, Tommy.

On Daire’s final morning at home, everything seems as it has always been. He has breakfast with his sister Saorlaith before she drives him to the airport. A lifelong inclination to never discuss what is actually at hand leads to meaningless conversations and arguments while the push and pull of a sibling relationship leads them along winding roads to the airport, where they refuse to say goodbye.

A narcissistic radio host, who spends his nights giving out questionable advice to his audience, has to deal with the repercussions of his actions when a malicious caller begins to torment him.

After their teacher is put in hospital for confronting a burglar, a group of youths decide to take the opportunity to break into a empty house and have an underage drinking party.

A toe pokes a container full of liquid.

3 friends arrive at another friend's house to watch a movie, but things quickly go wrong.

Two Belfast detectives chase a ruthless criminal, but ambition and betrayal turn the case into a deadly game of double-cross.

Two assassins keep watch as a young man digs his own grave. Meanwhile, in a fancy-dress shop, the assassins‘ daughter has just found out she is pregnant to the gravedigger when the kingpin who ordered the hit walks in.

Young Bart recounts the day his older brother Mitch and his mates murder the local drunk who regularly harassed them.

It's 1960's rural Ireland and two young trouble makers get in over their heads when their an attempt to launch a rocket to the moon goes wrong.

On the surface, everything is just as Clive remembers - the home, the warmth, and the love. However, as subtle details slip out of place, Clive begins to question what is real and what he is trying to forget.

Lagan College in Belfast, a school planned for the integration of protestants and Roman Catholics.

A short gothic horror film composed entirely of still images - Banshee recounts the tale of a teenage girl who is pursued by the notorious phantom of Irish folklore whilst tending to her dying mother.

Katie, a young teenage girl, is haunted by Joshua, a recent victim of suicide and bullying, who pressures her to do the right thing when her friends begin to target another girl.

A recovering addict’s world falls apart when a mysterious box of cereal enters his life.

Two eccentric and awkward young people embark on a peculiar romance after meeting at a disastrous open mic night.

Retired English teacher searches for a mysterious perfume that affects how you feel about living in Northern Ireland. First Scratch and Sniff feature in Ireland and UK.

Four Northern Irish teenagers dream of escaping abroad from their dreary lives.

Margo Harkin’s powerful documentary is one part in a body of her work that has chronicled the Northern Irish Troubles from 12 Days in July (1997) to Bloody Sunday – A Derry Diary (2010). A study on reconciliation, it also experiments with visual style for the first time since her debut feature film  Hush-A-Bye Baby (1990). The Far Side of Revenge follows dramatist Teya Sepinuck and a group of Northern Irishwomen as they develop a project presenting their own, often shocking, stories to the public. The group from politically diverse backgrounds includes Kathleen, whose husband was blown up by the IRA in 1990 and Anne, a former quartermaster in the IRA, whose uncle was murdered by the British Army on Bloody Sunday in 1972. Harkin’s documentary delivers an insight into a process of creation where the pain of individual stories is counterbalanced by the bond that develops between the women.

A kitchen knife, a tool used to express love through cooking, becomes implicated in a violent crime when an abuser attempts to kill his partner.

In little more than a decade, Buncrana native Frank McGuinness has produced a body of startlingly imaginative work that has played to audiences all over the world. His plays cross social, cultural, and political divides best exemplified in his ground–breaking work Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme and its companion piece Carthaginians, about Bloody Sunday in Derry. Both address catastrophic events in the Catholic and Protestant psyches. Clear the Stage examines the work of this important Irish writer. Interviewees include: Frank McGuinness; David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party; Trevor Nunn, Director of the National Theatre, London; Brian Keenan, former Beirut hostage, and singer/songwriter Marianne Faithful.

In 1968, the youthful Eamonn McCann earned a reputation as a fiery orator at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement in Northern Ireland. After standing unsuccessfully for election over 5 decades, he was finally catapulted to power at the age of 73 as a People Before Profit candidate in the Assembly election on 7 May 2016. By March 2017, he was an ordinary citizen once again, victim of a snap election in a crisis between the Orange and Green two-party bloc. This documentary looks back over the remarkable career of one of Northern Ireland’s best loved provocateurs, exploring the social and political landscape of his upbringing in Derry’s Bogside, and revealing the inside story of his brief moment in governmental power, rising from street activist to parliamentarian and back to street activist again.

A look at the fight for civil rights in the north of Ireland from 1968 to 1988.

A mother and father’s grief following the loss of their daughter in a road accident is mapped alongside the changing seasons in this contemplative short film written by John McCullagh and produced and directed by Terence McDonald.

Monochrome video meditations of simple human movement against static objects.

'Elise' comes to terms with a 'being' that possesses their house, discovering and accepting why they have allowed this presence to linger while overcoming the issues it has imposed on their life.

Trevor, a young drug dealer, becomes deeply concerned when he finds his young sister has a secret lover. Other local in his social orbit also are dealing with love issues, including Benny, who is struggling to come out as gay to his family, friends and girlfriend and a young girl who finds it hard to socialize after the death of her mother.

Open Asylum is the debut feature by Colm Villa, a powerful drama set in Northern Ireland during the early 1980s. The story centres on Tom Bradley, a young metalworker whose life is upended by the intense political turmoil of the time. The film delves into both personal and societal struggles amidst the backdrop of conflict, with a particular focus on class and sub-class dynamics—an often-overlooked theme in narratives about the Troubles.

A look into how a student band makes their music.

High above Belfast, an 85-year-old man holds a holy relic linked to Padre Pio. Every 13th night, devoted locals journey up the mountain seeking a sacred cure.

St Patrick arrives in a post-apocalyptic environment which has been taken over by zombies.

Conlan Boxing presents a high-octane night of fights in Belfast, as Paddy Gallagher (16-6) faces light heavyweight veteran Bahadur Karami (4-43-4).

Deep in the Irish countryside, a lost runner stumbles upon a remote cafe where he meets a charismatic stranger.

Couples from mixed Protestant and Catholic marriages recount the difficulties they’ve encountered in a divided society, including rejection by their families, friction in the workplace, intimidation in their neighbourhoods, and the bullying suffered by their children for choices made by their parents. They also detail their strategies of resistance and survival, and significant instances of unexpected moral support from across the sectarian divide.

Filmmaker Rab McPhee attempts to escape the grasp of modern technology and consumerism by going fishing.

A young man navigates an uncanny dreamscape full of nightmarish entities...

Meet the people reliving the 1950s in the outskirts of 1980s Belfast. This Spence Brothers documentary gives an enjoyable glimpse into a family reviving the Teddy boy culture in 1980’s Northern Ireland. Follow John ‘the Ted’ as he shows you where to get the records, clothes and learn the essential moves, all in the outskirts of Belfast. Then meet the other committed members of Greenisland’s Junior Rock ‘n’ Roll society dedicated to this bygone era.

When the new Garda announces the requirement of a National ID to attend the Halloween Bash, several local teens devise a scheme to get fake IDs.

Miranda, a trampoline champion, must raise funds for the world championship in Hawaii, but faces opposition from the spoiled rich girl, Angelina, who plots to sabotage her efforts.

Two Belfast girls skip the bus, the day it is bombed during the troubles.

A family of Irish dancers cannot resist the rhythm of the music on the radio as they wait for their dinner.

This short documentary surrounds 3 skater girls from different backgrounds in Dublin, touching on their femininity, style and relationship with skateboarding.

A heartwarming tale about a grumpy old man who dislikes Christmas but receives an unexpected gift that opens his eyes to the true importance of the festive period.

‘Elizabeth was king, then James was queen.’ – Unknown English author (1623) Gareth Russell, the author of Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain’s First King, tells James’ story, focusing on a sensational murder trial that threatened to shake the monarchy to its core.

We follow a forgotten lowly man in a city through from morning into night.

Surreal, chaotic and hilariously absurd – welcome to the madcap world of Glue. The cats get stoned, the pigeons get philosophical, and Gambo forgets how to breathe.

Two exhausted detectives are hunting down a calculated serial killer, who has left cryptic clues pointing to connection to each murders that has happened over the following days. The two detective are now in a situation where every second counts. Will they solve the disturbing case before the clock hits 12? Or will there be another crime scene to clean up?

A documentary pieced together from the huge number of tapes left behind by the late Eoin Coffey, an aspiring filmmaker from the city of Derry.

Picture Me Gone draws a lyrical parallel between animals confined in aquariums and our relationship to screens. Shot on an iPhone 13, its blurred visuals and meditative soundscape explore disconnection and longing in artificial worlds.