Discoveries from Northern Ireland World Cinema

Six incompetent hitmen are hired to take each other out.

Three friends go out for a day and face chaos as they can no longer trust their own voices, faces or bodies anymore.

Examines the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, revealing the double standards in European migration laws affecting non-European asylum seekers. Through interviews with activists, journalists, refugees, and politicians, it highlights the perilous journeys these individuals face, including brutal border controls and the tragic loss of life at sea, while addressing the media distortion and societal misconceptions surrounding their plight.

In Sam Keogh’s The Island, his avatar – a whimsical ‘bushranger’ styled as a tree-being – leads the viewer through the technicolour cartoon dreamscapes of the massive online video game Fortnite. In the game, 100 players are parachuted onto a deserted island where they must scramble for resources and fight to the death, a task made more urgent by ‘The Storm’. The last one alive is the winner. The whole island sits in the eye of this storm which incrementally contracts, forcing players into confrontations with each other. Keogh’s narration draws connections between the game’s mechanics and the environmental impacts of its increasing membership.

A documentary film crew travel to a secluded building to interview a mysterious man who claims to be a part of an immensely powerful cult. However, upon meeting the crew, he rambles about conspiracies like a madman. Is this man truly a member of a far-reaching cult or is he just another rambling lunatic?

Northern Irish documentary filmmakers examine the impact that the recent Abortion Access (Safe Access Zones) Bill has on free speech, especially surrounding anti-abortion protests outside clinics. To this end, they interview an independent libertarian political candidate to gain some perspective on the ramifications such a Bill would have for free speech.

The five Royal Schools of Ulster were established by James 1st in 1608. This documentary goes behind the scenes in the year of their 400th aniversary.

Due to a jealous classmate, Laura finds herself challenged to a fight with Babs due to rumor that Laura was trash talking Bab's grandmother. Both girls have second thoughts, as they gear up for the scheduled meet later that day.

Former workers and locals recount the history of the Belfast Gasworks. Built on ground owned by the Marquis of Donegall and opened in 1822, the works generated heat and light for the city for more than a century and a half. So profitable were the works, the proceeds paid for Belfast City Hall. The gasworks continued as a vital source of domestic and industrial energy well into the twentieth century – by the end of World War II some 120,000 people were reliant on on the facility for their heat and light. By the 1960s, however, new technologies and energy sources began reducing public dependence on the works. Today the old funnel and clocktower mark the place that was once the heart of Belfast’s gas-making industry.

A struggling film student races against a looming deadline as isolation and creative pressure begin to blur the line between reality and imagination. When his work starts to take on a life of its own, he finds himself trapped in a spiralling battle with his own thoughts, where every word written pulls him deeper into something he may not be able to escape.

A short film about growing in 1980s rural Northern Ireland.

When Bob, a wildlife photographer, encounters Bigfoot but misses his chance to photograph him, he develops an obsession so intense it tears his life and relationships apart.

Garry McGovern, ventures inside the Gaza Strip just after the Gaza-Israeli war of 2014, to see how ordinary families and children coped in a 21st Century conflict.

Brian challenges the religious homophobia of Belfast’s street preachers while questioning his own faith and activism to reconcile his queer identity with his religious beliefs. This documentary explores his fight for acceptance, love, and equality in a country grappling with tradition and change.

As the 1st Old Boys brass band prepare intensely for a competition overseas, percussionist and filmmaker Conor interviews his fellow members to find out what the world of banding is all about.

It’s not the school bullies Violet fears - it’s her own reflection. Like many 12 year olds, Violet, despite her happy family and good friends, struggles with her self-worth. However, in the parallel world behind the mirror, her constant self criticism has left her reflection vowing for vengeance. In a daring swap, Violet’s reflection bursts into the real world and hilariously lives Violet’s thwarted life to the fullest.Trapped behind the mirror, Violet must witness the fun her reflection is having with the life that should be hers. In a daring journey of self discovery, Violet will outwit witches, curses and her own harsh, inner critic before finally realising her real self worth.

Ireland's Last Matchmaker is a meditative, quirky film exploring romantic love in Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. It centres around a larger than life 'matchmaker' called Willie Daly, whose job is to find the lonely farmers of county Clare a loving partner.

A petrol station employee grapples with his own paranoia while working the night shift.

David, a young drug dealer and soon-to-be father, reconsiders his life choices when his best friend dies of an overdose.