Lineup announced for Mullingar Film Festival
The inaugural Mullingar International Film Festival, presented by Motion Picture Media, has announced its lineup of seven award-winning short films, including an Irish première from Hollywood. The event at the Mullingar Park Hotel on February 20, (from 7pm).
The festival will raise funds for TEAM (Temporary Emergency Accommodation Midlands). The festival was founded by Mullingar-based Noel McIntyre, award-winning director of ‘I Created You’ which Westmeath woodcarver, Richie Clarke. It was shot in Mullingar, and will be premièred for local audiences at the festival.
“I wanted local people to see my own film, considering the well-known local subject and the local setting in which we filmed. I also wanted to introduce these award-winning films from the International Festival circuit to a local audience,” said Noel.
“The event evolved quite quickly from a small scale screening, to the international film festival we are organising now. Importantly, this platform gave us the opportunity to help TEAM, and the Mullingar Park Hotel, and many other business sponsors were enormously supportive and enthusiastic from day one and that gave our event real momentum.”
The selection committee have curated a programme that reflects the mission of the festival – to honour and promote the art of storytelling through film. “We celebrate diversity, identity and community in the stories told by these films, some of which are epic and heroic, and some of which are intimate, human stories. The diverse lineup is also entertaining for our audience with plenty of humour in the mix,” said Noel at the event launch in Mullingar.
Filmmakers featured at the festival will receive a unique, specially commissioned and hand-crafted award by Richie Clarke.
I CREATED YOU: directed and written by Noel McIntyre. Local première. Profiling renowned wood-carver Richie Clarke as he crafts a sculpture of King Malachy, High King of Ireland for Belvedere House and Gardens on the shores of Lough Ennell in Mullingar.
TIN CAN: written and directed by Pat Battistini, Hollywood. Irish première. The story of JC, an illegal child immigrant from Mexico who lacks US citizenship. He has persevered and prospered working as a rodeo clown for years, but is down on his luck near the Mexican border where he risks getting kicked out of the only country he knows.
FIRST DISCO: written and directed by Helen O’Reilly (Ireland), with Jim Sheridan as executive producer. It’s 1983 and Kelly Harrison is experiencing her first crush and going to her first disco, and she gets landed with a mouthful of ‘train tracks’ braces right before her big night.
THE BLIZZARDS – BEHIND THE MUSIC: directed by Jeff Doyle. Local première. Director Jeff Doyle and crew followed The Blizzards and their manager, Duncan Browne, for a year, capturing exclusive backstage action to create this mockumentary – the likes of which has not been seen since Spinal Tap!
THE FAMILY WAY: written and produced by Roisin Kearney (Ireland). The Murphy family are at a crossroads; their two daughters are about to fly the nest. Mammy and Daddy are considering selling the family home and downsizing… until two pregnancy tests are found in the bathroom drawer. But who’s pregnant?
THE VASECTOMY DOCTOR: directed by Paul Webster (Ireland). The story of Dr Andrew Rynne, the first vasectomy doctor in Ireland, reproductive rights activist and a controversial figure in the 1970s and 80s. Rynne survived an attack in his clinic by an armed gunman, who he later met and forgave.
ANGELS GUARD THEE: starring John (Banjo) Quinn and Brian Fortune (Ireland). Two ageing ex-paramilitaries meet for the first time in almost 30 years. Over the course of a weekend, the pair attempt to reconnect, reminisce and heal old wounds, but the secrets of the past won’t let the present lie.
Tickets
Tickets are available at the venue, at various outlets locally, and online: https://bit.ly/2u0h6Xt.