25th Newport Beach Film Festival Adds Irish Spotlight; NA Premieres Of Three Irish Films

Mike Fleming Jr
·5-min read

The Newport Beach Film Festival has added Irish Spotlight, a program that will showcase a small slate of Irish films. The fest will host North American Premieres of Blue Fiddle, Four Mothers and the docu Housewife of the Year. The evening will take place October 20 and include a celebration of Irish cinema, culture and cuisine.

The Irish Spotlight films will screen at Regal Edwards Big Newport (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA) and a post-screening celebration will occur at Muldoon’s Irish Pub.

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Fidil Ghorm (Blue Fiddle), is directed by Anne McCabe and stars Ruadhán Ó Flatharta, Marcus Lamb, Sarah Jane Scott, Siobhan O’Kelly, Barry McGovern and Edith Lawlor. Pic follows 10-year-old Molly, who believes that if she learns to play the fiddle like her father she will wake him from his coma. With a grumpy old man as her teacher and a drive to perform the miracle she’s chasing Molly begins her journey to find the magic in the music she believes may heal her dad.

Directed by Darren Thorton, Four Mothers stars Fionnula Flanagan, James McArdle and Dearbhla Molloy. The film tells the story of a struggling novelist forced to take care of three eccentric older women, and his own mother. Over the course of one chaotic weekend in Dublin the group will grow to understand each other in ways they never imagined.

The Ciaran Cassidy-directed documentary Housewife of the Year tells the story of Ireland’s treatment of women through the prism of a unique, surreal, live televised competition that has to be seen to be believed. A generation of Irish women competed in front of a live audience for the title of ‘Housewife of the Year’. The former contestants share their direct experiences of marriage bars, lack of contraception, magdalene laundries, financial vulnerability, boredom and shame and of course, of being contestants in the competition.

Said Marcella Smyth, Consul General of Ireland, Los Angeles: “Newport Beach Film Festival has for 25 years showcased some of the very best of Irish film. The extraordinary creativity and storytelling ability of the Irish screen industry means that the only difficulty is in deciding which films to showcase. Irish films are on show not just within the Irish Spotlight, but throughout the festival, and we’re very excited for audiences to have the chance to see the breadth of contemporary Irish cinema.”

Áine Moriarty, CEO of the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) said that Newport “has always been a great springboard for Irish films in North America, with the spotlight on Irish Talent at the heart of the festival each year. Big thanks from Ireland – the Irish Academy is delighted to be part of this special celebration.”

Beyond Irish Spotlight, Newport’s slate includes numerous short films, and the following Irish features:

Amongst the Wolves, directed by Mark O’Connor, and starring Aidan Gillen, Luke McQuillan, Daniel Fee, Jade Jordan, Helen Behan, Dane Whyte O’Hara, Louise Bourke and Casey Walsh. In this film, a homeless former soldier haunted by PTSD forms an unlikely bond with a troubled teenager, while he navigates the dangers of life on the streets. Amongst the Wolves will be shown on Monday, October 21, at 8 p.m. at Regal Edwards Big Newport.

The John Farrelly-directed An Taibhse (The Ghost) is set in the bleak landscape of post-famine Ireland, exploring the profound hardships faced by its people. This narrative centers around Éamon and his daughter Máire, who take on the task of maintaining a remote Georgian mansion through the harsh winter. What begins as a seemingly tranquil responsibility soon spirals into terror as they encounter inexplicable phenomena. The film stars Tom Kerrisk, Livvy Hill and Tony Murphy. The Ghost will be shown on Saturday, October 19, at 8:15 p.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle Square (1870 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA).

The Eva Birthistle-directed Kathleen Is Here follows 18-year-old Kathleen, who is fresh out of foster care. Her departure coincides with the death of her biological mother and so she returns to her hometown to take ownership of her mother’s house. She gets a job and even a friend; but the emptiness of Kathleen’s life cannot be filled by social media and reality shows. Alone and desperate for a mother figure, she sets out on a destructive path to find one. The film stars Hazel Doupe, Clare Dunne, Peter Coonan, Aaron Monaghan and Lidán Dunlea. Kathleen is Here will be shown on Saturday, October 19, at 8:30 p.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle.

The Tom Waller-directed Kiss Of The Con Queen follows a struggling actor who thinks he’s on the verge of success when he’s contacted by Hollywood producers for a huge role in a blockbuster film. But when he’s sent to shoot in Jakarta, Indonesia, nothing goes as planned and he must uncover the truth – that he’s caught in the trap of the Con Queen of Hollywood, a master con-artist executing a prolific global scam on the entertainment industry. The scam that the film is based on was broken by Deadline. The film stars Lynette Emond, Sofia Kunz, Eoin O’Brien and Ravi Patel. Kiss of the Con Queen will be shown on Friday, October 18, at 8 p.m. at Big Newport.

Directed by Danny McCafferty, The Line stars Joe Mullins and Veronika Lukyanenko. A disgruntled local forms an unlikely friendship with a Ukrainian refugee during the course of which he begins to overcome his prejudices towards outsiders. The Line will premiere on Wednesday, October 23, at 8 p.m. at THE LOT in Fashion Island (999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA).

The Colm Quinn-directed documentary Ransom ’79 follows veteran Irish journalist Charlie Bird as he battles the debilitating effects of Motor Neuron Disease (MND) while trying to break one final story in the time he has left. The screening will take place on Tuesday, October 22 at 5 p.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle Square.

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