The Irish Film Festival Boston celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with its first ever two-day drive-in event on October 9 and 10 at the Irish Cultural Center (ICC) in nearby Canton, Massachusetts. Beginning both nights at 7:00 p.m., the event will showcase a selection of the new talents, voices, and perspectives that have emerged from the Irish film industry in recent years.
Irish film fans can look forward to the U.S. premiere of The Last Right, featuring Golden Globe winning and Emmy nominated actor Brian Cox for his role in HBO’s television series Succession, and the New England Premiere of A Bump Along the Way, starring Bronagh Gallagher, best known for her roles in Pulp Fiction, The Commitments, and Sherlock Holmes.
The two-day schedule of film screenings includes:
Friday, October 9
Breakthrough Feature, A Bump Along the Way, kicks off the two-day drive-in event. This female-led, feel-good comedy set in Derry, Northern Ireland focuses on a middle-aged woman whose unexpected pregnancy after a one-night stand forces her to finally take control of her life and become the role model her teenage daughter craves. This will be the film’s New England premiere starring Irish Film and Television Academy nominee Bronagh Gallagher.
Opening night will also feature the festival’s Most Inspiring Short awardee, The Bird and The Whale. The nationally recognized animated film written and directed by Carol Freeman tells the inspirational story of a young whale struggling to find his voice with a caged songbird as they aim to survive while lost at sea.
Saturday, October 10
Night two of the drive-in event will kick off with the North American premiere of the Director’s Choice Feature, The Last Right. Directed by Aoife Crehan with links to Quincy, Massachusetts, this comedy tells the story of a man bringing the body of someone he barely knows for burial with his family. The man’s good intentions are motivated by trying to patch up the relationship between him and his brother. During his long journey, however, both romance and family secrets arise to complicate the trip.
This year’s Director’s Choice short film will also play on Friday evening. Audiences will have the opportunity to see a story about love, death, and crap anniversary gifts in the short film Ruby. The film was directed by Oscar nominee, Michael Creagh.
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The Irish Film Festival Boston has attracted many talented filmmakers and a diverse audience over its 20-year history. The festival continues to introduce patrons to all facets of Irish cinema with a focus on films that challenge traditional conceptions of Irish culture. They will also offer a virtual screening event later this year to showcase more of its program from the original lineup in March.
“We are honored to continue the tradition of bringing the best of Irish film to New England audiences during our 20th anniversary year,” says Dawn Morrissey, Executive Director of the Irish Film Festival. “It makes our team proud to be able to collaborate with the Irish Cultural Center and the Irish Consulate during the pandemic, to present the first ever Irish Film Festival drive-in experience in the U.S. We hope our followers will appreciate being able to see new Irish cinema during this time. We are also keen to continue our mission of supporting films written and directed by women, and this is reflective in our programming in general.”
By collaborating and forging ties between the Irish Consulate General and Irish Cultural Center (ICC), the festival can carry on this year and present two nights of Irish Contemporary cinema at the ICC.
The drive-in is $50 per car, per evening, to attend. For the full details of the Irish Film Festival drive-in and ticket pricing, visit irishfilmfestival.com.