<<< March 14 - 17, 2003 >>>

Presented in association with Bord Scannán na hÉireann - The Irish Film Board and the Irish Screen Los Angeles.

Ireland has been seen through many filmmakers’ eyes over the years, from John Ford’s THE QUIET MAN to David Lean’s RYAN’S DAUGHTER. Recently, a new generation of Irish filmmakers, inspired by the success of homegrown directors such as Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan, have begun telling their own stories of Ireland, ancient and modern, urban as well as rural, gay as well as straight, peaceful as well as bloody.

To coincide with the 10^th Anniversary of the Irish Film Board, this year’s series features some of the most exciting new voices from Ireland. The festival leads off with director Aisling Walsh’s searing portrait of life in an Irish reformatory school, SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY, starring Aidan Quinn, followed by the exquisite drama THE MAPMAKER from director Johnny Gogan, and the romantic comedy GOLDFISH MEMORY from Liz Gill, about the perils of dating, both straight and gay, in modern Dublin. The series also includes two superb documentaries: Alan Gilsenan’s THE GHOST OF ROGER CASEMENT, examining the infamous case of a knighted Irishman who was executed by the British in 1916 on charges of treason; and Kim Bartley and Donnacha O’Briain’s THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, a gripping, insiders’ portrait of the recent attempted coup against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Other highlights include a special Shorts Program, and a closing night St. Patrick's Day Party with the boisterious comedy MYSTICS from director David Blair - !

SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY, 2003, 93 min. From director Aisling Walsh, SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY is a searing, highly personal drama of a group of young boys trapped inside a hellish Irish reformatory school in the late 1930’s, and the dedicated teacher (Aidan Quinn) who tries to help them. Iain Glen (MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON) gives an unforgettably chilling performance as the school prefect, Brother John, who wages an all-out war against the boys in his charge, including newcomers John Travers and Chris Newman. A selection of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

Friday, March 14 – 9:30 PM

THE MAPMAKER, 2002, 100 min. Dir. Johnny Gogan. Bryan F. O'Byrne is Richie Markey, a computer-savvy mapmaker hired to use his 3-D imaging system to make a map of the area surrounding Roseveigh, his grandfather's hometown on the North/South Irish border. He doesn't realize that he's about to both figuratively and literally unearth skeletons from still percolating local hostilities, leading to a violent string of paybacks. Susan Lynch is magnificent as Jane Bates, a married schoolteacher Richie falls in love with, who has lost a loved one to the violence. A surprisingly complex, compassionate and even-handed thriller with gorgeous locations and a hope for a brighter future. With Brendan Coyle, Ian McElhinney. Discussion following with director Johnny Gogan.

Saturday, March 15 – 5:00 PM

THE GHOST OF ROGER CASEMENT, 2002, 90 min. Dir. Alan Gilsenan. "It brings together two ingredients that usually produce fireworks: Sex and Politics," observes a historian about the infamous trial and execution of Roger Casement, a case that has inflamed Irish sentiments since his death in 1916. Casement was an unlikely rebel hero: an Irishman who served in the British Foreign Office, was knighted for uncovering colonial abuses in the Congo, and later negotiated with the German government during World War I in an attempt to overthrow British rule in Ireland. Following his arrest on charges of treason, the British government produced the notorious (and possibly forged) "Black Diaries," detailing Casement’s homosexual love affairs.

Saturday, March 15 – 7:15 PM

GOLDFISH MEMORY, 2002, 85 min. From director/writer Liz Gill, GOLDFISH MEMORY is a breezy, sexy look at the perils of dating, straight and gay, in modern Dublin. Clara is a 22-year old college student with bee-stung lips, who finds her lothario professor boyfriend smooching with another undergrad – so Clara hops into bed with a lonely female television reporter. Meanwhile, bike messenger Red has the hots for bartender David, who can’t decide whether he’s straight or gay. The perfect date night movie, Irish style. Starring Sean Campion, Flora Montgomery, Keith McErlean, Stuart Graham, Fiona O’Shaughnessy and Fiona Glascott. Discussion following with director Liz Gill.

Sunday, March 16 – 4:00 PM

Irish Shorts Program:

Glenn Marshall’s "Mannequin" (3 min.) Life, from a mannequin’s point of view. Conor Horgan’s "The Last Time" (13 min) Desperate after a medical diagnosis, a middle-aged woman begins to look for love in all the wrong places. Andrew Kavanagh’s "When Bridie Called Gerry" (3 min.) An elderly lady calls a radio show to retell her unusual honeymoon. Andrew Baird’s "Up The Country" (13 min.) A romantic comedy with the unlikely elements of stolen signs, the supernatural and pastries. David Glesson’s "Hunted" (3 min.) A man comes to a horrifying realization. Tom Cosgrove’s "All God’s Children" (11 min.) Beautifully shot period piece set in 1857 on the barren moors. A man accused of murder turns the tables on his captors. Eamon Little’s "Nobody Home" (3 min.) A dramatic day in the life of an average answering machine. Colm McCarthy’s "The Making of a Prodigy" (12 min.) Eerie, powerful short about the delicacy of genius. Tom Collin’s "The Phantom Cnut" (3 min.) Funny look at the trauma of Catholic school. Anthony Byrne’s "Meeting Che Guevara and the Man From Maybury Hill (16 min.) Surreal, beautiful meditation on revolution, imagination and hero worship. Features John Hurt.

Sunday, March 16 – 6:30 PM

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, 2002, 72 min. Dirs. Kim Bartley and Donnacha O’Briain. While shooting a documentary on Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, an Irish film crew found themselves caught in the middle of an attempted coup by opposition leaders and members of the military (who claimed they were staging a "peaceful, democratic takeover"). While the new, pro-Bush leaders quickly whisked Chavez away to an undisclosed location, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans poured into the streets, demanding his return – leading to one of the most gripping and suspenseful reversals of fortune ever captured on film. Discussion following with co-director Kim Bartley.

Monday, March 17 – 7:15 PM

St. Patrick's Day Party at the Knitting Factory to follow!

MYSTICS, 2003, 90 min. Dir. David Blair. Dave and Locky are two old-timers who once earned their living as part of a theatrical company. Nowadays, by holding "seances" at their self-styled Temple of Truth (a room above a Dublin pub), they earn money by pretending to communicate with the dead. It’s a harmless scam, but one that gets increasingly complicated when a local gangster dies and his family attempts to communicate with him. For "increasingly complicated" read "downright dangerous" when the dead gangster actually makes contact. Starring Milo O’Shea, David Kelly, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Liam Cunningham. St. Patrick's Day Party at the Knitting Factory for all ticket buyers following the screening. Sponsored by Guinness.