25th ANNUAL NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES IRISH SHOWCASE, PREMIERES AND CELEBRATION

Newport Beach, Calif. (September 25, 2024) – Today, the Newport Beach Film Festival announced that the 25th annual Festival will present its Irish Spotlight, an evening celebration of Irish cinema and culture on October 20. The event will feature the North American premieres of the films Blue Fiddle and Four Mothers and the feature documentary Housewife of the Year, followed by a festive celebration of Irish culture and cuisine.

 

The Irish Spotlight films will screen at Regal Edwards Big Newport (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA) on October 20. The post-screening celebration will occur at Muldoon’s Irish Pub (202 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA), featuring live music and hosted hors d’oeuvres.

 

The Newport Beach Film Festival is proud to screen Fidil Ghorm (Blue Fiddle), a heartfelt film directed by Anne McCabe. This touching movie boasts a talented cast including Ruadhán Ó Flatharta, Marcus Lamb, Sarah Jane Scott, Siobhan O’Kelly, Barry McGovern and Edith Lawlor. Blue Fiddle 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 features a stellar cast including Fionnula Flanagan, James McArdle and Dearbhla Molloy. The film tells the story of a struggling novelist who is 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.

 

Directed by Ciaran Cassidy, the award-winning 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.

 

“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.” Marcella Smyth, Consul General of Ireland, Los Angeles.

 

“Congratulations to Gregg and the team at Newport Beach Film Festival on their milestone 25 years of showcasing great storytelling from all around the globe, including Ireland. This festival 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.” Áine Moriarty, CEO of the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA).

 

In addition to the Irish Showcase selections, the Festival will screen several feature narratives, documentaries, and short films representing the best in contemporary Irish cinema. The following Irish films will be making their North American Premieres at the Newport Beach Film Festival:

 

AMONGST THE WOLVES, directed by Mark O’Connor, stars 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 8:00 p.m. at Regal Edwards Big Newport.

 

AN TAIBHSE (THE GHOST), directed by John Farrelly, is a film 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).

 

KATHLEEN IS HERE, directed by Eva Birthistle, follows 18-year-old Kathleen 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 Square.

 

KISS OF THE CON QUEEN, directed by Tom Waller, 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 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 8:00 p.m. at Big Newport.

 

THE LINE directed by Danny McCafferty stars Joe Mullins and Veronika Lukyanenko. In the film,  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 8:00 p.m. at THE LOT in Fashion Island (999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA).

 

RANSOM ‘79 is a documentary directed by Colm Quinn. The feature 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 5:00 p.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle Square.

 

The Newport Beach Film Festival is proud to present two specially curated screenings to highlight Irish short films. The first program, Irish A-Short-ment, will be held on Saturday, October 19, at 1:30 p.m at THE LOT in Fashion Island. Films in this program are the following:

 

TWO MOTHERS, directed by Anna Rodgers, centers an unusual bond that compels an Irish mother to travel to war torn Ukraine in order to bring her former surrogate and her family to safety.

 

ROOM TAKEN, directed by TJ O’Grady-Peyton, follows Issac, a part of the rapidly growing unhoused population. One day, while charging his phone in a coffee shop, he meets Victoria, an elderly blind woman. After forgetting her bag in the cafe, Isaac returns it to her. Once inside her home and in desperate need of a place to stay, Isaac sneaks upstairs and begins to live there, unbeknownst to Victoria.

 

BIG CITY, directed by Cian O’Connor, makes history as New York’s first Irish Language film. The film tells the story of Éanna O Connor, a lost twenty-something, who moves away from home in search of a new life in the big city. In need of money he takes a job minding his distant relative Brida. The two, distant at first, find themselves more alike than they realize. But how can they express this? An Chathair Mhór is a film about connection, the power of language and the city of New York.

 

CALF, an Irish Film and Television Award winning film directed by Jamie O’Rourke and starring Isabelle Connolly, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh and Stephen Hogan, focuses on A sinister farm accident that leaves Cáit with a terrible decision to make.

 

EARMARK, directed by Ste Murray and starring Ste Murray, Derbhle Crotty, Fiona Browne, Jonny Murray, Finnuala Gillen, Hilary Cahill and Bobby O’Toole follows Mark, a daydreamer who has lived with hearing loss for his whole life. As his condition deteriorates, Mark must listen to his past and face the present, in order to move forward with his life.

 

WRECKER, directed by Martina McGlynn, is set in 1849 as a young girl grows suspicious about how her father has been providing for them as famine tears through their community.

 

A SIMPLE KILLING,  directed by Jason Branagan follows two women who find each other at the best time, in the worst circumstances. While trying to take her own life, Mai is interrupted when a young, pregnant woman in distress calls to her door in desperate need of help.

 

The second program, Irish Shorts to Charm Ye, will premiere on Saturday October 19 at 6:00pm at THE LOT in Fashion Island. Films in this program are the following:

 

BAPS AND BUNS, directed by Noel McInerney, follows Rose Henderson, a feisty OAP desperate to pay for her son’s wedding band starts a ZoomFans baking channel, but quickly realizes that her version of baps and buns may be somewhat different.

 

THE LIFE OF LESTER WINK, directed by Cassidy C. Harrison and starring Pat Shortt, Cleila Murphy and Ronan Leahy follows Lester Wink, a pet insurance salesman with a phobia of talking with strangers. He needs to bring in a sale by 5pm or get fired. Going door to door he meets Sammy, a widow who is afraid to leave her house.

 

YELLOW BELT, directed by Allyn Quigley, follows a young boy on the cusp of adolescence as he develops an unrealistic crush on an older teenage girl in his Taekwondo class but soon finds out that no matter what age you are, love can sometimes hurt.

 

PEAT, directed by Paudie Baggott tells the story of an under-appreciated Irish widow who builds a magical creature to help her work the bog. When she and the creature develop feelings for each other, her jealous man-boy son tries to destroy it.

 

THE HEAD ON HIM, directed by Seán Gallen and starring Ciara Gillian and Kevin Napier is a coming-of-age comedy about a young, biracial boy who moves to Ireland in the ’90s. He shaves off his Afro to fit in …but then his Afro grows back, bigger and bigger until it traps him in his room, and he has to find a way out.

 

Additional Irish Shorts playing in other Festival shorts programs are:

 

THE MIGHTY OAK is directed by Dave Minogue and follows a tiny acorn as it transforms into a majestic oak tree. The friendly forest grows into a vast cityscape, leaving our mighty friend seeking connection amidst the bustling concrete jungle. It will premiere as a part of the Shorts for Shorties event on Saturday, October 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas.

 

A WIND AND THE SHADOW, directed by Kris Kelly, is a short dealing with illness and dread. As the line between reality and memory blurs, a mother confronts her fears and uncertainty, revealing a narrative of resilience and love. This journey leads to a profound moment when her daughter bravely discusses her illness. A Wind and the Shadow will premiere as a part of the Animation Fascination Shorts program on Wednesday, October 23 at 5:45 p.m. at THE LOT in Fashion Island.

 

CANINE, directed by Paul Webster, shows the war that conservation has become. In a windswept valley in north County Cork in Ireland, Rory Hennebry, an elite dog trainer, wants to use his skills to help fight poachers. AK, a Belgian Malinois pup, is starting his training to become an anti-poaching tracking dog working with rangers in Africa. With rhino numbers dwindling and poaching incidents increasing year on year, the rhino need all the help they can get. It will premiere as a part of the People of the World in Short Docs event on Sunday, October 20 at 10:30 a.m. at THE LOT in Fashion Island.

“The Festival is extremely proud to showcase outstanding Irish Cinema, and we are honored to host North America’s most comprehensive collection of Irish films. This year’s program reflects Ireland’s exceptionally strong creative talent,” stated Gregg Schwenk, CEO of the Newport Beach Film Festival.

The Newport Beach Film Festival Irish Showcase is made possible through generous support from Culture Ireland, Screen Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Irish Film and Television Academy and The Joseph A. Lynch Trust and our partnership with the Consulate General of Ireland, Los Angeles.

 

The Irish Spotlight is grateful to its partners Guinness, Aer Lingus, Irish Film Institute, Galway Film Fleadh, Muldoon’s Irish Pub, and grateful for the promotional support of Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles, Irish Arts & Entertainment, Ireland Week, Irish American Magazine and the Irish Fair Foundation.’

 

Admission to the Irish Spotlight film and post-party is $30.00.

For ticket information, visit NewportBeachFilmFest.com.