On Nov. 7 and 11, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will host the Irish Film Festival, which is free and open to the public in the Alvin Sherman Library Conference Room 2053.
The goal of this festival is to promote the rapidly growing Irish film industry and support some of these young filmmakers as well as to educate students on Irish culture and break stereotypes of Ireland represented in popular film.
David Kilroy, an associate professor of history and international studies explained how students who expose themselves to more cerebral films might challenge the way they think about the world they live in. For those who are interested in filmmaking, they can experience how young filmmakers learn their craft through this medium.
This event, which is co-sponsored by the South Florida Irish Studies Consortium and the department of history and social sciences, was brought to the university to expose South Florida audiences to independent, contemporary Irish films which are not widely released in the United States.
“This is a viewing opportunity that might not come around again for many of these films,” said Kilroy.
Kilroy has organized this film festival for ten years. Through his connections with the Irish Film Institute in Dublin and Reel Ireland, a program focused on promoting Irish films abroad, Kilroy has worked hard to bring these independent, sometimes award-winning, films to the South Florida community.
“We’re happy to be working with Professor Kilroy to bring these films to the public. Some are thought provoking and some are funny. Each year we get a different variety. I hope the students will come to see the films— they will not be disappointed,” said Kimberli Kidd, adult services librarian at the Alvin Sherman Library.
“We showcase filmmakers relatively early in their careers making cutting edge films,” said Kilroy. “Students can gain an understanding of Irish culture and society, which is often perpetuated and stereotyped in big budget films and the broader American culture. These films showcase that Ireland is a modern, european, cosmopolitan country with many of the same issues and challenges that many societies face across the world.”
Students interested in learning more about this festival are can to contact Kilroy at dkilroy@nova.edu.
Film Lineup
No Stone Unturned
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
No Stone Unturned explores the 1994 Loughinisland Massacre in which six Catholic men were shot in a bar as they watched Ireland play in the World Cup. Film director Alex Gibney pursues the story of an alleged cover-up and collusion at the highest level of British police and governmental authority.
A Date for Mad Mary
Sunday, November 11, 2018
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Joint winner of Best Irish Feature at the 2016 Galway Film Fleadh, A Date for Mad Mary centers on the exceptional performance by lead actress Seana Kerslake. Upon release following a six month prison sentence, Mary returns home to Drogheda, eager to reunite with best friend Charlene, for whom she is about to act as a maid of honor. Annoyed by Charlene’s assumption that she won’t have a date for the wedding, Mary joins a dating agency, embarking on a series of disastrous encounters before events take an unexpected turn.
