Day Five, the halfway point of this year’s festival, kicked off with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Irish features, some excellent New Cinema and the much anticipated Film Devour.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 1953 classic, screened in the Movie House Dublin Road as part of our new Rewind Section to a crowd of Over 65’s who all got in for free as well as our continuation with our Aamir Khan tribute by screening the wonderful Taare Zameen Par.
Over in the Queen’s Film Theatre we screened some excellent New Cinema in the Queen’s Film Theatre – Ash is the Purest White, the epic saga from Chinese director Zhangke Ji. One viewer took to Twitter to comment, Ash Is the Purest White “subverted my expectations in all kinds of ways. One to see on the big screen, especially given the broad canvas photography”.
We also had the first screening of Woman at Warm, the Cannes award-winning, warm-hearted musical tale of a woman on a personal environmental crusade. Woman at War was so sought after by film lovers that we decided to put on another screening – you can still get tickers for that here.
Irish director Camel Winter’s second feature, Float Like A Butterfly, screened to a packed out screen at the Queen’s Film Theatre which the cast attended. It revolves around a young Irish woman and aspiring boxer and her father who has just been released from prison in 1960s Ireland.
We also screened Tony West’s DeadTectives at the Movie House, Dublin Road, an irreverent, laugh-out-loud blend of Ghostbusters and Shaun of the Dead, the Polish horror Werewolf, Thunder Road, Chained for Life and Pond Life.
Over at The Black Box we had the Film Devour Short Film Festival showcasing a lot of local talent from first time shorts, experimental, documentary as well as more established films with a budget. Congratulations to director Jamie McBrien and team on their film CHURCH: WORSHIPPING DISCO, FUNK AND TECHNO which won the Director’s Choice Award 2019. Alongside A Strange Night made by Joel McReynolds and the ‘Kromax crew’ who’s film won the Audience Choice Award. A great night to celebrate a lot of local talent in all departments!