This year’s programme is packed to the brim with special guests from actors, directors, cinematographers to puppets…
By attending In Conversation events or panel discussions, you can hear about the lives of some of cinema’s most exciting filmmakers and get involved in some panel discussions debating current, hot topics.
Get involved in something a little bit different this April. To help you out we’ve listed some of our favourites below!
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I Am Evidence & Panel Discussion
QFT, Friday 12th April, 15:00pm
I Am Evidence is a disturbing and powerful documentary, an investigation into the way sexual assault cases are handled by police departments across the United States.
There will be a panel discussion following the film chaired by Susan McKay and featuring Clare Bailey MLA, Jan Melia, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland and Dr C Quinn, Head of Operations, Rape Crisis England & Wales.
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Lenny Abrahamson: In Conversation
QFT, Saturday 13th April, 19:00pm
Oscar nominated director from Ireland who has a stellar number of films under his belt – Room, Adam & Paul, Garage, What Richard Did and Frank. Definitely not to be missed.
He will also be introducing The Last Family, a Polish masterpiece personally chosen by Lenny to screen at this year’s festival.
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Robert Carlyle introducing Summer
QFT, Saturday 13th April, 19:15pm
Robert Carlyle: In Conversation has sold out but you can still get tickets to see Summer, a film personally chosen by Robert Carlyle to screen at Belfast Film Festival as one of his best, and most under-appreciated films. Robert will be introducing this film so you will still get to see him in the flesh!
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Pop Up Puppet Theatre
The Black Box, Saturday 13th April, 19:30pm
The good folks from Pop Up Puppet Theatre are coming to the Belfast Film Festival to present us with their wonderful, live puppet show which reenacts classics like Back to the Future and Jaws – not to be missed!
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Q&A with Carl Hunter, director of Sometimes Always Never
QFT, Sunday 14th April, 18:00pm
This film stars Bill Nighy and this is the synopsis: Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son Peter and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.
Sounds awesome doesn’t it? The director, Carl Hunter, will be taking part in a Q&A after.
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Q&A with Daniel Jewesbury, director of Necropolis
Strand Arts Centre, Sunday 14th April, 18:15pm
Necropolis is a film essay about the death of the city, shot entirely in cemeteries, graveyards and burial grounds in Belfast, Berlin and London.
Daniel will take part in a Q&A with Leontia Flynn after the screening.
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Q&A with Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio, the team behind Heavy Trip
QFT, Wednesday 17th April, 18:30pm
Turo is stuck in a small Finnish village where the best thing in his life is being the lead vocalist for the amateur metal band Impaled Rektum. The only problem? He and his bandmates have practised for 12 years without playing a single gig.
Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio, the writers and directors of Heavy Trip, are travelling from Finland to take part in, what we can assure, will be a very fun Q&A.
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Of Love and Law & Panel Discussion
The Black Box, Wednesday 17th April, 19:00pm
Fumi and Kazu are life partners, both professionally and privately: they run the first and only law firm in Japan set up by an openly gay couple.
The film will be followed by a panel discussion with John O’Doherty from the Rainbow Project and Jason Brooks, the film’s cinematographer.
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Aamir Khan: In Conversation
The Waterfront Hall, Tuesday 17th April, 19:45pm
Even if you’ve never heard of Aamir Khan we strongly recommend you check this event out. Aamir Khan’s career covers over thirty years in film and he is critically acclaimed as a director, producer and actor. Each film he stars in is completely different. He is nothing if not versatile and he brings an authenticity to the screen which has made him one of the leading actors of his generation. Oh, and he has 24 million Twitter followers…
He’s never visited Ireland before and very rarely takes part in Q&A’s. We’re very honoured to host him and we can definitely promise an insightful & powerful once in a lifetime sit down with one of India’s greatest filmmakers and stars.
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Q&A with Ian Fitzgibbon, director of Dark Lies the Island
QFT, Thursday 18th April, 18:30pm
This is Ballykissangel on Crystal Meth. An impressive Irish cast including Peter Coonan, Charlie Murphy, Pat Shortt and Moe Dunford flesh out this uniquely, dark comedy which offers on-the-nose observations about Irish life.
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The Social Model & Post Screening Discussion
The Black Box, Saturday 20th April, 19:00pm
A documentary looking at how disabled people are portrayed as victims, villains or martyrs and how able-bodied filmmakers and actors have exploited negative depictions of disability to win awards and gain stardom.
Justin Edgar from 104 Films will take part in a post screening discussion.
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