Boston, Mass., (March 1, 2021) – March wouldn’t be the same in Boston without the Irish Film Festival bringing the best contemporary Irish Film to its loyal audience. This year will be different, but followers of the festival will not miss out, and can look forward to a vast and varied selection of feature films, shorts and documentaries, from the comfort of their own home. Films will be available to pre-order from March 2, and the full program is now available to view when you  visit www.irishfilmfestival.com for more information. 

Over the past 21 years, The Irish Film Festival Boston has attracted talented filmmakers and a diverse audience to Somerville. Naturally the team, headed up by Dawn Morrissey and Siobhan Fanning, are disappointed that it is not business as usual at the Somerville Theatre. But, despite this past year’s challenges, the festival continues to introduce patrons to all facets of Irish cinema with a focus on films that challenge traditional conceptions of Irish culture. 

 More than 40 films, including feature films, shorts and documentaries will be screened virtually over the festival weekend. From comedy to hard-hitting documentaries, films have been scheduled in the traditional fashion, with new films ‘premiering’ at designated times during each day of the festival. Each online film will be available to unlock for 72 hours after it premieres, and audiences will have 48 hours to finish watching the film once they hit play.

This year’s films include Ireland’s Oscar Nominee for Best International Feature Film, Arracht; the uplifting Cumar - A Galway Rhapsody a love letter to Galway from her artistic community exploring the confluences that have shaped the city; Katie the inspiring story of World Champion boxer Katie Taylor, winner of the 2020 Global Vision Documentary Award; the 2020 Breakthrough Feature A Bump Along the Way a female-led, feel good, comedy drama set in Derry, Northern Ireland and The Last Right, 2020 Director’s Choice Feature, a comedy with links to Quincy, Mass. The festival is also screening the documentary The Hunger: the Story of the Irish Famine narrated by Liam Neeson, and When Women Won, the 2020 Special Jury prize recipient that tells the emotional inside story of the Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8^th amendment on abortion, and change Irish society forever. Several other documentaries and feature films and a host of short programs including Brief Encounters: Women in Film and Television Ireland (WFT) will also screen over the five - day festival. 

“We remain focused on bringing the best of contemporary Irish Film to New England audiences, and while we’re disappointed that we can’t be together in Somerville, we’re very grateful to the Irish Film Institute and Culture Ireland for partnering with us to ensure we can continue our mission and create a virtual festival for our loyal audience,” said Dawn Morrissey, executive director of the Irish Film Festival. “It is also an honor to continue our mission of supporting films written and directed by women,” added Morrissey. 

 Tickets are $12 per screening.  Online screenings are only available to watch in the United States. Each screening is limited to a select number of attendees so the festival encourages its patrons to pre-book. For the full list of films and schedule of the 21st Annual Irish Film Festival please visit www.irishfilmfestival.com 

Follow @IrishFilmFest on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook.com/ IrishFilmFestival. 

About the Irish Film Festival

The Boston Irish Film Festival Awards were inaugurated in 2003 to honor those filmmakers whose work represents the very best of Ireland and the Irish on screen. Brought in part by the Government of Ireland  Emigrant Support Programme the festival is also supported by Culture Ireland, The Department of Foreign Affairs, and The Irish Arts Council. Irish Film Festival Boston is a partner of IFI International. The program, run by the Irish Film Institute and supported by Culture Ireland, aims to strategically build an audience for Irish film through worldwide cultural exhibition

Founded in 1999, the festival has screened over 600 Irish films since its inception and is the go-to for sneak peaks and US distributor-sponsored screenings. The Festival has played host to some of the greatest names in Irish cinema, including Jim Sheridan, Gabriel Byrne, Brendan Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Terry George, Colm Meaney, Fionnula Flanagan, John Boorman, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Ruth McCabe, Dylan Moran and Pat Shortt. For more information, please visit www.irishfilmfestival.com.

About the IFI International

The IFI International streaming service is a new initiative from the Irish Film Institute (IFI), supported by Culture Ireland. As Ireland’s national cultural institution for film, the IFI provides audiences with access to the finest independent cinema, preserves and promotes Ireland’s moving image heritage through the IFI Irish Film Archive, and provides opportunities for audiences of all ages to learn and critically engage with film. This new service is a welcome addition to the IFI’s long-running IFI International initiative, a programme which works closely with cultural festivals to bring the best of new and classic Irish cinema to venues around the world. https://ifi.ie/irish-film/international/

Culture ireland

Culture Ireland offers support to Irish professional artists, arts organizations and international presenters to present work by Irish artists at significant international venues and festivals.  https://www.cultureireland.ie/

Emigrant support Programme 

Proudly supported by Emigrant support Programme, Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ireland

The Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, provides funding to registered charities, charitable bodies or voluntary/not for profit organizations who strengthen links with and support Irish communities overseas, and encourages closer links between these communities and Ireland. 

Irish Consulate 

The Consulate-General of Ireland in Boston works with the Embassy and our other Consulates-General and State Agencies in the United States to promote ties between our two nations. They help maintain and enhance links with the Irish-American diaspora, promote Irish culture in new and traditional forms, as well as provide consular services to Irish citizens in New England. To learn more, please visit our website https://www.dfa.ie/boston/