Christopher Morrison, Foyle Film Festival programmer, on what audiences can expect during packed celebration of local cinema
What are the challenges that come with programming a festival of this kind?
The main goal is producing a programme that appeals to every section of our festival audience with a line-up covering local, national and international interest, as well as advance screenings of titles that will dominate the awards conversation in 2025.
In addition to our film screenings, we also have a number of special events, industry and community outreach elements to our festival activity, so a principal challenge is to produce a fully-rounded festival which provides access and value to each section of our local community and further afield in the north west.
How important is it to showcase local talent?
It’s so important and we are lucky to be a city brimming with incredibly talented individuals across the film and arts industry. People in Derry/Londonderry are massive supporters of local talent and so it constitutes a vital section of our festival programme, both in the films that make the final programme and those which remain unfulfilled in any particular year.
Local content each year is delivered through Archive screenings which we have been supported with by Northern Ireland Screen Digital Film Archive, allowing attendees to see Northern Ireland and Derry through an alternative lens and from a different time. This year, with the support of BBC Rewind, Gerry Anderson: My Derry will also be screening showcasing an alternative picture of 1980s Derry presented by one of the city’s favourite sons.
This year, a point of local history which will be showcased is Shadows on Our Skin, which has rarely been screened since its first broadcast in 1980. The film is an adaptation of Jennifer Johnston’s novel and provides a valuable portrait of 1970s Derry/Londonderry in the midst of the Troubles. Two of the original cast members will be taking part in a panel session post-screening, and has already drawn significant interest.
How special is it for you to have a film festival based in Derry?
It’s essential that Derry/Londonderry is serviced with Northern Ireland’s longest running international film festival which brings to the city films which have either not been screened when released theatrically, as well as films which will screen well in advance of their release dates. The film festival provides the people of Derry and the surrounding areas the access to films which are vital for the cultural tapestry of the city.
Which film(s) are you most looking forward to?
There are so many, it is hard to choose. I suppose a few highlights would be the opening night film which is the Northern Ireland premiere of Irish director John Crowley’s romantic drama We Live in Time (courtesy of StudioCanal) with the incredible talents of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. It’s screening on November 22 at 8pm with our venue partner Brunswick Moviebowl.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (courtesy of Lionsgate) a tense blend of political thriller and domestic drama. Winner of five awards at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it is a hot favourite for a number of categories in the forthcoming awards having been selected as Germany’s entry for the Oscars. It’s screening on November 29 at 9pm at Brunswick Moviebowl.
Payal Kapadia’s lyrical and visually stunning portrait of the city of Mumbai through the eyes of three women, All We Imagine as Light, is a fantastic new title which signals the emergence of a major directorial voice in international cinema — screening Saturday, November 23, at 6.30pm
Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in We Live in Time (courtesy of STUDIOCANAL)
Was it important to include a day for those involved in the technology side of film-making?
As the way we consume and make films changes with the development of new technologies, it is important for us, as a festival, that creatives, artists and those interested in technology have the opportunity to experience how these new methods and technologies are being implemented.
Particularly in visual formats such as film, so we remain relevant in what we are able to offer to our attendees.
Northern Ireland is a player in the film industry — why do you think that is?
For such a small country in terms of both size and population, Northern Ireland produces an incredible amount of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Case in point was the critical and commercial success of Kneecap.
Through this year’s programme, we will continue to celebrate the success of Irish language cinema within Northern Ireland through a special preview screening of the chilling Irish language horror film Fréwaka including a panel with producers of Kneecap, (Trevor Birney and Patrick O’Neill) and Aislinn Clarke, writer-director of Fréwaka.
Our excellent industry programme welcomes some leading industry names who are making waves on the world stage including producer Brendan J Byrne (That They May Face the Rising Sun) from Cyprus Avenue films, documentary filmmakers Ross McClean (Hydebank) and Rabie Mustapha, Derry’s own Dearbhla Regan (head of talent development at Wild Atlantic Pictures) and Derry film and TV director Andrea Harkin (Time).
The 37th Foyle Film Festival runs from November 22-December 1 at various venues across Derry/Londonderry. For more information, times and prices, see www.foylefilmfestival.org
This post was originally published on here
