Lakelands

(2022, 100mins) 

Directed and written by Robert Collins and Patrick McGivney with Éanna Hardwicke, Gary Lydon, Danielle Galligan, Lorcan Cranitch and Séamus O’Rourke

Produced by emerging Longford-based company Harp Media, the critically acclaimed Lakelands tells the story of Cian, a footballer who gets attacked on a night out. He will struggle to come to terms with his career-ending injury. 

The screening will be introduced by Gary Lydon.

A Greyhound of a Girl

(2023, 85mins) 

Adapted from the novella by Roddy Doyle by director Enzo d’Alò.

This family oriented animation film follows Mary who is 11 years old and has an irrepressible passion for cooking: she dreams of becoming a great chef. Her grandmother Emer, with whom she has a very special relationship, encourages her to make this dream come true. But every path has its pesky obstacles, and facing them turns into quite an adventure. Mary thus begins a journey across the barriers of time, in which four generations of women come together and get to know each other truly and deeply. Enzo d’Alò’s adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s novella is a delicate coming-of-age story, sprinkled with irony. With a cast that includes, Brendan Gleeson, Sharon Horgan, Rosaleen Linehan and Charlene McKenna.

The offering of a screenwriting course has been a staple of Adaptation for many years. With a special focus on the adaptation of his own play into the film Sanctuary (2016) Christian O’Reilly will look at screenwriting involving a pre-existing text: a play, short story, a documentary account, a novel, each having its own difficulties and challenges. He will also look at the importance of devised work based on his extensive work in this area (as in the film Sanctuary or the Irish Times Theatre 2023 award-winning play No Magic Pill) where Christian worked with disability groups to devise the play.

Course Fee: €30.00 (includes Sat/Sun workshop free festival season ticket)

Acting for Screen Masterclass 

with Gary Lydon 

Audiences will know Gary Lydon from his many appearances on stage and screen: most recently the feature films The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) and the Longford-filmed Lakelands (2022). Earlier screen work includes The Guard, Calvary, The Last September and the RTE drama series The Clinic and Pure Mule. Gary will present a workshop for actors and directors on the art of screen acting. Acting for the screen, big and small, requires different approaches and techniques to stage acting. Gary will explore this difference, and will illustrate his experience working in diverse roles with different directors. Participants will then have the opportunity to direct/perform a scene which we will provide in advance of the workshop.

Roscommon-based director Emma Brennan will facilitate the workshop.

Course Fee: €30.00 (free festival season ticket with each workshop booking)

The Bishop’s Story

(Bob Quinn, 1994)

During a conversation he has with a young priest, a bishop reveals to him a love story that turned his beliefs upside down. The film was originally shot as Budawanny (1987) but, because of technical problems on that original shoot, Bob Quinn had never had the opportunity to realise his original vision until he was able to reconnect with fellow legend Donal McCann and complete the shooting in 1994. The film is adapted from the novel Súil le Breith by Pádraig Standún. Both the book and original film pre-date the emergence of the Bishop Casey affair which presents us with a powerful case of life following art.

Bob Quinn is a pioneer in Irish language drama with films such as Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire (1975) and Poitín (1978) and the epic documentary Atlantean (1984).

There will be a post-screening interview with Bob Quinn conducted by Rossa ÓSnodaigh

Networking Event

Adaptation is increasingly a focus for the filmmaking community in the North West region. Eibh Collins from the National Talent Academy will outline new initiatives particularly aimed at writers, directors and producers, while Johnny Gogan will outline forthcoming plans for the final nine months of the Creative Heartlands project.

Refreshments will be provided, with thanks to the National Talent Academy.

Poetry into Film 

Four new short films from the Creative Heartlands

Premiere of the four films commissioned under the Creative Heartlands (Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon) Poetry into Film Bursary Scheme. 

Cradled, adapted and directed by Emma Brennan from the flash fiction story of the same title by Rose Byrne.

Consumed, adapted and co-directed by Eva Martin and Donal Conaty from the poem by Donal Conaty.

Viatica, adapted and directed by Fergal Brennan from the poem by Mary Branley.

The Tide is Coming, adapted and directed by Vincent Monahan, from the book of the same title by poet and writer Maura Gilligan. 

Novelist and publisher Brian Leyden will chair a post screening discussion with the writers and the filmmakers.

Individual screenings €7.00/€5.00 (concession)

Season Ticket €20.00

Songs of Blood and Destiny

(2023, 97mins)

Screening of Trish McAdam’s brand new adaptation of the poem IGirl by Marina Carr. The filmmaker takes the semi-autobiographic words of Marina Carr’s poem “iGirl” as if they were her own, encouraging the actors and the audience to do the same. Using a personal visual language, the filmmaker mirrors the slippery nature of Carr’s work, fire, earth, air, water, crash and bump, contradictory truths told by a dynamic troupe of actors, banging on the fourth wall. Featuring performances of Eileen Walsh, Cathy Belton, Brian Gleeson, Brian Quinn and new-comers Ella Lilly Hyland and Holly Sturton. (Galway Film Fleadh notes)

Trish McAdam will be interviewed post-screening by Johnny Gogan. 

Sanctuary

2016, 87mins

Larry and Sophie, two people with intellectual disabilities, long to be together in a world that does everything to keep them apart. Writer Christian O’Reilly introduces this special public screening of the multi award-winning feature film (directed by Len Collin), adapted from Christian’s play of the same title for Galway’s Blue Teapot Theatre Company, many of whose number perform in this critically-acclaimed screen adaptation. 

Christian O’Reilly will discuss his work on the film in a post screening interview with Peter Kearnes.

The offering of a screenwriting course has been a staple of Adaptation for many years. With a special focus on the adaptation of his own play into the film Sanctuary (2016) Christian O’Reilly will look at screenwriting involving a pre-existing text: a play, short story, a documentary account, a novel, each having its own difficulties and challenges. He will also look at the importance of devised work based on his extensive work in this area (as in the film Sanctuary or the Irish Times Theatre 2023 award-winning play No Magic Pill) where Christian worked with disability groups to devise the play.

Course Fee: €30.00 (includes Sat/Sun workshop free festival season ticket)