WITH its origins very much steeped in the community – and using its platform as a showcase for local and emerging cinematic talent – Belfast Film Festival marks its 20th birthday this month with a programme encompassing vibrant, innovative films and documentaries.
With cinemas and site specific spaces such as the Black Box, used for many a Film Festival screening or event, closed due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the festival will run online throughout November.
Festival Director, “eternal optimist” Michele Devlin, said the festival was part of Féile an Phobail before it became an independent event and that both the Film Festival and its sister documentary festival, Docs Festival, will unveil a series of premieres including the world premiere of new documentary, Martin McGuinness: I Fought, I Made Peace, I Made Politics, and the premiere of Cathy Brady’s Wildfire starring the late Nika McGuigan.
“It is a challenge, at the minute with the cinemas closed,” explained Michele, “we still plan to have some ‘in person’ events but we are being led by the cinemas and if they open we hope to go ahead with some physical events.”
The Film Festival launched its 2020 anniversary programme back in March and had sold the guts of 2,000 tickets before Coronavirus lockdown took hold.
“We had 30,000 programmes ready to be distributed and they all had to be taken to the recycle centre. The team spent nine months at least, in the build up to the launch putting everything together.
“We premiered some short films online back in April and that was a big success. We then decided to deliver as much as we could virtually this month.”
EMOTIONALLY CHARGED: Cathy Brady’s debut, Wildfire, is a stirring exploration of two sisters struggling to emerge from a traumatic past
With restrictions set to ease on November 13, Michele spoke of how she is very much moving forward and the festival is there to provide people “with a bit of an alternative to Netflix”.
“We are a showcase for local talent, for local filmmakers. Two films that really stand out for me in the programme are Wildfire by Cathy Brady, I was blown away by it.”
Derry native Cathy Brady’s debut is set against the Brexit backdrop. “A film set in Newry, along the border, telling the story of two sisters who are coming to terms with loss”.
“The film really hit home for me, just how authentic it was. Nobody else could make it unless you grew up here.
“The lead performances are brilliant, Cathy is a talent that is just about to take off. The films stars the late daughter of Barry McGuigan, Nika, who passed away quite soon after the film was made. She was only in her 30s and this is really an incredible piece of work. It’s great for the festival to give it that platform.”
Michele said that another festival highlight for her is the “zombie comedy” The Boys From County Hell which is set in County Tyrone. “It’s more comedy than zombie and I laughed a lot.”
As well as film premieres and online events, the Docs Ireland online series will present Work in Progress: Fr Des – The People’s Priest, on Friday November 13.
TOGETHER: Stephen Rea and Fr Des
“This is a work in progress by Vincent Kinnaird,” explained Michele. “He is a local guy who was working with Fr Des for a couple of years before he died. He is working towards making a feature and I think local audiences will be really interested in seeing what he has done with regards this project.”
With the luxury of buying a ticket, taking a seat and immersing yourself in the sanctity of cinema not an option for the moment, Michele praised the health and safety efforts of the Movie House team before doors were closed again last month.
“Going to the cinema is a bit like going to Mass,” she said. “You go in, you don’t need to talk to anybody, you sit, you face the one direction.
“I thought the Movie House did their health and safety measures really well. There has been nothing connected to the cinema with regards the virus, no evidence that the cinema is unsafe. In fact I think it’s one of the safest things that you can be doing, we are hoping that they will open up,” she added.
Involved in the festival from the beginning, along with Laurence McKeown, Michele spoke of numerous festival highlights from its inception to present day.
“There was a film Laurence and Brian Campbell made back in early 2000 called H3 about the Hunger Strikes. We presented that in the Kennedy Centre cinema and in the audience were family and friends of all the hunger strikers.
“That was a real significant moment for me. We brought over Martin Sheen and he’s running about playing basketball with the kids in Beechmount Leisure Centre. I really enjoy the work, it’s really important to ensure that the connection to the community stays strong.”
Michele said that strategic planning is well underway for 2021 and that big announcements are coming.
“It’s very much a case of watch this space as we look at the best ways to move forward for the next 20 years.”
For more information on the Belfast Film Festival click here.
