FESTIVAL EVENTS

IFI Stranger Than Fiction is teaming up with a number of partner organisations to present a day of lively, thought-provoking talks, panel discussions and interviews, each designed to provide you with an opportunity to engage with some of the festival’s filmmakers. We’ll have events to cater for everyone, from the mildly curious to would-be filmmakers. And to top it all off, they’re free!

11.00 The Honest Truth: Ethics in Documentary?

How do documentary filmmakers deal with the conflicting? responsibilities to their subjects, their viewers and their own artistic visions? Filmbase hosts a discussion on the issues that many documentary filmmakers face while trying to balance ethical responsibilities, creative narrative and practical considerations when making their films.?

Panelists:
Maya Derrington, Director
Harvey O’Brien, Film Lecturer
Ciarin Scott, Director

12.30 Directors in Dialogue: Storytelling and the Creative Vision

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland present a lively discussion focusing on the role and vision of the director and the current issues facing documentary directors such as aesthetic approaches, language and the commercial and creative considerations inspiring and challenging the shape of documentary directing today. The seminar will be followed by a Question and Answer session from the floor.

Panelists:
Se Merry Doyle, Director
Liam McGrath, Director
Maurice Sweeney, Director
Ross Whitaker, Director
Shimmy Marcus (Chair)

This event replaces the previously advertised event, The Making Of…

14.00 Feature Docs: The Funding Process

Screen Producers Ireland will hold a seminar on ‘Feature Documentary – the funding process’. The seminar will look at funding models for both the small and big screens. The panel will consist of John Murray producer of ‘A Prayer for the Wind Horse’ and ‘Broken Tail’, Andrew Freedman producer of ‘His and Hers’ and Alan Maher from the Irish Film Board. It will be chaired by Martha O’Neill from Wildfire Films.

Panelists:
Alan Maher, Production Executive, Irish Film Board
Alan Freedman, Producer
John Murray, Producer
Martha O’Neill (Chair)

15.30 Debut Docs.?

This year’s IFI Stranger Than Fiction boasts a large number of films from first-time filmmakers – Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, Pyjama Girls, Downtown Calling, Last Train Home and Family Affair to name just a few. This panel will feature a line-up of debut directors and producers who will discuss the route they took to bring their stories to the screen.?

Panelists:
Kerthy Fix, Director – Pyjama Girls
Chico Colvard, Director – Family Affair
Maya Derringtom, Director – Strange Powers
Niall Macpherson (Chair)

17.00 A Lifetime on Film?

The filmmaking team behind American: The Bill Hicks Story will join us to discuss some of the many challenges and pitfalls associated with making a biographical documentary.?

Panelists:
Matt Harlock, Director
Paul Thomas, Director
Niall Macpherson (Chair)

All events are free, but ticketed, and all will take place in IFI Cinema 3.