Irish Film Institute -IFI & FIRST FORTNIGHT 2018

IFI & FIRST FORTNIGHT 2018

The IFI is proud to once again partner with mental health charity First Fortnight for a series of screenings and events both at the IFI and nationwide.

We host a special preview of new documentary Walk With Me on January 4th, a portrait of Mindfulness master Thich Nhat Hanh, with directors Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh taking part in a Q&A hosted by First Fortnight’s Pauline Moloney. On January 15th,  Una Begley (board member, First Fortnight) will introduce a screening of Robert Redford’s Ordinary People.

On January 6th, we will screen Lana Wilson’s The Departure. A former punk turned Buddhist priest in Japan who has made a career out of counselling suicidal people finds himself at a crossroads, leading him to confront the same question his patients ask him: what makes life worth living? The Departure will be preceded by the Irish short film Throwline. Throwline is the story of a group of taxi drivers in Co Kilkenny who came together to form a suicide prevention group. Uniquely positioned to patrol the night, the drivers keep vigil over the city’s streets and bridges and offer help to those who feel forlorn. This screening will include a panel discussion with David O’Mahony (IFI) and JP Swaine (First Fortnight). 

On January 13th, we will screen Hope Litoff’s 32 Pills. This moving documentary tells the story of Hope’s sister Ruth’s death by suicide. Having discovered her sister’s notes and artwork in her Manhattan loft, Hope documents her sister’s struggles and her own in the aftermath of her death. 32 Pills will be preceded by the short film Hum. Diagnosed at 19 with schizoaffective disorder – described as the “unhappy marriage between bipolar and schizophrenia” – Kevin Nolan began writing music to regain some of the freedom he’d lost due to illness. Hum is an intimate, music-fuelled tour of Kevin’s world. This screening will include a panel with Brendan Kelly, hosted by JP Swaine of First Fortnight. 

Again this year, IFI National will partner with First Fortnight to bring a film to venues nationwide. This year’s film is Nick Kelly’s The Drummer and the Keeper, a heartwarming story of the unlikely friendship between two young men, a reckless young drummer with bipolar disorder and a 17-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome.

The film will screen in the following venues. For booking, please see firstfortnight.ie:

Mon 8 Jan, 19.30: Rua Red, Blessington Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Post Show Discussion)

Mon 8 Jan, 20.00: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow

Tue 9 Jan, 19.00: St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Dublin 8 (Post Show Discussion)

Tue 9 Jan, 20.00: St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co Kerry

Tue 9 Jan, 20.00: Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth

Tue 9 Jan, 20.00: Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Wed 10 Jan, 20.00: Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Wed 10 Jan, 20.00: Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Co Dublin

Wed 10 Jan, 20.00: Friars Gate Theatre, Sarsfield St, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick

Thu 11 Jan, 11.00: Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co Laois (Post Show Discussion)

Thu 11 Jan, 20.00: Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

Thu 11 Jan, 19.00: Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork

Thu 11 Jan, 20.00: Wexford Arts Centre, Ferrybank South, Wexford (Post Show Discussion )

Fri 12 Jan, 20.00: Presentation Centre, Convent Road, Enniscorthy, Wexford

Tue 16 Jan, 20.00: Town Hall Theatre, Galway City (Post Show Discussion)

Wed 17 Jan, 20.00: VISUAL Carlow, Old Dublin Road, Carlow

Wed 17 Jan, 20.00: Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co Kildare

Thu 18 Jan, 18.00: Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny City

IFI CINEMAS TODAY


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland