Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory

The Job of Songs

Lila Schmitz, 74 minutes, 2022

Travellers from all over the world gather in the village of Doolin, County Clare, hoping to connect with their Irish heritage through traditional Irish music. But things are changing: facing rapid modernisation at the hands of tourism, confronting depression and…

Keep it Reel

Ricky Carranza, 2017

1994's Eurovision, hosted by Ireland, featured interval act Riverdance, which would become an overnight sensation and an iconic worldwide cultural phenomenon, spawning an unprecedented interest in Irish dancing around the world. One such place was Finland, a country far more…

Kila: Pota Óir

Anthony White, 63 minutes, 2017

Kíla: Pota Óir is a portrait of one of Ireland’s most respected cult bands who merge folk and world music traditions into a euphoric live experience. Now in their 30th year, Kíla, formed by a bunch of musical youths in…

Love Yourself Today

Ross Killeen, 80 minutes, 2021

Every Christmas in Dublin, the crowds gather for Damien Dempsey's Christmas gig at Vicar Street. For many, these shows have become a cathartic ritual, a safe space where emotions can be laid bare. We meet Dempsey and three members of…

Midnight Dance

John McCloskey, 6 minutes, 1996

The skeletal dead risen and walking is a theme in many great works of medieval art, and that tradition is used to great effect in this animated short. A fiddler plays music to raise skeletons from their graves and lead…

Moore Street Masala

David O'Sullivan, 5 minutes, 2009

Director David O’Sullivan effects a meaningful cultural crossover between Bollywood film styles and Northside Dublin locations in this musical short about a love that leaps across a class divide. Working a dead-end job as a shop clerk, a young man…

Natural Grace

Art Ó Briain, 78 minutes, 2012

Diving into the world of traditional Irish music Natural Grace reveals the life and art of one of Ireland’s great modern proponents of the genre: celebrated fiddler Martin Hayes. Interviews and performances tell the story of a man who took…

North Circular

Luke McManus, 89 minutes, 2022

This musical odyssey traveling the length of Dublin’s North Circular Road, from the Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, explores the history, music and residents of this richly storied street. While exploring many dark narratives from the city’s history, from colonialism,…

Once

John Carney, 85 minutes, 2006

A heartfelt and honest musical, Once sees struggling musician ‘Guy’ (Glen Hansard) and migrant worker ‘Girl’ (Marketa Irglová) fall in love through a shared passion for music. Meeting on the streets of Dublin as ‘Guy’ busks to try make ends meet, the…

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