25th Newport Beach Film Festival Spotlights Ireland; Three Irish Films Premiere Across North America

Newport Beach Film Festival has added Irish Spotlight, a program that will showcase a small slate of Irish films. The festival will host North American premieres Blue Fiddle, Four Mothers and document Hostess of the YearThe evening will take place on 20th October and will include a celebration of Irish cinema, culture and cuisine.

Irish Spotlight films will be shown at the Regal Edwards Big Newport Cinema (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA) and will be followed by a celebration at Muldoon’s Irish Pub.

Fidil Ghorm (Blue Violin)Directed by Anne McCabe, starring Ruadhán Ó Flatharta, Marcus Lamb, Sarah Jane Scott, Siobhan O’Kelly, Barry McGovern and Edith Lawlor. The film follows 10-year-old Molly who believes that if she learns to play the violin like her father, she will wake him from his coma. With a grumpy old man as her teacher and a desire to perform a miracle that she chases, Molly begins a journey in search of the magic in music that she believes can heal her father.

Directed by: Darren Thornton, The Four Mothers stars Fionnula Flanagan, James McArdle and Dearbhla Molloy. The film tells the story of a struggling writer forced to care for three eccentric elderly women and his own mother. Over the course of one chaotic weekend in Dublin, the group begins to understand each other in ways they never imagined.

Documentary film directed by Ciaran Cassidy Hostess of the Year tells the story of the treatment of women in Ireland through the prism of a unique, surreal, live television competition that has to be seen to be believed. A generation of Irish women competed in front of a live audience to be crowned ‘Housewife of the Year’. Former contestants share their first-hand experiences of marriage bars, contraceptive shortages, Magdalenian laundries, financial instability, boredom and shame, and of course, the contestants themselves.

Marcella Smyth, Consul General of Ireland in Los Angeles, said: “The Newport Beach Film Festival has been showcasing some of the best Irish films for 25 years. The extraordinary creativity and storytelling of the Irish film industry means that the only challenge is deciding which films to present. Irish films are screened not only in the Irish Spotlight but throughout the festival and we are very excited that audiences will have the chance to see a wide range of contemporary Irish cinema.”

Áine Moriarty, CEO of the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) said Newport “has always been a great launchpad for Irish films in North America and the focus of the festival every year is Irish Talent. A huge thank you from Ireland – the Irish Academy is delighted to be part of this special celebration.”

In addition to Irish Spotlight, Newport’s repertoire includes numerous short films and the following Irish feature films:

Among the wolvesdirected by Mark O’Connor and starring Aidan Gillen, Luke McQuillan, Daniel Fee, Jade Jordan, Helen Behan, Dane Whyte O’Hara, Louise Bourke and Casey Walsh. In the film, a homeless ex-soldier plagued by PTSD forms an unlikely bond with a troubled teenager while he copes with the dangers of life on the streets. Among the wolves will take place on Monday, October 21st at 8:00 PM at the Regal Edwards Big Newport.

Directed by John Farrelly Tajba (The Ghost) is set in the bleak landscape of post-famine Ireland, exploring the profound hardships faced by its people. The story centres around Éamon and his daughter Máire, who take on the task of maintaining a remote Georgian manor house during the harsh winter. What begins as a seemingly peaceful responsibility soon turns to terror as they encounter inexplicable phenomena. The film stars Tom Kerrisk, Livvy Hill and Tony Murphy. Ghost will be screened on Saturday, October 19th at 8:15 PM at the Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle Square (1870 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, California).

Directed by: Eva Birthistle Kathleen is here tells the story of 18-year-old Kathleen, who recently left foster care. Her departure coincides with the death of her biological mother, so she returns to her hometown to take over her mother’s house. She finds a job and even a friend; but the void in Kathleen’s life cannot be filled by social media or reality TV. Alone and desperate to find her mother, she sets out on a destructive path to find her. The film stars Hazel Doupe, Clare Dunne, Peter Coonan, Aaron Monaghan, and Lidán Dunlea. Kathleen is here will be shown on Saturday, October 19th at 8:30 p.m. at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in the Triangle.

Directed by: Tom Waller Kiss of the Queen of Deception follows a struggling actor who thinks he’s on the brink of success when Hollywood producers offer him a huge role in a blockbuster. But when he’s sent to Jakarta, Indonesia, nothing goes according to plan and he must uncover the truth – that he’s been trapped by the Hollywood Swindler Queen, a master con artist who runs a prolific global entertainment fraud. The scam on which the film is based was exposed by Deadline. The film stars Lynette Emond, Sofia Kunz, Eoin O’Brien and Ravi Patel. Kiss of the Queen of Deception will take place on Friday, October 18th at 8:00 PM in Big Newport.

Directed by: Danny McCafferty, Line stars Joe Mullins and Veronika Lukyanenko. A disgruntled local resident strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Ukrainian refugee, during which he begins to overcome his prejudices against outsiders. Line The premiere will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd at 8:00 PM at THE LOT at Fashion Island (999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA).

Documentary film directed by Colm Quinn Ransom ’79 follows veteran Irish journalist Charlie Bird as he struggles with the devastating effects of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) while trying to uncover one last story in the time he has left. It will be screened on Tuesday 22nd October at 5pm at the Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Triangle Square.