Excitement is building around Australia as the 2023 Irish Film Festival Australia tours the country, and today it opens in Brisbane, with Queensland Irish Association proudly taking the spotlight as Gold Sponsor of the festival. 

Festival organisers said on social media: “We’re hitting Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo this weekend 13-15 Oct, with a very special opening night event on Friday featuring the brilliant musicians Mnaw Mnaw – Mnáwesome. You don’t want to miss this!”

Queensland Irish Association invites the public to their sponsored screening of Pray For Our Sinners on Sunday. Through the stories of everyday citizens resisting the status quo, Pray For Our Sinners, a new documentary from filmmaker and journalist Sinéad O’Shea, confronts Ireland’s recent history of brutality against children and women from corporal punishment to state-sanctioned mother and baby homes.
O’Shea returns to her hometown in rural Ireland to explore the control the Catholic church held there until recent years and uncovers the gentle but extraordinary figures who chose to resist. This is a portrait of genuine bravery, hope and love. It is showing at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo, on Sunday, 15th October at 3pm. Tickets are available here.

The festival promises a month of exceptional Irish cinema, with movies screened in five cities across Australia and available online which began on October 5th and runs to November 5th.

One of the festival’s highly-anticipated highlights is Lakelands, starring Éanna Hardwicke from Normal People and Danielle Galligan from The Great, Kin, and Shadow and Bone. This moving coming-of-age film is set in modern small-town Ireland and explores the intersection of tradition, mental health, and Gaelic football, a quintessentially Irish sport.

The film delves into the journey of Cian, played by Éanna Hardwicke, a small-town sports star whose life revolves around training, drinking, friends, and farming. When a head injury sidelines him from football, Cian grapples with depression and questions his identity without the sport that defined him. Reconnecting with his former flame, Grace (Danielle Galligan), opens doors to vulnerability and self-discovery in a rapidly changing Irish society.

Lakelands has received critical acclaim, earning the Best Film award at both the Galway Film Fleadh and the Kerry International Film Festival in 2022. Festival director Enda Murray was thrilled to present Lakelands as the opening night feature in Sydney, marking the film’s Australian premiere.

Queensland Irish Association’s sponsorship of the festival reinforces its commitment to promoting Irish culture and stories on the Australian screen. The festival will showcase a carefully curated programme of Irish films and documentaries, offering a window into Ireland’s rich and diverse culture.

The 2023 Irish Film Festival Australia is being hosted in the following cities and online:

• Sydney: Dendy Cinema, Newtown (October 5-8)

• Brisbane: Dendy Cinema, Coorparoo (October 13-15)

• Canberra: Dendy Cinema, Canberra (October 20-22)

• Perth: Luna Cinema, Leederville (October 27-29)

• Melbourne: Cinema Nova, Carlton (November 2-5)

• Online: Across Australia (October 5-15)

The Irish Film Festival Australia has gained recognition as a premier cultural event that celebrates Irish cinema, language, music, and history. Supported by the Irish Embassy, passionate industry professionals, Irish artists, filmmakers, and cultural institutions, the festival has grown since its inception in 2015. 

As part of this vibrant cultural celebration, the Irish Film Festival has not shied away from addressing challenging and thought-provoking themes, often pushing the boundaries of Irish storytelling. It has screened films touching on Irish politics, new talent, music, mental health, and the Irish language. 

The festival’s opening night parties have become legendary, serving as a lively platform for the Irish community to embrace their creativity and storytelling.

For more information about the festival and updates on the program, visit the official website at irishfilmfestival.com.au. Don’t miss this opportunity to laugh, cry, and be moved by the captivating stories that only Irish cinema can deliver.