BÁITE
Saturday, February 28 • 5:00 PM • T1
The screening will be followed by a special guest Q&A with director Ruán Magan, writer Sheena Lambert, and actor Eleanor O'Brien moderated by Patrick Meskell, Solas Nua Board Chair Emeritus.
Dramatic Feature | East Coast Premiere | Feature Directorial Debut | Award Winner | Irish Language
Screening generously sponsored by Cóilín Parsons and Ryan Dolan
Since the death of her parents, Peggy Casey (23) has not only been running her father's pub, Tigh Casey, located by a lake in a small rural Gaeltacht—she has been doing a great job of keeping it open. She does not understand how her siblings want to sell the pub, and realizing that selling would mean the end of her family, she is determined to stop them. Just as they are about to finally vote on the future of Tigh Casey, a body is found under the receding waters of the lake. It is generally assumed to be a forgotten grave from the old cemetery, but when a detective is sent from Dublin to investigate, it is understood that more is involved. Not only does the detective's arrival indicate that the area is in bad shape, but his questions also shed light on the Caseys' difficult relationship.
DIR Ruán Magan; SCR Sheena Lambert; PROD Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, John Brady; CAST Eleanor O’Brien, Moe Dunford, Pádraig Ó Loingsigh, Denis Conway, Oisín Mistéil, Fionnuala Gygax, Gearóid Kavanagh, Mark Mac Gearailt, Juliette Crosbie; DOP Ronan Fox; SCORE Eimear Noone, Craig Stuart Garfinkle. Ireland, 2025, color, 94 min. In Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
AWARDS: 2025 Galway Film Fleadh: Best Irish Feature Film
"Powerful Irish language film." - RTÉ
Funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4, and Coimisiún na Meán under cine4 scheme.
🎟 For further information regarding bookings:
Please call 301-495-6720 between M-F, 9 AM - 5:30 PM or email silverinfo@AFI.com
Ruán Magan’s work in drama, documentary and stadium events has reached audiences of millions throughout the world.
He has filmed extensively in the Irish language directing the dramedy series, Éirí Amach Amú, starring Peter Coonan and Eoin McDonnell and the drama, Éoinín na nÉan starring Tim Creed as well as producing the long-running series, Manchán ar Seachrán. Ruán has written several screenplays including, with Mark Doherty, The Trouble with Charlieand The Noticer and was story editor on Riverdance – The Movie. His short film, Angel starring Patrick Bergin won many international awards including the Milan International Film Festival. The series Dunhuang – Edge of the World, which he wrote and directed won the Asian Academy Awards in 2021.
Sheena Lambert is a novelist and screenwriter who writes both in the English and Irish languages. Báite is her own Irish language adaptation of her novel The Lake which was published in 2015 by HarperCollins. Other projects currently in pre-production include romantic comedy feature Who Do You Think You Are? which Paddy Breathnach is attached to direct and The Blue Girl, a contemporary drama series written with Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Films. Sheena is represented by Julian Friedmann of the Blake Friedmann Agency in London.
Eleanor O'Brien is an actor from Limerick. She was recently nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award 2025 at the Galway Film Fleadh where she starred in BÁITE, which won Best Irish Language Feature Film. Later this year she can be seen on BBC1 on new tv series, LYNLEY, directed by Ed Bazalgette. She recently filmed the role Shelia O'Neill in 'The Last Right' alongside Colm Meaney, written and directed by Aoife Crehan for Deadpan Pictures.
Earlier this year Eleanor moved to Oxford after being accepted into the Oxford School of Drama Masters.
Brought up and educated in Ireland, Paddy Meskell came to the U.S. in 1988 and has lived most of the time in Washington D.C. He co-founded two software companies in Ireland, worked on Wall Street and with Sallie Mae and has recently retired as Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Silver Diner. For many years he has conducted leadership workshops for the Washington Ireland Program in Ireland and in the U.S. and for Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI). He currently works as an independent consultant specializing in helping small entrepreneurial companies grow successfully.
DINNER AND A MOVIE DEAL
Our festival partner, McGinty's Public House, has generously offered an ongoing discount from February 27 through March 2 for all CIFF ticket holders! When you dine at the restaurant, show your CIFF ticket or pass for a 10% off discount on your bill. Located just around the corner from AFI Silver Theatre, McGinty's (911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20910) is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat between screenings.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Embassy of Ireland, Northern Ireland Bureau, Northern Ireland Screen, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International Programme supported by Culture Ireland. Solas Nua is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
