CHRISTY
Sunday, March 1 • 8:00 PM • T1
Guests to the event will be welcomed by Fionnuala Quinlan, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Ireland, and following gala screening there will be a closing night festival reception for all ticket and festival pass holders held at McGinty's.
Dramatic Feature | East Coast Premiere | Feature Directorial Debut | Award Winner
Screening generously sponsored by Irish Network DC (INDC)
Seventeen-year-old Christy (in a powerhouse debut by Danny Power) is at a crossroads. Kicked out of his latest suburban foster home, he returns to his old neighborhood to live with his estranged half-brother Shane (Diarmuid Noyes) and his young family, stirring up memories of their difficult childhood for both of them. As far as Shane is concerned, the arrangement is temporary—but Christy begins to find himself and a sense of home on Cork's working-class northside. As he makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his destructive extended family despite Shane’s best efforts to steer him away. After so many years apart, the brothers need to find a way to reconcile their turbulent past while deciding what the future looks like in a powerful story of brotherhood, belonging, second chances and finding your place in the world. The debut feature from accomplished music video director Brendan Canty (Hozier’s "Take Me to Church") mines humor and heart for a crowd-pleasing drama that resists typical social realist pitfalls.
DIR Brendan Canty; SCR Brendan Canty, Alan O'Gorman; PROD Marina Brackenbury, Meredith Duff; Rory Gilmartin; CAST Danny Power; Diarmuid Noyes; Emma Willis; Cara Cullen; Helen Behan; Lewis Brophy; Chris Walley; Alison Oliver; Jamie Forde; Darren Stewart; Ian Tabone; Sophie McNamara; Rúaidhrí Conroy; DOP Colm Hogan; SCORE Daithí O’Dronai. Ireland, 2025, color, 94 min. In English. NOT RATED
AWARDS: The Grand Prix for Best Film in Generation 14plus - Berlin International Film Festival; Lux Award - European Film Awards; Best Irish Film - Galway Film Fleadh 2025
“Clattering, noisy, joyful portrait of life in a troubled north Cork suburb. Film-maker Brendan Canty’s debut feature finds the sweet spot between geezer romp and gritty social realism.” - Irish Times
“Outstanding actors and Cork landmarks shine in a moving and funny Irish drama.” - The Guardian
“Ultimately sunny and often ebullient — down to a communal hip-hop number at its close — this is an honest crowdpleaser...” - Variety
Funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and BBC Film.
🎟 For further information regarding bookings:
Please call 301-495-6720 between M-F, 9 AM - 5:30 PM or email silverinfo@AFI.com
Brendan Canty is an Irish director known for his honest, empathetic, and visually striking approach to storytelling. He gained international recognition with Hozier’s Take Me to Church video, which has surpassed a billion views and received two MTV VMA nominations. His award-winning short films include For You (2017), starring Barry Keoghan, and Christy (2019), which became his debut feature, set for release in 2025 with BBC Film and Screen Ireland. His latest experimental short, Atali'i O Le Crezent (Sons of the Crezent), won the Audience Award and Best Director at Show Me Shorts
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.
