The 20th edition of the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, presented in partnership with American Film Institute's AFI Silver wrapped in March with record attendances and ticket sales and overwhelmingly positive feedback. This year’s program — centered on music, Irish language, documentaries and new drama — was the most expansive and ambitious to date, with 42 titles screened including 18 feature films (7 North American, and 8 Regional Premieres); three shorts programs (24 short films across all programming); the Norman Houston Short Film Award presentation; three gala screening events with dignitaries; 9 in-person artist introductions and post-screening conversations on stage including 6 moderated Q&As and a panel discussion with artists, writers, professors and arts leaders from the DC cultural sector as well as, for the first time, a Pop-Up Gaeltacht.
Special guests included dignitaries, guests of honor, writers, directors and actors from stage and screen, including the Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason; Richard Cushnie, Director, Northern Ireland Bureau; directors Lisa Barros D’Sa [SAIPAN], Dennis Harvey [CELTIC UTOPIA], Glenn Leyburn [SAIPAN], Gar O’Rourke [SANATORIUM], Ruán Magan [DANIEL O CONNELL & BÁITE], Colin McIvor [NO ORDINARY HEIST]; directors & writers, Gemma Creagh [CONVEYANCE], Nuala O’Connor [IN TIME: DÓNAL LUNNY]; writer Sheena Lambert and actor Eleanor O'Brien [BÁITE]; producer Ruth Carter [NO ORDINARY HEIST].
Solas Nua partnered with:
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Georgetown University Global Irish Studies Initiative (GIS), whose Associate Director and Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Darragh Gannon moderated the Q&A following the opening night gala screening of SAIPAN;
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the University of Notre Dame, Dublin and University College Cork on the screening of DANIEL O’CONNELL: THE EMANCIPATOR, presenting a post-screening panel discussion with visiting special guests director Ruán Magan, Dr. Chanté Mouton Kinyon, Assistant Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, and Dr. Jay Roszman, Lecturer, School of History, University College Cork, moderated by author and diplomat, Christopher Morash;
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University College Dublin Creative Futures Academy in the presentation of IN TIME: DÓNAL LUNNY and a post-screening Q&A between visiting director Nuala O’Connor and P.J. Mathews, CFA Director and Professor of Irish Literature, Drama, and Culture at University College Dublin;
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and the DC Environmental Film Festival on the screening of LISTEN TO THE LAND SPEAK.
Sincere thanks to special guests Eimear Clowry Delaney, Director of Notre Dame Dublin, who introduced the DANIEL O’CONNELL: THE EMANCIPATOR screening and William Tranghese, former Chief of Staff for Congressman Richard E. Neal, and Senior Vice President at Platinum Advisors, who introduced GERRY ADAMS: A BALLYMURPHY MAN.
Solas Nua partnered with media outlets who joined us in residence for the four days of the festival including The Irish Stew Podcast hosts Martin Nutty and John Lee from NYC and Film Ireland editor and presenter Gemma Creagh, who travelled from Ireland to attend the screening of her short film CONVEYANCE and interview visiting artists and festival guests. Sincere thanks to Happy Medium Productions for recording all post-screening Q&As, panels, interviews and conversations.
Festival partners and sponsors include: Blessinger Legal PLLC, Caddie Tours, Irish America 250, Irish Network DC, Marriott Courtyard Silver Spring, Mc Ginty's Public House, Silver Spring Town Center, Shift - The Irish Cultural Network, Washington DC GAA Gaels. Film screenings were supported in part by the generosity of Solas Nua donors: Eileen Blessinger, Colette & Barry Breen, Martin & Mary Liz Burns, Andrew Clarke & Chip Sherrill, Gerri Fiala, Dennis Houlihan & Mimi Conway, Niall Leogue, Brian Maney & Barbara Stauffer, Patrick McGlone & Kevin Taylor, Kate Meenan-Waugh, Patrick & Darlene Meskell, Ruth Meyler, Cóilín Parsons & Ryan Dolan.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by the Government of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Embassy of Ireland, Northern Ireland Bureau, Northern Ireland Screen, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International programme supported by Culture Ireland.
