Film Ireland Podcast

The Belly Of The Whale is set over a long bank holiday weekend. Misfit teenager, Joey Moody, returns to his home town in a bid to reopen his family’s crumbling caravan park and salvage his friendship with his best friend, Lanks. Meanwhile, on a mission to find the money to cover his wife’s medical expenses, Ronald Tanner, a fractured soul, risks his meagre life savings on a get rich quick scheme that ends in abject failure and humiliation at the hands of local big shot Gits Hegarty, pushing Ronald over the edge and off the wagon. After Joey accidentally burns down Ronald’s camper van and is forced to find the cash to repay him, the strange pair find themselves bonded together in misfortune. In an effort to change their shabby circumstances they concoct a plan to rob the Pleasurama, the local amusement arcade, and the domain of the iniquitous Gits. Gemma Creagh chats to Morgan Bushe about The Belly of the Whale his debut feature as a director and  Lewis MacDougall about his role as Joey. http://filmireland.n

Gemma Creagh talks to Aoife O'Toole, the Dublin Feminist Film Festival Manager, about what we can expect at this year's festival with screenings in the Light House Cinema 21st and 22nd November plus Special Launch Events taking place on 20th November in The Generator Hostel, Smithfield.  The Dublin Feminist Film Festival Manager runs 19 - 21 November. http://filmireland.net/

Natasha Waugh's latest short film, Mother, screens at this year's Cork Film Festival. In the film, hardworking mam Grace, played by Hilary Rose, has the perfect happy family: a loving husband and two wonderful children. But when her husband arrives home one day with a brand new kitchen appliance, she slowly starts to realize that there might not be room for both of them in this house. Gemma Creagh sat down with Natasha to find out more about her quirky short, her journey into film and her IFTA-nominated 2016 film Terminal. http://filmireland.net/

Gemma Creagh was at the European premiere of Lenny Abrahamson's new film The Little Stranger at the Light House cinema in Dublin and talked to Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Lenny Abrahamson and Ruth Wilson. Lenny Abrahamson's new film The Little Stranger tells the story of Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson), the son of a housemaid, who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long hot summer of 1948, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. The Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries. But it is now in decline and its inhabitants – Mrs. Ayres (Charlotte Rampling), Roderick Ayres (Will Poulter) and Caroline Ayres (Ruth Wilson) - are haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life. When he takes on his new patient, Faraday has no idea how closely, and how disturbingly, the family's story is about to become entwined with his own. http://filmireland.net

John Collins spoke to Elynia Betts, whose short film Maeve and the Moon screened at this year's Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington D.C. When her father offhandedly remarks that her mother is "asking for the moon," imaginative and resilient Maeve decides to set off on her own to find the moon and bring it home. filmireland.net/

John Collins spoke to Colin McIvor, whose film Zoo, featuring Ian McElhinney, Amy Huberman, Toby Jones and Penelope Wilton, opened this year's Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington D.C. Zoo recounts the story of young Tom and his misfit friends, who fight to save 'Buster' the baby elephant during the German air raid bombings of Belfast in 1941. Zoo screened at the Capital Irish Film Festival on Thursday, 1st March. Zoo is released in Irish cinemas on 29th June 2018. http://filmireland.net/

In this end of year peachy pod, Sarah Cullen and Richard Drumm reflect on 2017 and pick out their top movies, plus their worst moments - including Richard's newly diagnosed persicaphobia. There's also a round-up of some recent films, including ItTolls for Thee, Battle of the Sexes - featuring Sarah's tennis rant, The Death of Stalin, Thor: Ragnarok, The Disaster Artist, Call Me By Your Name, The Last Jedi - and all its sex scenes. Happy new year...

To see the year off, our yuletide yetis, Ali Doyle, Conor Dowling, Conor McMahon and Mark Sheridan gathered together roasting corpses on an open fire and discussing their latest horror oglings. They also mull over haunted house films and recommend a few Christmas horrors to see you through the festive season. Happy horrordays from everyone at Reel Horror Show http://filmireland.net/

The cybernetically reconstructed Richard Drumm is joined by antiquities dealer Paul Farren to aim fire at Justice League and Thor Ragnarock and look back on the year of Superhero and Comic Book Films, mull over top Fives, and gaze into the future to see what's in store for 2018. Contains spoilers...

Gemma Creagh sat down with Alan Maher of Marcie Films to discuss the ins and outs of producing Pat Collins' Song of Granite, the life story of traditional Sean-nós singer Joe Heaney, from County Galway. Song of Granite is in cinemas from 8th December 2017 http://filmireland.net/

The macabre members of Reel Horror Show return to feed your nightmares. Fresh from their Halloween live recording at Filmbase, the troop of terror re-assemble in the mangled form of Ali Doyle, Conor Dowling, Conor McMahon, and Mark Sheridan. Listen to them — children of the night. What music they make. http://filmireland.net/

In this episode of The Actors’ Room, Lynn Larkin chats to Geraldine McAlinden. Originally from County Armagh, Geraldine trained originally as a solicitor and worked in the UK and Ireland. She trained and worked part-time as an actor and director for theatre until 2012 when she left law to take up a place in the first one year Screen Acting programme run by the Factory now Bow Street Academy. During that time she trained with Kirsten Sheridan, Shimmy Marcus, Lance Daly and Maureen Hughes during the one year Screen Acting Programme in The Factory (now Bow Street) and with the Gaiety School of Acting and the Focus Theatre. She is a member of The Actor’s Studio in Bow Street. Film credits include the features The Secret Scripture, The Truth Commissioner, How to be Happy, ANTON and Portrait of a Zombie (Winner of the 2013 Underground Film Festival’s Best Independent Feature award). Geraldine’s performance in Portrait of a Zombie led to her being long listed for an IFTA for Best Actress in a leading role in a fea

June Butler talks to director Gerry Gregg about his film Condemned to Remember in which Irish Holocaust Survivor Tomi Reichental celebrates his 80th birthday in a Dublin Mosque and embarks on epic journey across a Europe in turmoil. http://filmireland.net/

Jonathan Victory talks to director Gavin Fitzgerald and producer Jamie D’Alton about making Conor McGregor: Notorious. Filmed over the course of 4 years, Conor McGregor: Notorious is an access-all-areas account of McGregor's personal and professional journey from claiming benefits and living in his mum's spare room with his girlfriend to claiming multiple championship belts and 9-figure pay packets. Featuring exclusive interviews, unprecedented access and fight footage, this is the ultimate behind-the- scenes look at a sporting icon and his meteoric rise. http://filmireland.net/

The gruesome gang return from the dead for a very special live recording in front of an unholy audience in the dungeons of Filmbase. Regulars Mark "flesh-eating" Sheridan and Conor "axe-wielding" McMahon were joined by very special guests Zoe "zombie-hunter" Kavanagh and David "candelabrum-in-the-wind" Turpin to dissect all things horror. The frightful four chew over their own particular love of horror, making horror films and what puts the shivers in their shizzle, amongst other devilish discourse. Film Ireland would like to make it clear that all blood sacrifices on the night were voluntary and a result of the victims' own free will.  Happy Halloween!

In this podcast Sarah Cullen chats to Linda Cullen, co-director of The 34th, which tells the story of the driven and dedicated people who formed Marriage Equality in Ireland, and developed it into a highly effective grassroots force with one clear goal in mind - the extension of Civil Marriage to same sex couples. Through revealing interviews and archive material, former board members and staff outline the strategising, fierce battles, sheer hard graft and personal cost of running such an all-consuming campaign. ​From the KAL (Katherine Zappone & Ann Louise Gilligan) case to a YES vote on 22nd May 2015, this documentary spans a decade culminating in the 34th amendment to the Irish constitution, allowing same sex marriage. The 34th screens at the Light House Cinema on Wednesday, 18th October at 6.30 http://filmireland.net/

Sarah Cullen and Richard Drumm return to aurally go where no pod has gone before bring both chit and chat to the latest Film Ireland Podcast. In this episode our dastardly duo bring you news and gossip and enter the world of TV to ponder Game of Thrones and The Handmaid's Tale. Under the cinematic microscope is The 34th, an Irish doc that tells the story of the people who formed Marriage Equality in Ireland, the hirsute War for the Planet of the Apes, Nolan's Dunkirk, the capered Logan Lucky, the punch a white man inducing Detroit, the bravely bleak Wind River, the fingerbanging Kingsman: The Golden Circle and ermmmm mother! Hear ye! Hear ye! http://filmireland.net/

Gemma Creagh talks to the IFI's Head of Irish Film Programming, Sunniva O'Flynn and Head of Programming, David O'Mahony about what to expect at this year's IFI Documentary Film Festival. http://filmireland.net/

Gemma Creagh talks to writer/director Stephen Burke about Maze, which tells the true story of the infamous 1983 prison breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from HMP, which was to become the biggest prison escape in Europe since World War II. Maze is in cinemas from 22nd September 2017 http://filmireland.net/

In this episode of The Actors' Room, Lynn Larkin chats to Niamh Hogan, who recently starred in Zoe Kavanagh's 'Demon Hunter', which is  available on digital and Video on Demand platforms. http://filmireland.net/