Cork Film Festival launches with diverse slate of 15 films

The Cork International Film Festival opens with a varied programme of 15 films ranging from animation to hard‑hitting documentaries.

Opening the festival is Olivier Clert’s animated adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book *Listen to the Moon*, which follows Lucy, a gifted girl on a remote English island, and her imaginary friend Milly. The film blends magical realism with kitchen‑sink realism and features a score by Anne‑Sophie Versnaeyen.

Ainle Ó Cairealláin presents a documentary about his attempt to establish a gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank, home to 6,000 displaced Palestinians. The film explores Irish‑Palestinian solidarity, trust and friendship, and will be followed by a Q&A.

Another feature recounts the tragedy of the Gulf Oil terminal built in Bantry Bay in the late 1960s, describing Ireland’s worst industrial and maritime disaster, with a post‑screening discussion.

Eanna Hardwicke stars in *Beau*, a thriller set in 1980s London where the protagonist searches for a missing flatmate and brother. A Q&A with Hardwicke, Rupert Everett and director David Turpin will follow, and Hardwicke will appear in an “In Conversation” event the next day.

A documentary tribute to Cork’s own Rory Gallagher, featuring blues‑rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, includes interviews with Brian May and Slash and a performance, with a Q&A from Gallagher’s brother Donal.

Derry Girls alum Saoirse Monica Jackson appears in a drama about a grieving American in a West Cork village, alongside Aidan Quinn and Stephen Rea, with a post‑screening discussion.

Other notable screenings include Emmanuelle Marre’s political drama set in Vichy France, Sandra Huller’s black‑and‑white film set during the Thirty Years’ War, and Abinash Bikram Shah’s thriller about Nepal’s transgender community.

As part of the Culinary Cinema strand, *A Sip of Irish* celebrates Ireland’s contribution to global cuisine, accompanied by a supper at the Grainstore in Ballymaloe, with additional culinary events such as *Forest High* and *Feast or Famine*.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Daniil Ustinov / Pexels.