Dinard British and Irish Film Festival

The annual Dinard Film Festival is expanding to become the British AND Irish film festival. The 35th edition takes place from 2 to 6 October. There are six films in competition as well as a short film section and special events such as a preview of Anthony Hopkins playing Sigmund Freud debating the existence of God with Narnia author C.S. Lewis.

As well as those in competition there are dozens of screenings of both fiction and documentary films. This year they are organized into five categories:
Creative forces: looking at music, fashion, literature and filmmaking greats such as Powell and Pressburger, and Merchant & Ivory
No woman, No cry: putting the spotlight on women’s stories.
Other People's Lives: putting viewers into others’ shoes.
Outsiders: speaks for itself.
With a Little Help from My Friends: looking at cross-border co-productions and cross-pollination.

Here's the teaser for the festival.

In Competition
Three of the films are Irish or Irish-set.

Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews

This story of family feuds in the rural west of Ireland is partly in Irish. It stars Irish acting royalty Colm Meaney (The Snapper, Tolkien) and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin.)

September Says Ariane Labed

Sisters September and July have to take refuge in the grandmother's house in Ireland after a disturbing incident at school. This directorial debut from Labed is based on the novel by Daisy Johnson and was selected for Cannes this year.

That They May Face The Rising Sun Pat Collins
A beautiful, gentle tale of a small community in Ireland, based on the final novel by  Irish novelist John McGahern.

Poison Désirée Nosbusch
Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm play a couple who have been torn apart by the poisonous event referenced in the title: the loss of a child.

 

Unicorns Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd
When Luke meets Aysha in an underground nightclub he doesn't initially realise she is a  drag queen. When he finds out his initial reaction is rejection but Aysha has really got under his skin.

The Convert Lee TamahoriThe only historical film in the selection also has a very different setting: colonial New Zealand. The Once Were Warriors director portrays 1830s New Zealand when Māori culture was very much alive. Guy Pearce (Neighbours, L.A. Confidential) plays a preacher who tries to position himself between the colonists and the Māori.

Coming to a Screen Near You
None of the films in competition have a release date (yet) for France, but some of the other films being screened do.

The Outrun is based on a memoir by Scottish journalist Amy Liptrot. Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Lady Bird, Little Women) portrays Liptrot, who returns to her childhood home in the Orkney Islands to try to beat alcoholism. On general release 2 October.

Dinard British and Irish Film Festival
2 to 6 October