International Film Festival to feature intriguing Roscommon connections

The 2024 Roscommon International Film Festival taking place at the Roscommon Arts Centre on Saturday, October 5th, will present a broad mix of films, including those featuring intriguing local connections.

Covering themes of horror, comedy, documentary, animation and drama, the festival is showing 20 short films and one feature film on the day.

The directors, Andrew Hannon and CC Braithwaite, describe the festival “as a dynamic showcase of the year’s freshest talent from around the world, with an emphasis on innovation and creative storytelling”.

“From breakthrough filmmakers to seasoned storytellers, our programme spans a diverse range of genres-drama, thriller, horror, comedy, and more-highlighting the most captivating works of the year,” they say. 

This year, the curated lineup brings an exciting blend of international and Irish filmmakers, each offering a unique voice and perspective.

Andrew and CC say the festival is a celebration of cinema that “explores the possibilities of storytelling while also providing a vibrant space for networking, collaboration, and celebration”.

A section of the festival entitled ‘Roscommon and Neighbours’ features specific connections with the county.

Kathy Raftery’s short film ‘A Roscommon Snapshot’ unveils the fascinating connections of three Roscommon men in the heart of the Vietnam War. The Ballinlough native’s documentary delves into their unexpected reunion on the front page of the Roscommon Herald in 1972, and explores the intriguing journey that led these hometown neighbours to the battlefields of Saigon.

Roscommon native Martin O’Hara presents a documentary/coming of age film called ‘No Fish’. Following a fishing trip with childhood friends, the film reflects upon their upbringing in rural Ireland, and the friends begin to realise the uncertainty of their friendships and futures.

‘Daddy’s Dead’ is a dark comedy by Roscommon man Conor Lambert, centring on twin brothers Pat and Malachy. As their father is dying upstairs, Pat and Malachy, a rural Irish odd couple, struggle with the impending death of ‘Daddy’. 

Pat believes himself to be the sole beneficiary when his father passes, as inheritance traditionally goes to the first born son, but which one is the eldest?

‘In God’s Hands’ by Tulsk native Niall Sheerin is a documentary about his late brother, Michael, a renowned tattoo artist who passed away in 2022 at the age of 42 from pulmonary hypertension.

The Roscommon International Film Festival on Saturday, October 5th, runs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Roscommon Arts Centre. 

The festival is supported by the Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme.