The Irish Film Institute (IFI) was at the Consulate General of Ireland in New York in April to launch its Irish Independence Film Collection, a culturally significant compilation of newsreel material from the early 20th century. With over 150 films in total, the footage, which features Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, and Queen Victoria to name a few, gives fascinating … [Read more...] about Irish Film Institute Unveils Century-Old Footage
Film
Downey Talks
Nowadays people think of Bob Downey as actor Robert Downey, Jr.’s father, but back in the ’60s and ’70s he was celebrated for his avant-garde movies – most notably, his 1969 satire Putney Swope, a send-up of both Madison Avenue and American race relations. After a screening of Putney Swope in N.Y.C. recently, Downey sat down with Glenn Kenny, the film critic and journalist, to … [Read more...] about Downey Talks
John Ford: A True Film Pioneer
Film director Martin Scorsese was honored with the John Ford Award at the annual Irish Film and Television Awards presentation in Dublin on February 25, 2017. Scorsese was a huge fan of Ford as he explains in the following excerpt from a lecture given to the American Irish Historical Society. John Ford was a true film pioneer. He began directing in his mid-teens. … [Read more...] about John Ford: A True Film Pioneer
Irish Eye on Hollywood
1. Dublin native Samantha Power is now a high-ranking member of the Obama administration, currently serving as Ambassador to the United Nations, a demanding position at a time of great instability across the globe. In October, Power will be prominently featured in a documentary entitled Watchers of the Sky, which won numerous awards at the recent Sundance Film Festival and is … [Read more...] about Irish Eye on Hollywood
Irish at the Oscars
It’s that time of year again and the Oscar nods arrived this morning. Among the contenders for Best Picture this year is Philomena, the true story of Philomena Lee’s search for her son after a clandestine adoption under the shadow of the Catholic Church and Irish State. Much of the movie was filmed in Ireland and, as we told you about in our last issue, highlights the troubled … [Read more...] about Irish at the Oscars