Syracuse, NY (September 11, 2018) - Syracuse has always held strong to its Irish heritage, celebrating it throughout the generations. It marks the physical and psychological landscape of our city, defining who we are. From our one of a kind traffic light at Tipperary Hill, having one of the top ten St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation, to the popularity of Irish names for business and restaurants… all say its “good to be Irish” in Syracuse.
We are proud to announce our community partner is Adapt CNY Public Arts Task Force. PATF mission is to cultivate a culture of public art in Syracuse. PATF serves as a catalyst for projects by identifying, initiating and integrating public art throughout the city of Syracuse. The PATF provides a medium for community members, artists and art enthusiasts to create public projects, beautify Syracuse and promote vibrant, desirable communities and partners with artists and organizations to provide the tools and resources needed to bring creative projects and events to life. SCIFF is happy to be a part of the programing PATF provides that inspires, engages and beautifies our CNY community.
This year’s festival has expanded to 5 featured films, 4 days of screenings, two locations and a supporting exhibition of work by local illustrators, curated by Jamie Santos, called “Folklore: The Art of Irish Mythology & Tall Tales” at the gallery in Wildflowers Armory.
All Tickets for the screenings at Wildflowers Armory are $10 in advance at the festival website, https://syririshfilmfest.com or $12.50 the day of at the door (Discount rate ticket of $10 at the door with a valid student ID).
Festival films are as follows:
PATRICK'S DAY (2014) Thursday, September 13th, 2018 @ Wildflowers in Armory Square. Doors open at 6pm, Film starts at 7pm.
Directed and written by Terry McMahon.
When a young man (Moe Dunford- Vikings) with mental health issues becomes intimate with a suicidal flight attendant, his obsessive mother (Kerry Fox- Shallow Grave) enlists a dysfunctional cop (Philip Jackson- My Week With Marilyn) to separate them. Winner of ECU European Independent Film Festival 2016 for Best Actor (Moe Dunford). Winner of Galway Film Fleadh 2014 for Best Irish Feature Film. Winner of Irish Film and Television Awards 2015 for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Film (Moe Dunford) and for Best Script in Film (Terry McMahon).
SANCTUARY (2016) Friday, September 14th, 2018 @ Wildflowers in Armory Square. Doors open at 6pm, Film starts at 7pm.
Directed by Len Collin, written by Christian O'Reilly and starring the stellar cast of the Blue Teapot Theater Company.
Larry (Kieran Coppinger) has Down's, Sophie (Charlene Kelly) has epilepsy. Two people with intellectual disabilities, live in a world that conspires to keep them apart. With a clever plan and the enlisting of help from a friend, will love triumph for Larry and Sophie? "Laugh out loud funny, heart-warming and heart-breaking" - the Galway Advertiser. Winner of Dublin International Film Festival 2017- Michael Dwyer Discovery Award for (Best Ensemble Cast). Winner of Galway Film Fleadh 2016 for Best First Feature. Winner of Newport Beach Film Festival 2017 for Best Director (Len Collin).
MY NAME IS EMILY Saturday, September 15th, 2018 @ Wildflowers in Armory Square. Doors open at 1pm. Film starts at 2pm.
Directed and written by Simon Fitzmaurice.
Emily (Evanna Lynch- Harry Potter) has been living in a foster home ever since her father (Michael Smiley- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was institutionalized after her mother's death. Still, she keeps in touch with him through the birthday cards he sends her every year. As Emily starts at a new school, she catches the attention of her shy classmate Arden (George Webster-Versailles). When her father doesn't send a birthday card on her 16th birthday, Emily decides to take matters into her own hands. Enlisting Arden's help, she runs away, and the pair set out on a road trip to break her father out of the psych ward. As their journey progresses, Emily and Arden must depend on each other as they learn about life, love, loss, and letting go. Winner of Dublin International Film Festival 2016 for Discovery Award (Kathryn Kennedy- producer, Kennedy Films). Winner of Galway Film Fleadh 2015 for Best Cinematography in an Irish Feature (Seamus Deasy) and Bingham Ray New Talent Award (Kathryn Kennedy). Winner of Newport Beach Film Festival 2016 for Achievement Award in Acting (Evanna Lynch).
IT'S NOT YET DARK Saturday, September 15th, 2018 @ Wildflowers in Armory Square. Doors open at 6pm, Film starts at 7pm.
Directed by Frankie Fenton.
"It's Not Yet Dark" tells the ground breaking story of Simon Fitzmaurice (writer and director- My Name is Emily), a talented young Irish film maker with ALS (MND), as he embarks on directing his first feature film through the use of his eyes and eye gaze technology. Narrated by Colin Farrell (The Lobster, In Bruges) and starring Ruth Fitzmaurice and Simon Fitzmaurice. Winner of Galway Film Fleadh 2016 for Best Irish Feature Documentary. Winner of Irish Film and Television Awards 2017 for Best Feature Documentary.
SONG OF THE SEA (AMHRÁN NA MARA) Sunday, September 16th 2018. Doors open at 1pm. Film starts at 2pm. This is FREE, family friendly event. Hosted at the Palace Theatre and screening donated for this free event by GKIDS Studios.
Directed by Tomm Moore.
"Song of the Sea" follows the story of a 10-year-old Irish boy named Ben who discovers that his mute sister Saoirse, whom he blames for the apparent death of his mother, is a selkie who has to free faerie creatures from the Celtic goddess Macha. Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter, In Bruges), Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, Waking Ned Devine), and Lisa Hannigan star, with original score composed by Bruno Coulais, in collaboration with the Irish group Kíla. Winner of 2015 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
This festival was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
Fiscal and direct in-kind support has also been provided by several local organizations and businesses including; Visual Technologies, Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Glazed and Confused, The Sweet Praxis, Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub, Mower Advertising and GKids Studios.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact festival director, Micha L. Crook at 315.480.9403 or email syririshfilmfest@gmail.com.
