New Orleans Irish Film Festival
The first annual New Orleans Irish film festival takes place this weekend
at the city’s historic Prytania Theatre.
The three-day event kicks off with a special showing of The Quiet Man, the
legendary story from the golden age of Hollywood directed by John Ford and
starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. The Oscar-winning tearjerker will
be preceded by a gala celebration featuring food and drink from the Olde
Country including Guinness, whiskey, and hors d’oeuvres from celebrated
local supplies like The Irish House and St James Cheese Company.
Most of the movies have never been seen in the city before and offer a
diverse range of celluloid talent, stretching from silent movies from the
1920s to award-winning children’s films, to current documentaries and
modern dramas. Festival organizers have also clinched debut screenings of
a number of critically-acclaimed independent shorts and full-length films.
On Saturday at noon, the Prytania will show the kids’ movie The Secret of
Kells, followed by a display of Celtic dancing from the McTeggart Irish
Dancers of Louisiana. Admission is just $5 for adults and children, and
for the rest of the movies the charge is $10. The opening night gala is
priced at $40 for IN NOLA members and $50 for nonmembers.
On Sunday at 12:30pm the classic 1922 silent film Come On Over will get a
rare public viewing, and will be accompanied by a live piano player. The
festival closes at 8pm that night with this year’s release Pilgrim Hill, a
tale focusing on the dark side of rural Ireland.
Festival Director Robert Bell said: ‘This is an excellent chance for film
goers to see the latest in Irish cinema, and there are many highlights in
this collection of rare movies. The opening night promises to be a
fantastic event, and The Quiet Man is an especially poignant choice as
this legendary film is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary. Come and see
Ireland in stunning and glorious Technicolor green on the big screen!’
The New Orleans Film Fest runs from Friday, 14th September at 7pm until
Sunday, 16th September at 8pm. Information and tickets can be found at
www.irishnetworkneworleans.
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