Friday 17 – Sunday 26 November 2017 www.foylefilmfestival.org WELCOME Welcome to the Foyle Film Festival – yes it is THAT time of year again. But this is an extra special time for the festival as it celebrates its 30th year. The programme has increased to 10 days in order to celebrate this milestone birthday in style with a jam-packed programme of screenings and special guest events. The festival launches with the Northern Ireland Premiere of Battle Of The Sexes – the true story of the famous tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex–men’s champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). The event became one of the most popular televised sports events of all time. The Closing Night film is The Man Who Invented Christmas and recounts how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) created Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Other highlights include the Shorts To Features Conference with special guest Jim Sheridan in conversation about his long and distinguished career. Jim Sheridan will also introduce a special screening of My Left Foot in Brunswick Moviebowl. The cult movie Withnail And I shares Foyle Film Festival’s 30th birthday celebrations this year, and the festival programme includes a special screening with Richard E. Grant in attendance to talk about this hilarious classic and his career in the film industry. The festival pays tribute to the late Sam Shepard with a screening of Days Of Heaven. In a special event following the screening, Stephen Rea and Judith Roddy will read from the short stories of Sam Shepard. As usual the festival champions local film with a special screening in the Guildhall of In The Name Of Peace: John Hume In America. The film examines John Hume’s key role in the peace process, and includes interviews with former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter as well as personal accounts from Bono, Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny. The festival’s family movie this year is The Star – a magical seasonal animation about a brave donkey named Bo and his friends who become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas. The festival takes place across three main venues – Nerve Centre, Brunswick Moviebowl, and the Guildhall with over 100 feature films, Light In Motion (LIM) Competition short films, and educational screenings, taking place over ten days. Bernie McLaughlin, Foyle Film Festival Director & Programmer FOR BOOKINGS VISIT WWW.FOYLEFILMFESTIVAL.ORG // 3 COST & BOOKING www.foylefilmfestival.org FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL OFFICE FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL TEAM Nerve Centre Bernie McLaughlin Festival Director/Programmer 7-8 Magazine Street Christopher Morrison Education Programme Co-ordinator Derry~Londonderry Eavan King Competition Manager BT48 6HJ Eamon Phillips Competition Co-ordinator T: 028 7126 0562 Colum Lynch Box Office Manager Tony Morrison Festival Driver Facebook.com/FoyleFilmFest Karen Friel PR & Marketing Twitter.com/foylefilm NERVE CENTRE TICKET PRICES Pearse Moore Chief Executive BRUNSWICK MOVIEBOWL Opening & Closing Night Galas £6 Martin Melarkey Creative Director Family Screenings £5 John Peto Director of Education All other Brunswick Screenings £5 David Lewis Director of Communications and Digital Content Richard Taylor Facilities Manager NERVE CENTRE Film Screenings £3 Paul Halpenny Finance Film Screenings with Guest Panels/Q&As £4 From Shorts to Features Conference £5 THANKS TO THE GUILDHALL Film Screenings £5 Moyra Lock, Northern Ireland Screen Caoimhin McClafferty, Brunswick Moviebowl FESTIVAL PASS Ten Day Pass – All Events £55 Martin Bradley, Pat Nash and Deidre Gribbin Michael Bond, City of Derry Crystal Special thanks to Harry Burke on his retirement from Foyle Film Festival this year. Harry’s hard work and dedication, for almost two decades, will be greatly missed. PROGRAMME DESIGN Whitenoisestudios.com Foyle Film Festival is a flagship project of the Nerve Centre, funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and by Derry City and Strabane District Council. The festival acknowledges the ongoing support of venue partners Brunswick Moviebowl and City of Derry Crystal. 4 // FOYLEFILMFESTIVAL // 2017 FOR BOOKINGS VISIT WWW.FOYLEFILMFESTIVAL.ORG // 5 FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL: NI PREMIERE HOW IT ALL STARTED OPENING NIGHT GALA: BATTLE OF THE SEXES OPENING LECTURE: BY PROFESSOR MARTIN MCLOONE, FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER @ 8PM PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH ULSTER UNIVERSITY BRUNSWICK MOVIEBOWL FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER @ 5PM UK/USA 2017 DIRECTORS: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris CAST: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Elisabeth Shue, Jessica McNamee, NERVE CENTRE Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming DURATION: 2hrs 1min CERT: 12A DISTRIBUTOR: 20TH Century Fox We begin our 30th anniversary celebrations with a special In his lecture, Martin will consider key themes such as the In the wake of the sexual revolution but also struggling to come to terms “Stone has never been better…” event to honour the individuals and organisations responsible festival’s relationship with the local film sector of the 1980s and the rise of the women’s movement, with her own sexuality, as her friendship SASHA STONE, THE WRAP for founding the Foyle Film Festival, one of the highlight events and the efforts to establish a film industry; the festival’s the 1973 tennis match between women’s with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea in the city’s cultural calendar. role in providing a platform for new Irish cinema; and the world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Riseborough) developed. While Riggs, “Billie Jean King’s showdown stunt emergence of an international Irish cinema with Neil Jordan’s Stone) and ex-men’s champ and serial one of the first self-made media-age fixture against retired men’s champion Professor Martin McLoone from Ulster University, a founding Angel (1982) and Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot (1989). hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) celebrities, wrestled with his gambling Bobby Riggs is played for more than just member of the Foyle Film Festival, will explore the origins was billed as the Battle Of The Sexes demons at the expense of his family laughs in this smart, feminist comedy... of the festival in Derry and the role it played in promoting and became one of the most watched and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Contrives to say a fair amount about cinema culture and the film industry in Northern Ireland The FREE lecture will be followed by a drinks reception. televised sports events of all time, Together, Billie and Bobby served gender discrimination and homophobia in the late 1980s. reaching 90 million viewers around up a cultural spectacle that resonated in the guise of a feel-good comedy.” the world. far beyond the tennis court, sparking TOM CHARITY, SIGHT & SOUND Foyle Film Festival was founded in 1987 by academics discussions around the world. from Ulster University’s Media Studies Department, As the rivalry between King and Riggs After Party Reception in Martha’s local filmmakers, community–based video organisations kicked into top gear, off the court each Co-produced by Danny Boyle. Vineyard, Brunswick Moviebowl. such as Derry Film, Video Collective and Northland Films and was fighting more personal and complex Enjoy a glass of wine and help us individuals prominent within the city’s art and cultural scene battles. The fiercely private King was not celebrate our 30th anniversary. such as Declan McGonagle, Director of the Orchard Gallery. only championing for equality, 6 // FOYLEFILMFESTIVAL // 2017 FOR BOOKINGS VISIT WWW.FOYLEFILMFESTIVAL.ORG // 7 WATER AND SUGAR: CARLO DI PALMA, THE COLOURS OF LIFE SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER @ 2PM NI PREMIERE NERVE CENTRE Italy 2016 DIRECTOR: Fariborz Kamkari WALK WITH ME CAST: Bernardo Bertolucci, Christian NI PREMIERE SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER @ 12PM De Sica, Ken Loach, Mira Nair, Woody Allen, Wim Wenders DURATION: 1hr 30mins BRUNSWICK MOVIEBOWL CERT: TBC LANGUAGE: Italian with English subtitles DISTRIBUTOR: Swipe Films UK 2017 DIRECTORS: Marc J. Francis, Max Pugh CAST: Thich Nhát Hanh, Brother CLOSING NIGHT GALA: DURATION: CERT: LANGUAGE: Pháp Dung, Brother Pháp Huu 1hr 28mins U English/French/ Vietnamese DISTRIBUTOR: Thunderbird Releasing Rarely do such esteemed filmmakers THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS as Wim Wenders, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ken Loach, Mira Nair and Woody Allen Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. moment and our attachment to material SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER @ 8.30PM agree so strongly on something. The one things, and a welcome antidote to the BRUNSWICK MOVIEBOWL This contemplative documentary common opinion of these extraordinary pressures of everyday life and a world follows in the steps of Zen master Thich talents is that Carlo Di Palma’s genius in chaos. Ireland/Canada 2017 DIRECTOR: Bharat Nalluri CAST: Dan Stevens, Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Plummer, Simon Callow, Miriam Nhat Hanh and provides a rare insight as a cinematographer is unparalleled. Margolyes DURATION: TBC CERT: PG DISTRIBUTOR: Thunderbird Releasing into life inside a monastic community. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In Water And Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, Everything is peaceful as Benedict The Colours Of Life documentary “Arrestingly beautiful… The Man Who Invented Christmas tells of the magical journey “The most refreshing aspect of this film was that it offers families Cumberbatch’s composed, meditative filmmaker Fariborz Kamkari explores Highly recommended for spiritual that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher something to go and enjoy for the upcoming holiday season. voice reads an extract from Thich Nhat Di Palma’s world through the eyes audiences of all faiths.” Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from Some high drama, a glimpse into a significant portion of history Hanh’s early journals. So begins this of his wife Adriana Chiesa who JOE BENDEL, J.B. SPINS A Christmas Carol. The film shows how Charles Dickens and a hopeful message for the season. …upon leaving the theater, fascinating and immersive exploration worked with him throughout his (Dan Stevens) mixed real-life inspirations with his vivid there should be no humbugs, and all should be saying, ‘God bless of what it means to devote one’s life “Fascinating and profound.” illustrious career.