Irish language film Kneecap to open Galway Film Fleadh

The Sundance award-winning movie ‘Kneecap’ will have its Irish premiere tonight, when it opens the 36th Galway Film Fleadh.

The Irish language production, featuring the hip-hop act of the same name, leads off a bumper programme, which includes almost 100 other features and more than 110 short films.

The festival’s CEO Miriam Allen said the breadth of work on show this week shows how healthy the Irish film sector is at present, as well as giving a good insight into international trends.

As usual, a number of dedicated thematic strands have been selected, with a number of Palestinian works scheduled in what has been described by organisers as a “show of solidarity” with people from that country.

Audiences will also have a chance to view several music documentaries, including ‘Conor Walsh – Selected Piano Works’, which looks at the work of the late Mayo-based composer.

Elsewhere ‘The Beautiful Game’ strand features football films to coincide with the concluding stages of the Euro 2024 competition.

Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh from Kneecap arrived into Galway to promote their film.

They are hoping it will resonate with audiences already taken by their debut LP and increase the use of Irish in everyday life.

Mr Ó Cairealláin, who uses the stage name Móglaí Bap, said the premise of the film “is all about identity and the language and how young people feel about the Irish language these days and I think there is a change in the tide, how people approach the language and have a lot more fun with the language”.

He said he expected people in Ireland to get the tone of the film in a way that international audiences might not, given the nuances and turns of phrase throughout.

Throughout the week, hundreds of meetings will take place around the Fleadh activities as film-makers meet with industry representatives, in what can often be the first stage of bringing an idea from conception to the big screen.

That aspect of the festival is something that brothers Jake and Luke Morgan said captivated them since childhood when they used a family camcorder to record their first film-making attempts.

For years the Fleadh has been the main cultural event in the siblings’ calendar. Now, they are set to debut their first feature ‘Froggie’ on screen in the Town Hall Theatre.

As they prepare for tomorrow’s premiere, they explained the significance of the journey they had undertaken together.

“Since we were kids we’ve attended this every year and so to be at the Fleadh this year, with a film in the Town Hall Theatre, on the Wednesday night is just mind blowing stuff for two filmmakers like myself and Jake who as young people made films on our parents’ big VCR, so this is a big moment for us,” said director Luke Morgan.

His brother Jake agreed: “Our film is about following your star, following your dreams, trying to make them come true as artists. And it kinda feels like this is kind of what’s happening right now!”.

The Fleadh continues at venues across Galway until Sunday night.