U.S. and Midwest premiers abound at the 15th Chicago Irish Film Festival, February 28–March 8, 2013, a festival dedicated to celebrating contemporary Irish filmmaking. Opening the festival is How to Be Happy, starring Brian Gleeson (Love/Hate, Noreen) and Gemma-Leah Devereux (Stitches, The Tudors), a delightful indie rom-com about a misguided relationship counselor who becomes too closely involved with his clients and the attractive young private detective who’s out to catch him in the act. The closing night program will be filled with short films premiering in Chicago including Eoin Duffy’s, The Mission Scarf short listed for a best animated short Oscar nomination and Galway Film Fleadh winner; Jenny Keogh’s Story Bud? a brilliantly quirky guide to Irish slang; and Shimmy Marcus’ endearing Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion a multiple award winning Irish/Jewish film with universal appeal. Other films screening at the festival are Paul Kennedy’s Made in Belfast about a young writer living in Paris who returns to Belfast for a funeral and confront ire of his former friends and fiancé and Michelle Deignan’s Breaking Ground the fascinating story of the rise and fall of the London Irish Women’s Center from 1983–2012.
For a complete festival program and information about screenings and tickets please visit: chicagoirishfilmfestival.com