Docs Ireland, the renowned documentary film festival, concludes its fifth edition with a captivating conversation between Patrick Kielty, the new Late Late Show host, and Carl Frampton, former champion boxer and mental health advocate. The discussion revolves around Northern Irish politics, education, and identity.
Spanning six days, the festival showcases over 87 films and events, solidifying its position as a premier platform for non-fiction filmmaking. The program opens with the Irish Premiere of Let the Canary Sing, a documentary that intimately portrays Cyndi Lauper, setting the tone for a program that highlights the diverse potential of non-fiction filmmaking.
Special screenings include extraordinary found footage—a 1970s IRA training video discovered by BBC journalist Darragh MacIntyre in New York. The festival also presents a retrospective of films by Alison Millar, one of Northern Ireland’s most exciting filmmakers.
The festival’s Pull Focus Irish Documentary Competition premieres three world-class films, one European premiere, and seven Northern Irish premieres. The New International Documentary strand presents compelling stories from around the world. Notable films include Penny Lane’s exploration of altruism in Confessions of a Good Samaritan, Paul Sng’s thought-provoking Tish, and Simon Chambers’ poignant Much Ado About Dying. Docs Ireland also introduces Shellshock Music, featuring captivating events like The Computer Accent, where a pop group incorporates AI into their music. Additionally, Back to the Archive offers live music in collaboration with Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive. Outdoor screenings at the Belfast Stories site, near the Sunflower pub, feature music documentaries such as Amazing Grace, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, and Monterey Pop.
Docs Ireland also proudly presents diverse Irish Shorts Programmes, including works by emerging documentary talents. The festival celebrates the power of non-fiction filmmaking, providing a platform for engaging conversations, thought-provoking documentaries, and captivating short films.
