For information on the Documentary Market, please click HERE.

It seems that large numbers of people feel the need for independent testimonies of the world we live in, which neither television nor mainstream cinema any longer provide. All over Europe, documentary festivals are growing in size and number and there are initiatives in progress to create an alternative digital exhibition circuit for documentaries across the EU. We are delighted that this year’s guest of honour will be Frederick Wiseman who will participate in the Screen Training Ireland Documentary Masterclass as well as discuss his work in a public interview. Wiseman is one of the greatest documentary makers in the world, and the Festival is delighted to include screenings of four of his best films.

Our opening film is Brian O’Flaherty’s portrait of an Irish sporting legend Jack Charlton-The Irish Years, it is hoped that the director and some of his contributors will attend the screening. Mad Hot Ballroom, best described as Spellbound meets Come Dancing, is one of a number of international documentaries with music at its centre; the award-winning The Devil and Daniel Johnson tells the story of a near forgotten musical genius, the Brazilian film Everything Blue charts the history of samba, while this year’s late night slot will be the classic documentary about The Who-The Kids Are Alright.

Irish documentaries include Jim Cahill’s The Drama and the Joy, a revealing insight into the drama workshops in Mountjoy Prison and Stephen Rooke’s The Lost Gods, the first Irish Canadian co-production and the subject of a festival case-study. Israeli writer and documentary maker Alan Rosenthal will present his new film Stalin’s Last Purge and participate in a panel discussion entitled Documenting History. There are a number of sponsors who have been extremely supportive of the event and I would like to thank them, as well as acknowledge the support of my IFI colleague and the Festival Advisory Panel. I would also like to pay tribute to to Moira Horgan and Louis Marcus, who have stepped down from the panel -but whose commitment to this event has been key to its success.