Foyle Film Festival launches new short programme, Reel LivesFoyle Film Festival launches new short programme, Reel Lives

On offer is a series of public screenings, essential industry workshops, a primary and post primary education programme and some festival favourites such as Cinematic Breakfasts and Dementia Friendly screenings from Wednesday 29 March – Sunday 2 April.

Themes of diversity, inclusion, inequality, racism, LGBTQ+, human rights and disability are explored in this programme through some of the most critically acclaimed films of the year so far including Alice Diop’s thought-provoking Saint Omer. This mesmerising courtroom drama tells the story of a Senegalese immigrant and student accused of killing her 15 month daughter.

A special preview screening of Full Time tells the story of a single mother who must find her way to a job interview amidst running into a national transit strike. Women Talking from director/actor Sarah Polley which won best adapted screenplay at the 2023 Oscars®, tells the story of the women of an isolated religious community grappling with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.

Other noteworthy highlights include screenings of Paris, 13th District, the tale of love and romance in the diverse eponymous district of the French capital; and musical adaptation of a cult high school classic in Heathers: The Musical.

As part of our Industry Events day on Friday 31 March, we offer a range of free events promoting accessibility, inclusion and wellbeing within the screen industries for people of all ages and all backgrounds. BFI Film Academy Lab will host Essential Skills for Freelancers with Alison Grade, author of The Freelance Bible.

Northern Ireland Screen will introduce the Creative Industries New Entrants programme (CINE), a new initiative which aims to broaden access to the screen and creative industries at entry level. CINE particularly welcomes new entrants from underrepresented ethnic minority, socio-economic, and disabled communities.

ScreenSkills sponsors a practical session Building On Set Resilience with Alison Surtees exploring how cast and crew can keep well under stress and pressure during production.

For music lovers, we see the return of the ever-popular Festival Club featuring Tuned In Showcase, presenting a celebratory evening of film, music and spoken word highlighting inclusion for people with learning disabilities across the North West. The Switch with Our Space special guests which is a continuation of the highly popular Our Space Open Mic. Finally, up and coming alternative musician Ethan Hollan will make his Derry Full Band debut with support from Polar Bolero.

Nerve Centre’s Ones to Watch young programmers host a Spike Lee Retrospective Double Bill over two evenings showing Do the Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman. Ones to Watch offers young people the training and skills they need to curate online and live event content for themselves as film lovers and filmmakers.

Nerve Centre also continues its Spring Cinema programme throughout April with screening of Living starring Bill Nighy who plays an ordinary man, reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence. Holy Spider features journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) who investigates the murders of sex workers by the 'Spider Killer'. Joyride stars Olivia Colman, a new mother who struggles to bond with her baby. BAFTA winning and Oscar® nominated Aftersun starring Paul Mescal. God’s Creatures, a quietly devastating drama set on the coast of Ireland also starring Paul Mescal. And the multi Oscar® winning feature The Whale directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Brendan Fraser.

Some upgrades have taken place over the last few months at Nerve Centre as movie goers can now benefit from new technology, including an award winning small Digital Cinema Projector, Dolby CP950 Sound Processor Mag Audio 8 channel amplifier and a new Lansat Server, an Industry standard server which allows us to get the latest titles as DCPs (Digital Cinema Packages) so we can host more preview screenings and newly released titles in the future.

Foyle Film Festival presents Reel Lives runs from Wednesday 29 March – Sunday 2 April 2023.

The Spring Cinema programme will continue until Thursday 27 April 2023. Full programme via Nerve Centre What's On.