Foyle Film Festival Raises £1,400 for Foyle Hospice in Tribute to Vinny CunninghamFoyle Film Festival Raises £1,400 for Foyle Hospice in Tribute to Vinny Cunningham

The funds were raised during a dedicated evening of film and live music at the 2025 Foyle Film Festival, celebrating Vinny’s legacy within Derry’s filmmaking community. The cheque was formally presented to Colm O’Donnell from Foyle Hospice last Thursday, 5 February, near the one-year anniversary of his passing.

Vinny Cunningham was a hugely influential figure across the city’s creative landscape, inspiring generations of filmmakers to pick up a camera and experiment with the form. His deep commitment to collecting and preserving archive footage of Derry across decades has ensured the evolving story of the city itself is visually documented for future generations.

While his absence has been deeply felt over the past year, the commemorative event brought together many of Vinny’s closest friends, collaborators and colleagues in a bittersweet night of reflection and celebration. Members of Vinny’s family were also in attendance, with organisers noting that, first and foremost, Vinny was a devoted family man.

The evening opened with a screening of Teenage Kicks: The Story of The Undertones (2001), produced by Vinny in collaboration with Tom Collins. The film charts the rise of one of Vinny’s great passions — Derry punk icons The Undertones — and was originally presented by the late John Peel, one of the few people who could rival Vinny’s enthusiasm for the band.

This was followed by the premiere of Vinny Cunningham: True Son of Derry, a specially commissioned film presented as part of the annual North West Filmmakers Showcase. Directed by acclaimed Derry filmmaker Sean Coyle, the film explores Vinny’s lasting impact on his city through contributions from friends and collaborators, alongside archive material and production work for which Vinny was so well known.

The night concluded with music, as Vinny’s close friend Jim Curran hosted his Twilight Zone Disco, before The Marra delivered a high-energy, punk-inspired live performance.

Festival organisers expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the event, shared their stories, and helped raise vital funds for Foyle Hospice.

Pearse Moore, Nerve Centre's Chief Executive said “Vinny was a close friend and collaborator of Nerve Centre, and we worked together on more productions than I can count. His passing was a profound shock and he is missed dearly. It was a privilege to celebrate his body of work at Foyle Film Festival while raising funds for Foyle Hospice. His wife Deborah, his children Niall and Orla, his grandchildren and the wider family remain in our thoughts.”