Bandit Films

25/09/2024

We closed the Adaptation Film Weekend with a screening of Home-The Story of Zak Moradi, a moving story of a Kurdish family who came to Ireland - Carrick-on-Shannon - as part of a resettlement programme in the mid 2000s. The film is based on Zak's 2022 autobiography and is produced by Ellen James and directed by Trevor Whelan who also attended the screening (all pictured). The family are originally from Iran but fled to Iraq at the time of the Iran-Iraq war, not long before the chemical attack by Sadaam on the Kurdish population of nearby Halabja. Zak was born in Al-Tash camp as Operation Desert Storm ensued. In the film Zak makes an emotional return to the Kurdistan of Iraq, including to the Halabja memorial. It's a powerful film and a great story to witness in this time of war and widespread migration. Zak's is also a success story as he was to go on to become a GAA All-Star with Leitrim, a proud anti-racism activist and voice for the Kurdish people who, the film reminds us, are still seeking statehood. More Leitrim and wider screenings are in the offing. Screen Ireland Adaptation Film Weekend The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Leitrim Arts Val Robus Leitrim For All Dromahair Welcomes

21/09/2024

Kneecap delivered everything it promised as our opening film for Adaptation last night in a suitably rugged open air back yard setting in Manorhamilton. First up today, simultaneous workshops on Camera with Niall Flynn and Screenwriting with Éamon Little and a really engaging session on Flann O'Brien steered by Keith Hopper of Sligo ATU. Currently running a full house screening of That They May Face the Rising Sun. Looking forward to tonight's feature presentation The Song Cycle with Nick Kelly. Much more to come on Sunday Booking and programme at www.theglenscentre.com Leitrim Arts Val Robus Screen Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Manorhamilton Official Dromahair Community Group Dromahair and local communities

17/09/2024

In March of this year Dromahair based writer director MARIAN QUINN and producer TOM WEIR of Janey Pictures opened the Dublin International festival with their second feature film TWIG. In case you didn't catch it on its nationwide release in June, the film screens this Sunday (Glens Centre, 4.00pm) at Adaptation Film Weekend. With an exciting young cast led by breakthrough talent Sadie Malone (pictured) and drawing on the brilliantly menacing Brían F. O'Byrne (Jimmy's Hall and much more), Marian relocates the Greek tragedy Antigone to Dublin's gangland, offering a fresh and rare female view of this normally male-centred underworld. Tickets from www.theglenscentre.com Dromahair and local communitiesDromahair Welcomes YouOfficial Dromahair Community Group Leitrim Arts Screen Ireland

16/09/2024

Belfast actor Lalor Roddy features in no less than three of the films screening at this weekend's Adaptation Film Festival in Manorhamilton: the newly commissioned short film adaptation of Steve Wickham's song Rainbow over Sligo, the current Irish hit Kneecap and That They May Face the Rising Sun. We are delighted that Lalor will be our guest for the weekend in Manorhamilton and will attend, with screenwriter Éamon Little, the screening for his career defining performance in the Pat Collins directed McGahern adaptation. Screen Ireland Niall FlynnSligo Film SocietyAdaptation Film WeekendThe Arts Council / An Chomhairle EalaíonLeitrim Arts

14/09/2024

The Sligo Champion have previewed our forthcoming Adaptation Festival (featured image from Bláithín Gallagher's visual essay inspired by Yeats' The Lake Isle of Inishfree). https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/adaptation-film-festival-teams-up-with-sligo-film-society-for-a-joint-programme-of-films-and-workshops/a1753860132.html Sligo Film Society Niall FlynnSligo Arts ServiceThe Glens Arts CentreScreen IrelandThe Arts Council / An Chomhairle EalaíonAdaptation Film Weekend

The Manorhamilton-based Adaptation Film Festival is teaming up with Sligo Film Society for a joint programme launch on Thursday, September 19 at the Model and Niland.

11/09/2024

The word is getting out about this year's Adaptation. Flann O'Brien on Screen was the subject of a discussion with Dr. Keith Hopper of ATU Sligo's Writing & Literature degree course and director Maurice Sweeney about the writer and the festival (19-22nd Sept) on RTE's Arena arts show . You can listen back here https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22429684/ Adaptation Film WeekendThe Glens Arts CentreSligo Film SocietyLeitrim ArtsATU Sligo & ATU St Angelas

Dr. Keith Hopper and Maurice Sweeney discuss the cinematic potential Flann O'Brien's writing in Flann O’Brien on Screen as part of the 11th Adaptation Film Weekend.

19/05/2024

Some good news from TG4 with their plans to rebroadcast our 2015 documentary Generate the State/Gineadóir an Stáit on the 16th June (8.30pm). The film tells of the epic project to harness the Shannon in the 1920s for the electrification of a severely underdeveloped country. The construction project, which more than supplied the nation's electricity demand at the time, enjoys comparison with the current project to build out Ireland's vast offshore wind energy reserves as well as realise the potential for onshore solar. The visual aspects of the film are greatly aided by project contractor Siemens' photographic documentation and that of the Franz S. Haselbeck Collection. Seán Keating's paintings celebrating the social and engineering feats of the project, realised as the project as it was emerging out of the ground, form an important part of the legacy of the project. The film was shot and lit by Strandhill duo Peter Martin and Niall Flynn. Pádraig Meehan of Those Nervous Animals (and much else) scored the film while Patrick J. O'Rourke edited SLR Film ProjectStrand CampusStrandhill Surf SchoolSligo Arts ServiceNiall FlynnSligo Chamber Of CommercePatrick O'RourkeStrandhill People's Market

03/04/2024

The documentary Groundswell about the long road to the ban on fracking in Ireland in 2017 is now available on Amazon Prime in English language territories (outside of North America.). That ban can now be seen as the first serious step in Ireland taking action on the role of fossil fuels in driving Climate Change. I made the film with co-producer Niall Flynn, editor Patrick O'Rourke, composer Steve Wickham and a host of great activists/interviewees in the Border Counties, Pennsylvania and New York. (North American release to come). Love Leitrim SLR Film Project Creative Heartlands Niall Flynn Sligo, Ireland Leitrim Arts Sligo Arts Service Friends of the Earth Ireland https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0SFEUZ45D0I2DK414RIA2Y4G9P/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_Tn74RA_1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B0CWQ1JY2J&qid=1712127532505

19/03/2024

We have started editing the new film on Ruth Ormsby, a nurse from Sligo who served with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War as part of a ground-breaking medical unit. Together with Barcelona-based cinematographer Nur Roldos and historical researcher Catherine Howley who is co-producing the film with Niall Flynn and myself we have filmed in many locations in Spain where Ruth Ormsby served. Patrick J. O'Rourke is editing. I plan to feature updates on the film as editing progresses over the next couple of months. I travelled to Spain by ferry from Rosslare and despite the stormy weather encountered and the 29 hours to get to Bilbao I can highly recommend it. (Photo caption: Ruth Ormsby with unidentified Spanish trainee nurse courtesy of the Alec Wainman Collection from whom we are sourcing a number of powerful images from the work of the medics in the War)