Mostly British Film Festival

Schedule Of Events

Sunday February 9, 2025

11:00 am - Sheepland

Director Cara Holmes’ singular and ethereal documentary bursts with candid observations of the lipstick wearing, always swearing, no nonsense artist and sheep farmer Orla Barry. A hard-working shepherd in rural Wexford, Barry — an internationally celebrated visual and performance artist — lives life at the intersection of art and farming. This film offers a beguiling immersion into her life and the tapestry of profound connections she experiences with the animals, the land, the elements, words and language.

“One of the most mesmerizing pieces of film I have seen in some time. In observing Barry’s creative genius, Holmes has fashioned a completely spellbinding story.” FilmIreland.net

Ireland 2023 (70 minutes)

12:30 pm - Housewife of the Year

A documentary about the Irish TV competition of the same name that aired from 1969–1995. The story of Ireland’s treatment of women evolves through the lens of this competition, which pitted housewives against each other for the title. Former contestants share their experiences, including lack of contraception, financial powerlessness and being consigned to Magdalene laundries, brutal asylums run by Catholic nuns to house “fallen women” which operated through much of the 20th century. Surprisingly, there’s humor and hope in this poignant story of a generation of resilient women and a country in transition. Winner Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh

Ireland 2024 (77 minutes)

2:30 pm - Swing Bout

Irish woman boxer “Terrible Toni Gale,” whose gangster promoters offer her ten grand to take a dive against Vicious Vicky. She wants to win, to contend for a title. So, she has a dilemma: Money for getting knocked out or a shot at the bigtime? The action takes place not in the ring as you’d expect but in the bowels of the arena in Cork, as confined as Toni’s choices. The cinematography is lavish focusing on Toni’s flaming eyes, her gloves and locker room– the essence of boxing. The suspense lasts until the end. Does she or doesn’t she?

Ireland 2024 (90 minutes)

4:30 pm - Rose’s War

Ireland produced its own Patty Hearst, a child of privilege who renounces her posh upbringing — including a debutante ball at Buckingham Palace—to align herself with Irish revolutionaries. She helped them drop homemade bombs from a stolen helicopter onto a police station. Rose Dugdale’s incendiary past skillfully reveals itself in “Rose’s War,”an insightful and chilling true-life drama released by eerie coincidence around her death in 2024. Imogen Poots — an actress who deserves to be better known — delivers a vivid multi-layered performance.Dugdale acts as tough as her IRA compatriots. But Poots also hints at the poor little rich girl inside seeking acceptance at all costs. Ireland,

UK 2024 (98 minutes)

7:00 pm - Nowhere Special

A small miracle, this film about a terminally-ill father’s search for foster parents to entrust with his precious four-year-old, manages to be endearing without turning mawkish. James Norton gives a lived-in performance as the dad facing this nightmarish dilemma. As he auditions one potential family after another, the audience comes to a reckoning about what matters in caring for the boy. Far from a precocious child actor, Daniel Lamont comes across as a real kid—albeit of the impossibly adorable variety. Who wouldn’t volunteer to take him home? Winner Audience Award at the Warsaw and Pula Film Festivals.

Northern Ireland 2021 (96 minutes)

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Date: February 6-13, 2025