Two-day Film Festival for Manorhamilton

The 12% Cineclub, founded in 2022 by The Rabbit's Riot Theatre Compa

ny in partnership with The Glens Centre and Access Cinema, is proud to announce its upcoming film festival.

This festival will showcase the brilliant works of female directors, shining a light on the significant gender imbalance in the film industry.

In 2021, only 12% of the top 100 films were directed by women, a concerning decrease from 16% in 2020. However, The 12% Cineclub is dedicated to changing this narrative and amplifying the voices of talented female filmmakers.

From May 12 to 13, the festival will be held at The Glens Centre and will exclusively feature documentaries directed by Irish female directors. This festival is a celebration of the remarkable talent of female filmmakers and a call to action to the film industry to support and promote the works of female directors.

This festival will showcase the powerful documentaries - Pure Grit, Lyra, Vicky, and Clouded Reveries. The festival will also feature the short documentary ‘GILES’, which tells the inspiring story of the North West Hospice Fundraising Swim.

These films offer a unique perspective on the world and tackle important social and cultural issues with grace and grit. From heart-wrenching stories of personal struggle and loss to triumphant tales of human perseverance, these documentaries are sure to captivate and inspire audiences.

May 12

8pm – Pure Grit directed by Kimberly Bartley. Pure Grit is a thrilling tale of extreme bareback horse racing, and an intimate love story chronicling three years in the life of a young Native American woman. Sharmaine, a former horse racing champion, left the track a year ago when her sister was paralysed in a racing accident. Now she wants to start afresh with her new girlfriend Savannah and they leave the reservation in search of work in Commerce City, Denver… but racing still courses through her veins.

Kim Bartley’s observational documentary provides an unflinching picture of life on a reservation and an inspirational portrait of a young woman who holds on to her dream despite a life of gruelling hardship.

May 13

2pm - Aisling Trí Néallaibh: Clouded Reveries directed by Ciara NicChormaic. Acclaimed poet and essayist Doireann Ní Ghríofa was catapulted into the international literary spotlight in 2020 with the publication of her debut novel  ‘A Ghost in the Throat.’

It is a film about memories, motherhood and the mysterious nature of creativity.  Captured through intimate performances of her own work and in-depth interviews, the film reveals Ní Ghríofa’s creative impulses and journeys with her to the heart of her inspiration, her

home place in Co. Clare. 

4pm – Lyra directed by Alison Millar. An emotive, intimate film on the life and death of acclaimed young Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee, whose murder by the New IRA in April 2019 sent shockwaves across the world.

Directed by her close friend Alison Millar, the film seeks answers to her senseless killing through Lyra’s own work and words.

6:30pm – GILES directed by Éania McGarry. A moving documentary directed by Éania McGarry on the origins of The Annual Lough Gill Hospice Swim in Sligo.

Inspired by a conversation Paul Mc Garry had with his nephew Neill and the care Neill received under ‘The Northwest Hospice’ in 2009, Paul was prompted to organise an event to raise much-needed funds for the Hospice.

Since then, this event has seen hundreds of swimmers, commence the swim at Parkes Castle, Fivemilebourne, Co Leitrim and embark on the long, intense 10k endurance to the finish line at Doorly Park, Sligo. 

7pm – Vicky directed by Sasha King. An inspiring story of courage, hope and resilience, VICKY takes audiences behind the headlines of the Cervical Check debacle and Vicky Phelan’s journey to expose one of the greatest health scandals in Irish history.

Vicky’s selfless courage changed the course of healthcare for  Irish women and exemplifies what one person can achieve when they use their voice for the greater good.