OFFline Film Festival announces programme for 17th edition

Birr, Tullamore and Kinnitty will host five days of film, workshops and special events as the OFFline Film Festival returns this October.

The full programme has been announced for the 17th OFFline Film Festival, which runs from October 7 to 11, with events taking place across the three Offaly towns.

The festival will feature film competitions, feature screenings, workshops, children's events and a number of special guests, including original Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll.

One of the highlights will be the return of Fright Night at Ballincard House on Friday, October 9. The evening will begin with a drink on arrival before a selection of short horror films is screened.

A festival bus will leave Emmet Square in Birr at 7.45pm, with the screening getting underway at 8.30pm. The event has proved popular in previous years, with organisers advising audiences to book early.

Music and film will come together at Kinnitty Community Centre on Saturday, October 10, when the festival hosts a special screening of the Oasis documentary Supersonic.

Tony McCarroll, a founding member and the band's original drummer, will attend the screening and take part in a question-and-answer session afterwards. He will also be available for photographs and to sign memorabilia.

Meanwhile, Made in Midlands returns on Sunday, October 11, at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre. The event begins at 7pm with a drinks reception from Tullamore D.E.W.

First launched in 2019, Made in Midlands celebrates short films made in the region or by filmmakers originally from the Midlands.

The festival's international short film competition will once again feature three strands, Animation, Live Action and Experimental, following hundreds of submissions from filmmakers around the world.

The Live Action Shorts will screen at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre at noon on Saturday, October 10, while the Animation Shorts will be shown at Esker Arts in Tullamore at 12.45pm.

The feature film programme includes the Irish productions The Lost Children of Tuam and Celtic Utopia, alongside Super Nature, an award-winning film Mary Is Missing, and a special 50th anniversary screening of Taxi Driver.

Animation will have a particular focus during the festival, with Animation Day taking place at Esker Arts on Saturday in partnership with the National Talent Academy for Animation.

The programme includes workshops, screenings and talks with animation professionals including Steve Woods, author, IADT lecturer and co-founder of the Galway Film Fleadh; Seán Hogan, whose credits include work with Cartoon Saloon, Disney+, Nickelodeon and Warner Bros.; and Grace McDonnell, a TUS lecturer who has worked with Cartoon Saloon, Lighthouse Studios and Boulder Media.

Mr Woods will discuss the history of animation in Ireland, while Mr Hogan will lead a storyboarding workshop and Ms McDonnell will conduct portfolio reviews.

Also on Saturday, Birr native Luke Lynch will take part in a special in-conversation event. The 18-year-old has built a YouTube following of more than 300,000 subscribers. The event begins at 1pm in Birr and will also be livestreamed on the OFFline YouTube channel.

The festival will also continue its partnerships with film organisations in Ireland and overseas. The audience award winner from Fright Night will go on to screen as part of Cultplex's 'Stab Season' in Manchester, while the Best Irish Feature from the Live Action Shorts competition will screen at Irish Film Berlin.

A 48-hour children's filmmaking challenge will also take place in Birr in partnership with Fresh Film Festival. The resulting films will be screened at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre on Sunday, October 11, at 4pm.

Educational screenings will form another part of the programme, with the festival bringing film-related activities to audiences and young people across the region.

Organisers have thanked the filmmakers, venues, volunteers, partners and supporters who have contributed to this year's festival.

Tickets and the full programme are available through the OFFline Film Festival website.