The whole online yards

We’re already a week into the 66th Cork International Film Festival but we still have ten more glorious days of inspirational film to gorge ourselves on.

Tomorrow (Friday) marks the last day of in-venue screenings with a packed nine day digital programme set to kick off on Saturday.

The digital portion of CIFF 2021, which can be accessed at corkfilmfest.org, will run until 21 November and comprises three programmes of 12 screenings each.

These will be a blend of features, documentaries and shorts from Ireland and around the world, all of which will be available for 72 hours on the site, where tickets can also be purchased.

Following on from the enormous success of the festival’s 2020 digital programme, CIFF Festival Director and CEO, Fiona Clark says this year’s offering will be more accessible than ever before.

“We’re really excited to welcome audiences to this year’s festival. Our programme offers film fans both locally and nationally the chance to see acclaimed films alongside new discoveries from the comfort of home, allowing greater opportunities for everyone to discover film and reimagine the world,” says Fiona.

With such a massive selection of films to choose from, we at the Cork Independent thought it might be a good idea to put together a list of some of the titles that stood out to us.

Of course, this list barely scratches the surface of what’s on offer but will hopefully serve as a solid platform from which to dive headfirst into your CIFF 2021 digital journey.

‘Kids are Fine’, 13 November

Nine year old Da-yi’s mother is in the hospital and his father is always busy but he still manages to look after himself.

Struggling to fit in at his new school, he soon makes friends with classmates Yu-jin and Min-ho but when his mother is transferred to a hospital far away, Da-yi and his friends must set out on an epic adventure to find her.

With her first feature, director Lee Ji-won has made a delightful tale for the whole family to enjoy.

‘Memory Box’, 13 November, in partnership with the French Embassy in Ireland

Alex lives with her mother Maia and grandmother Teta in Canada, where the family fled during the civil war in Lebanon in the 1980s.

One day a box full of Maia’s tapes, diaries, letters and memories arrives and no matter how much Maia wants to keep the box closed and not look back, Alex takes the opportunity to learn more about her mother and her youth in Lebanon.

Soon all three generations of women find themselves reflecting on the past in an effort to make deeper connections and heal old wounds.

Directed by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.

First Take Online, 15 November, 10am

First Take is a training and development platform for newly established film professionals, film and media students and the wider film industry, which comprises case studies, presentations and panel discussions.

The intention is to promote fresh thinking amongst emerging and working filmmakers, inspiring them to be proactive in creating and promoting their own film work.

Sessions will focus on the casting process, the actor as a creator, audience design for film, and will include a special case study on a new feature film from the 2021 CIFF programme.

The event will take place live online on Monday 15 November and will be available for catch-up on the Cork International Film Festival online platform until the end of November.

‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’, 16 November

A documentary following Anita Chitaya, a Malawian woman who ended child hunger in her home village by extracting food from dead soil, on her journey to the United States.

Her mission is to try and persuade Americans that climate change is real and a threat not only to her homeland but to the United States too,

It will take all of her skill to open the eyes of local farmers and politicians. Raj Patel and Zak Piper’s engaging documentary is a powerful reminder that climate change has consequences that apply to everyone.

‘Pure Cork Shorts’, 16 November

From the experimental and poetic to the comic, and from documentary to drama with all these short films coming from Cork filmmakers. Even to two pints of rasa! Me daza!

Titles include: ‘Artemisia’, an experimental inquiry into a perspective of identity, transparency and truth; ‘Forerunner’, exploring the life of visually impaired ultrarunner Sinead Kane as she examines her childhood experiences and why she runs; and ‘Foxglove’ telling the story of a young woman returning home to reconcile with her past.

‘Still, I Stay’, 17 November

This short film, produced by UCC's Lord Puttnam scholars, captures a raw representation of love at its lowest. The screening will be accompanied by a Q&A with the scholars and Lord Puttnam.

‘Lamya's Poem’, 19 November

This 2D animated feature tells the story of Lamya, a 12 year old girl forced to flee a Syria devastated by violence and war. She finds refuge in a book of poetry written by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi and soon, as their paths intertwine, Lamya and Rumi find themselves fighting not just monsters but their own fears.

The film deals with its serious themes including war and child refugees, in imaginative and therapeutic ways while introducing the world of the famous poet Rumi to a Western audience. It’s directed by Alex Kronemer.

‘The Innocents’, 19 November

During a bright Nordic summer, Ida and her older sister Anna move to a new home. Ida wants to have some fun and make new friends while paying no attention to her autistic sister. However, it turns out that not all the kids in the neighbourhood are good, and they also have some scary supernatural powers.

A wonderful, slow-paced Scandinavian horror thriller, from Norwegian writer Eskil Vogt, directed by Joachim Trier.

All films that are not live events, will be available to stream from 12.01am on the dates provided.

For more information, ticket bookings and a full programme for the 2021 CIFF, visit corkfilmfest.org.