July 15, 2026
Our love for the Emerald Isle makes the waves of the Celtic Sea run closer to the Balkans with the Focus Ireland programme. Five films exploring the political, social, and cultural forces shaping contemporary Ireland, offering nuanced perspectives on a country negotiating its past while redefining its present, is what makes this an eclectic selection.
From the multilayered cultural and musical landscape of Celtic Utopia by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén,we will get on a vibrant ride through Ireland. Unraveling modern Irish history through a broad cast of characters including pierced punks, rappers, and ravers the film follows a new generation reclaiming and reinventing traditional Irish folk music with humor, defiance, and infectious energy.
Also included in this programme is Dennis Harvey's previous short film The New Policy Regarding Homeless Asylum Seekers, which transports us to Dublin in 2024, where volunteers struggle to support homeless asylum seekers amid increasingly restrictive government policies and growing social tensions.
Examining the intersection of faith, sexuality, and activism, The Militant Homosexual Evangelist, directed by Eva Babington runs against the backdrop of Belfast's street preachers. The film follows a protagonist confronting religious homophobia while seeking to reconcile his queer identity with deeply rooted traditions in a society undergoing profound change.
Ross McClean's first feature Magilligan offers an intimate portrait of a man navigating life after prison, questioning what freedom truly means when the weight of a violent past continues to shape the future. Ross’ short film No Mean City appears in its reincarnation form as Sodium in omnibus film titled ELEMENTAL - Atomic Tales & Periodic Fables, screening in the View from the World section of the festival.
And last but not least, Michael Barwise's That Sanity Be Kept, winner of Best Short Documentary at Belfast based Docs Ireland festival this year, turns to archival footage to revisit 1990s Derry during the ceasefire, capturing the exhilaration of youth, the rituals of nightlife, and the ever-present gaze of surveillance.
Focus Ireland program is generously supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Hungary.
Find out more on this programme here.
