Event Type: Previous Events

London Breeze is delighted and excited to be hosting one of the most anticipated films of the year at the Riverside Studios as part of our ‘Summer Breeze’ programme of screening events and ahead of its general release. Be one of the first to see this explosive comedy drama for yourself and meet some of the creative team involved.

Of the 80,000 native Irish speakers, 6,000 live in the North of Ireland and three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This is the real life story of how this anarchic Belfast trio became the unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save and reinvigorate their mother tongue.

Rich Peppiatt’s award-winning raucous and infectious debut feature is a heightened tale of Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap’s origin story. It won the Audience Award at Sundance US and opened Sundance London with four sold out screenings. 

Producer and previous Head of Irish Film London, Gerry Maguire, will host the Q&A with guests, KNEECAP producer, Jack Tarling and members of the cast. 

You will also have the opportunity to learn or practise some Irish as our friends from Irish language organisation, Conradh na Gaeilge, will be in the foyer an hour before the screening with a pop-up Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area). 

RUN TIME: 105 mins

RATED: 15

DIRECTOR: Rich Peppiatt

CAST: Liam Óg ‘Mo Chara’ Ó hAnnaidh, , Naoise ‘Móglaí Bap’ Ó Cairealláin, JJ ‘DJ Provai’ Ó Dochartaigh, Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker, Simone Kirby

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!

Here’s a report and photos from Wednesday night’s packed special preview of BALTIMORE. We also have a sizzling sizzle reel for you to enjoy to get a flavour of Wednesday’s exciting preview event.

What a great evening we had last night at Riverside Studios for the preview screening of BALTIMORE. An enthusiastic and excited audience gathered in the downstairs cinema foyer for this preview event and to meet our special guests, the film’s directors, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, and one of its stars, actor Dermot Crowley.

BALTIMORE is a thrilling 98 minutes of tightly constructed drama based around the true story of English heiress turned revolutionary, Rose Dugdale (played with great intensity by Imogen Poots). In 1974, along with three armed accomplices, Dugdale leads her renegade IRA gang on the biggest art theft in the world at that time from Russborough House, Co Wicklow. The film jump-cuts between the violent heist, the gang’s hideout, and Rose’s trajectory from reluctantly blooded fox hunter, through feminist radicalisation at Oxford, and into armed struggle against the backdrop of Bloody Sunday. This is not a biopic; rather an edge-of-your seat period drama with moments of well-placed humour, that explores questions of class, privilege, radicalisation, armed struggle and what it takes for a woman to determine her own fate for good or bad. It feels fresh, relevant and is totally gripping.

Coming direct from their Irish premiere last Friday at Dublin International Film Festival, the directors and co-star of BALTIMORE were welcomed by to the stage for a lively Q&A following the film. The directors, who also write and edit their films, gave a rapt audience insights into their creative process and collaborations with composer, Stephen McKeon (Black Mirror/KIN) and cinematographer, Tom Comerford (Aisha, Rose Plays Julie), whose aural and visual work on BALTIMORE are stunning. Dermot Crowley spoke of this being his first time directed by two people and how the pair work seamlessly to craft shots and scenes. How it was the writing that attracted him to the project as the character of ‘Donal’, an overly friendly local who draws unwitting and dangerous attention to himself from the increasingly paranoid ‘Rose’. Crowley spoke of the meticulous production and costume designs that helped him step straight into this mid-seventies world and character, enabling him to ‘be’ rather than ‘act’ in the role.

LBFF curator Madeleine Casey said, “This was a thrilling night at the cinema. Not only to see such a breathtaking film from these great independent filmmakers, but to hear them and the wonderful Dermot Crowley speak so generously about their process; and to feel and hear the audience enjoy this engaging collective experience so much. Cinema is alive and kicking for sure, and long may that last.”

BALTIMORE releases in UK cinemas on 22nd March. Molloy and Lawlor also directed episodes 2&3 of the second series of Irish crime drama, KIN, which is currently available on BBC iPlayer.

London Breeze Film Festival held its first event since its launch in October at the beautiful Riverside Studios in Hammersmith on Wednesday evening.

The sold out ‘Shooting the Breeze’ screening was a showcase of five fantastic films made by exciting new UK voices. All the films recently screened at the 67th BFI London Film Festival including the winner of the Short Film Award, ‘The Archive: Queer Nigerians’ by Simisola Akande.

We were delighted to welcome some of the filmmakers to the Riverside Studios to join in a Q&A with event curator Madeleine Casey. Joining Madeleine on stage alongside Simisola were ‘Ratthum/Blood’ director Vathana Suganya-Suppiah with producer Daljinder Johal, and ‘Essex Girls’ director Yero Timi-Biu, who recently directed two episodes of Lenny Henry’s ‘Three Little Birds’ drama, currently to be seen on ITVX.

Our special guests told a rapt audience about their journeys into the film industry, how they came to make these remarkable films, as well as giving their best tips for getting your work noticed. They spoke eloquently and generously of the importance of team work and mentorship; saying yes to challenging projects; taking risks and digging deep, especially when those funding and filming deadlines are looming.

With director Joe Weiland’s ‘Gorka’ and director Sean Lyons’ ’Smoking Dolphins’ completing the programme, this really was an inspiring evening of film and fascinating discussion. The buzz in the foyer afterwards was electric.

London Breeze is supporting this year’s Refugee Week and its theme of ‘Our Home’ with a screening of DRIFT by Singaporean director, Anthony Chen (ILO ILO/Wet Season). DRIFT is his first English-language film.

Join us at our brand new partner venue, the gorgeous The Garden Cinema, for this event cinema screening. There will be treats in store as we celebrate the resilience and contribution of refugees.

A Q&A will follow the screening with special guest, screenwriter Susanne Farrell (Hope Street/Dirty God) who will talk to us about the process of adapting A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik for the screen.

Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead. DRIFT also features Honor Swinton Byrne (The Souvenir IThe Souvenir II)

London born, Cynthia Erivo is a multi-awardwinning actor and singer of film, TV and musical theatre, not least for her lead role in HARRIET, the story of abolitionist and social activist, Harriet Tubman. Her role as Celie in The Color Purple in the West End, on Broadway and in the TV miniseries, garnered her Drama Critics Award, Tony and Grammy, amongst others. She is an outstanding actor of this generation. Don’t miss her stellar performance in DRIFT on the big screen.

Here’s what the critics have to say:

“A mesmerizing showcase for Cynthia Erivo’s talents”  New York Times

“Cynthia Erivo’s performance remains unwaveringly riveting” The Wrap

“Miraculous… Cynthia Erivo Is the Reason You Need to See ‘Drift’ – a compelling exercise in empathy” ★★★★  ” Rolling Stone

“An assured and compassionate portrait”  ★★★★ Time Out

“Captivating” ★★★★ Empire      ★★★★ The Times

In partnership with Shorts TV, we are excited to bring you this wonderful program of Oscar nominated live action short films ahead of the 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY on the 10th March.

The After – Dir. Misan Harriman, Nicky Bentham

Knight of Fortune – Dir. Lasse Lyskjaer Noer, Christian Norlyk

Invincible – Dir. Vincent Rene-Lortie, Samuel Caron

Red, White and Blue – Dir. Nazrin Choudhury, Sara McFarlane 

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Dir. Wes Anderson, Steven Rales