When time stands still and all around you shudders to a halt, we seek inspiration beyond our reality and find refuge in the magic of film. Taking us up into its arms and away into its dreams, film will forever be our saviour. Showing us the light that bursts forth from beyond the storm, film shelters all its children in its warmth and wonder and promise of other worlds. In film, we trust.
And so we take this opportunity to reclaim moments of a broken year and celebrate the films from 2020 that helped us stay safe and keep our faith in a better tomorrow. It’s our annual massive list!
DIR: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart • WRI: Will Collins
Enchanting with its Irish folklore and empowering for young girls with its message, it is an absolute visual treat of storytelling. Loved every single second of it. Watch this over Christmas with a hearty Irish plate of Christmas dinner leftovers on your lap, embrace your inner child, embrace your Irishness, let the magic sweep over you…
Ali Doyle
DIR: Peter Mackie Burns • WRI: Mark O’Halloran
Rialto is a very impressive film. Its minimalism and ambiguity should be commended and Mackie-Burns has utilised O’Halloran’s script to make it cine-realistic but also very natural. The cinematography by Adam Scarth is remarkable at capturing both Colm’s isolation as well as the small chances of hope for Colm with its rich and textured colours.