Just a wee $23 for 23 Irish movies
It took a year for the COVID-19 pandemic to catch up with the annual Craic Fest.
The yearly Manhattan celebration of Irish music, movies and culture went off as scheduled last March, sneaking in mere days ahead of the coronavirus restrictions that made the 2021 festival a daunting challenge for founder Terence Mulligan.
His response: Creating a virtual event anchored by an offer of 23 Irish genre-crossing movies for just $23.
“Come on — that’s like the price of a pint and some fish and chips when you go out,” said Mulligan, noting this year marks the 23rd edition of the event.
“The Irish are always optimistic,” he continued. “That’s who we are as a people. So we’re going to show more films, and reach more people than in the past. There’s an upside, if you know what I’m saying. The online thing came with a silver lining.”
The cyber-Craic Fest runs from March 4-7, with the movies available via TheCraicFest.com.
The opening night attraction features the U.S. premiere of “Endless Sunshine on a Cloudy Day,” a documentary directed by renowned Irish actor-moviemaker John Connors (photo) and winner of the audience award at last year’s Dublin Film Festival.
The film recounts the tale of Irish influencer Jade McCann and her father, Anthony, diagnosed with cancer just three weeks apart in early 2018.
McCann took to social media, sharing their stories with tens of thousands of followers.
The second night features the New York debut of “Rose Plays Julie,” a psychological thriller starring Aiden Gillen of “Game of Thrones” and Irish actress Orla Brady.
The third major attraction, set for March 6, features Connors performing alongside ex-boxer-turned-thespian John Duddy in “A Bend in the River.”
The film, about a struggling writer returning from New York to his Northern Ireland home for the first time in 25 years, was shot entirely in County Tyrone.
Mulligan is already looking forward to next year’s postpandemic gathering.
“We’ll be back live in 2022,” he promised. “For now, the Craic rolls on.”