The Irish Reels Film Festival — a forum for features, shorts and documentaries by independent Irish filmmakers — will present three days of film screenings in the SIFF Film Center (Warren Avenue and Republican Street).
Now in its 17th year, the festival will kick off on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. with an opening-night gala followed by the first of three feature films screened over the weekend, through Sunday, Oct. 26.
Highlights include a short documentary program on Saturday, Oct. 25, featuring “Inez: A Challenging Woman,” an award-winning documentary exploring the life of the renowned Northern Irish trade-union leader and human rights campaigner, at 1 p.m.
The 3 p.m. screening will feature “Natural Grace: Irish Music and Martin Hayes,” winner of the Best Irish Feature Documentary Prize at the 2012 Galway Film Fleadh.
At 5 p.m., the festival will show the comedy “Bachelor Weekend,” from award-winning writer/director John Butler, about male friendship.
The feature presentation at 7 p.m. will be “Rebuilding the World Trade Center.” Belfast artist and filmmaker Marcus Robinson will discuss his latest film.
Sunday’s program includes the Shorts Program, starting at 1 p.m., with “Rúbaí) (winner of the Best Short Drama at the Galway Film Fleadh), “Volkswagen Joe” (winner Best Short Film at the Boston Irish Film Festival) and “Deadbook” (winner of the Best Drama Award at the Amsterdam Film Festival).
At 3 p.m., will be “The Irish Pub,” a eulogy to the Irish institution, followed by “Living in a Coded Land,” which won Best Irish Film Documentary by the Dublin Film Critics Circle, playing at 5 p.m.
Closing the weekend at 7:30 p.m. will be “Good Vibrations,” which won the Dublin Film Critics Circle’s Best Irish Film of 2013. The film depicts the true story of Terri Hooley, a Belfast record-shop owner who refused to be intimidated and had a lasting impact on the city’s music scene.
The festival will have a post-festival conversation at its closing-night party at Paddy Coyne’s Irish Pub (1190 Thomas St.) after the screening.
All screenings will take place at the SIFF Film Center in the Seattle Center’s Northwest Rooms. For ticket information, visit www.siff.net.