September 30 - October 2, 2011

LAIFF celebrates the Irish passion for storytelling, a tradition that started around the hearth of every Irish household and has found its voice internationally through the medium of film. Coupled with the treasures of Ireland’s moviemaking past, LAIFF presents modern works as diverse as they are unique, creating a cinematic barometer for the cultural climate of Ireland in 2011.

Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere of THE SWELL SEASON, the moving documentary about the folk rock band featuring ONCE stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, followed by a 20th-anniversary screening of THE COMMITMENTS. Next up is documentary THE PIPE, about a small Irish town fighting against the imposed corporate might of Shell Oil, with producer Rachel Lysaght in person and presented by Women in Film International, followed later by the U.S. premiere of documentary DREAMING THE QUIET MAN, about legendary director John Ford’s ties to his native Ireland, and a special screening of Ford’s Ireland-set romantic drama THE QUIET MAN. Closing night starts with a feisty bang with the West Coast premiere of KNUCKLE with director Ian Palmer in person, a documentary about the nomadic Travellers clan and their tradition of bare-knuckle fighting, followed later by the West Coast premiere of PARKED, a festival favorite about a wayward middle-aged man returning home to Ireland, and the Los Angeles premiere of THE RUNWAY, fictionalizing the true story of a South American pilot’s surprise landing in a small Irish community, with a discussion between films with director Ian Power.

Series compiled by Lisa McLaughlin and Gwen Deglise. Program notes by Beth Hanna and Colleen Keane.

LAIFF Official Website: http://www.lairishfilm.com/