April 25-27, 2025
This weekend, the Irish Film Festival Ottawa celebrates its tenth year with a program of 7 films, from comedy to drama to thrillers.
- WHEN: Friday, April 25 – Sunday, April 27
- WHERE: Ottawa Art Gallery Alma Duncan Salon, 10 Daly Ave.
- TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online through the Buy Now! tab on the film festival’s front page. Or you can visit the Program 2025 page, where each film has a synopsis and a trailer, along with a link to Buy Tickets!
I plan to attend the Saturday afternoon showing of Fidil Ghorm (The Blue Fiddle). A “charming heartwarming family drama” is just what I need right now, what with all the chaos and uncertainty in the world. The film is in Irish with English subtitles, though of course the music needs no translation. And as a special bonus, star actress and musician Edith Lawlor will be there in person with her fiddle, and with a few other musical guests. Yes! there will be live music after the screening.
I spoke with festival co-founder Patrick Murray last week, and he told me the festival organizers and the guest musicians are very interested in various iterations of Celtic music outside of Ireland, including in the Ottawa Valley, which has a rich tradition of Celtic, and Celtic-inspired, fiddling. But while Fidil Ghorm (The Blue Fiddle) will obviously appeal to a Valley Irish audience, given that Celtic musical tradition, the Irish Film Festival Ottawa also has a broader viewership in mind: they seek to engage “Canadians of all ethnicities who wish to learn more about Ireland, its people, and its culture.” You don’t have to be Irish, or of Irish ancestry, to enjoy an Irish film!
