Cork International Film Festival 2024 Schools Programme

Cork International Film Festival 
Dates: 7 – 17 November 2024

Cork International Film Festival are presenting a diverse and exciting programme of films for young people as part of their Festival Schools Programme in November.

Cork International Film Festivals 2024 Schools Programme includes seven feature films, suitable for Junior Cert, Transition Year and Leaving Cert students.

The Schools programme is available at:

Locations:
Arc Cinema (Cork City) and the Gate Cinema (Midleton and Mallow), Monday 11th to 15th November 2024
The Reel Picture (Ballincollig), Monday 11th and 13th – 15th November 2024 (no screenings on Tuesday 12th)

Schools Programme Feature Films: 

Senior French : The Fantastic Three (Les Trois Fantastiques)

Director: Michaël Dichter | 2023 | France | Fiction | 95 mins | Language: French (subtitled).
Three friends, Max, Tom and Vivian, spend all their time together as the Fantastic Three, supporting each other in and out of school. When Max’s brother returns from prison seemingly reformed, he has one last scheme to tie up. Led by Max, the Fantastic Three try to intervene in the hope of saving his brother. A gripping tale of conflicting ties of friendship and family.

Junior French : Neneh Superstar

Director: Ramzi Ben Sliman | 2022 | France | Fiction | 95 mins | Language: French (subtitled).
Neneh loves to dance and perform, and fulfils her dreams of joining the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School, despite her parents’ concerns that it’s not a welcoming place for a young black girl. She gets through the auditions but at the school, Neneh finds herself at odds with the traditionalist school director Marianne, who singles her out, making her feel on the outside. Despite the barriers, Neneh’s bubbling energy endures in this charming film which is a celebration of talent and perseverance in the face of prejudice.

Senior German : The Teachers’ Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)

Director: Ilker Çatak | 2023 | Germany | Fiction | 98 mins | Language: German (subtitled).
Shortlisted for an Academy Award® in 2024, Das Lehrerzimmer follows Carla, a new teacher at a German junior high school. When a series of thefts occur in the school, accusations bounce around the classroom and staff room, and Carla finds herself right in the middle of the drama. As student and teacher suspicions grow, a tense battle of wills occurs between young student Oskar and the young teacher. This thrilling drama set in everyday surroundings is unlike any other school-based film.

Junior German : Greetings From Mars (Grüsse vom Mars)

Director: Sarah Winkenstette | 2024 | Germany | Fiction | 85 mins | Language: German (subtitled).
When his mother moves to China for work, Tom and his siblings must go and stay with their grandparents. This is a daunting prospect for Tom, a 10-year-old who sticks to a strict routine – avoiding loud noises and the colour red. To persuade him to go, he is encouraged to view this stay as training for his ultimate goal – to be the first person to visit Mars. Equipped with his spacesuit and his mission logbook, Tom must navigate life in Lunau with the help of his family, in this engaging drama from the director of Zu Weit Weg.

Senior Spanish : Love & Revolution

Director: Alejandro Marin | 2023 | Spain | Fiction | 106 mins | Language: Spanish (subtitled).
Seville, 1977. Single mother Reme lives with her son Miguel, a wannabe torch singer and performer. Through his love of the stage, he befriends a group involved in the growing LGBT rights movement. Initially, Reme struggles to accept her son’s friends and lifestyle but eventually she does everything she can to support him. Set during a time of repressive laws including the criminality of homosexuality, this film is ultimately a heartwarming drama of a mother’s love for her son, and the struggle for personal freedom.

Junior Spanish : La Suprema

Directors: Felipe Holguín | 2023 | Colombia | Fiction | 83 mins | Language: Spanish (subtitled).
Welcome to the town of La Suprema, a tiny and remote Columbian village in the Caribbean region, where teenager Laureana finds out her estranged uncle will be boxing for the world championship. She is determined to watch the fight, but the town has no electricity and no television. Against the odds, and her grandmother’s expectations of her, Laureana enlists her friends and her uncle’s former trainer, Efraim, to bring the fight, and electricity, to her community. A wonderful insight into rural life in Columbia, with a terrific lead performance.

Green Screen (focusing on sustainability): Once Upon a Time in a Forest

Directors: Virpi Suutari | 2024 | Finland | Documentary | 93 mins | Language: Finnish (subtitled) | Recommended for TY.
In this modern fairy tale set in the enchanting embrace of the Finnish forest, we witness young people seamlessly woven into the fabric of nature, swimming in crystalline lakes and revelling in the calm presence of the ancient trees. This idyllic harmony is imperilled as the forest faces man-made extinction. Driven by her love for the forest, 22-year-old Ida becomes the leader of the new Forest Movement, coming face to face with Finnish forest industry giants and confronting generational bias. Breathtaking visuals take viewers into the heart of the forest and the centre of the conflict. Not only is it a hopeful ode to nature and its protectors, but the words “once upon a time” also conjure up the great westerns of a bygone century, with the welcome replacement of former ideals of manliness by a generation of actual superheroes, whose greatest weapon is sensitivity.

Tickets:
Each student ticket is €7.50 (€7 DEIS school discount), accompanying teachers can attend free of charge.

To inquire about the screenings’ schedule and for bookings, please contact schools@corkfilmfest.org

Note: Study Guides will be available from 1st November at ifi.ie/studyguides