Film News: 24th Chicago Irish Film Festival Opens on Mar. 2, 2023, with ‘The Sparrow’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2023 - 10:37am

CHICAGO – The month of March is always a holy time for the Chicago Irish ancestors, as St. Patrick’s Day is the city’s unofficial Mardi Gras. In conjunction with that heritage, the 24th Chicago Irish Film Festival (CIFF) will open on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, with “The Sparrow,” a gripping family drama written and directed by Michael Kinirons. For ticket information, click THE SPARROW.

The 24th annual Chicago Irish Film Festival (CIFF) is the city’s celebration of stories and films from the Land of Storytelling. The festival is available in-person March 2-5, 2023, and online March 6-12. Since its roots in 1999, the festival has screened over 1,500 features, documentaries, and short films by many of Ireland’s most talented and award-winning filmmakers. For complete information, film schedules (both in-person and hybrid) and events, click 24th CIFF.

’The Sparrow’ Opens the 24th CIFF on March 2nd, 2023
Photo credit: Chicago IrishFilmFestival.com

“The Sparrow” involves 15-year-old Kevin, who lives in a dysfunctional family anchored by a father whose behavior caused his mother to leave, and she subsequently died in an auto accident. His older brother Robbie becomes the last-chance golden boy, as he awaits word on an elite military assignment. Troubled Kevin is shuffled aside, and his obsession with his dead mother causes a riff between him and Robbie, with tragic consequences. Writer/director Michael Kinirons will appear on Opening Night on behalf of the film.

The 24th Chicago Irish Film Festival takes place from March 2nd through March 12th, 2023, with in-person and online access. Click link above for details.