Now in its second year, Féile John Ford will acknowledge Forde’s enduring connection with the west of Ireland, and include screenings of The Quiet Man, The Informer, The Plough and the Stars and My Darling Clementine, plus a theatre production of The Quiet Men written and performed by Morgan C. Jones.
There will also be a special, educational screening of An Cailín Ciúin as well as panel conversations and workshops over the weekend.
Born John Martin O’Feeney in Portland, Maine to Galway parents, Ford’s father hailed from Tuar Beag, half a mile west of An Spidéal, while his mother came from Coill Rua nearby. Throughout his life, Ford maintained strong ties to Ireland, regularly visiting An Spidéal and later transforming Connemara into the unforgettable backdrop for his Oscar-winning, 1952 classic The Quiet Man.
His biographer Joseph McBride wrote: “Near the end of his life, Ford recalled that it was here in Spiddal, while visiting his family’s ancestral home as a boy, that he acquired his love of landscape and his eye for composition.”
Highlights at this year’s festival include: screenings of some of Ford’s most famous films; The Quiet Man (1952 ) and My Darling Clementine (1946 ); screenings of adaptations of two Irish literary giants, Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars and Liam O’Flaherty’s The Informer.
Conversations across the weekend will bring panellists including historians Cormac Ó Grada and Breandán Mac Suibhne; author and historian of the Abbey Theatre and Ford expert, Adrian Frazier; as well as a very special discussion between Tony Tracy and Michael Ford, grandson of Francis Ford, John’s older brother.
Screenings and panel discussions will take place at Scoil Éinne (H91 N9C9 ) with an exhibition at Stiúideo Cuan (H91 FT67 ).
Other events include Ceardlann John Ford which is a filmmaking workshop for young students inspired by Ford’s filmic style, sponsored by Coimisiún na Meán and Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland; and Íor na Spéire, which is a photographic event for Cois Fharraige schools, sponsored by Creative Ireland.
For bookings and full programme, see https://www.feilejohnford.com/
