Croke Park Lives

The making of a portrait is an intimate experience, one which can be a pleasurable event for both parties or one that's fraught with difficulties. Either way, to paint someone's picture is a unique way of really getting under their skin. In a world where anyone can make a realistic likeness on their cellphone, the importance of the painted portrait remains: as an emblem of power and prestige, as a political act and ultimately as a memorial. These themes and many others are explored through the work of three of Ireland's most notable portrait painters: James Hanley, Mick O'Dea and Brian Maguire.

Documentary short.

A man dances underwater with his 76 year old mother.

Almost one hundred people from all over Ireland talk about their experiences of happiness.

Set in a world upended by a complete breakdown of society, two couples hide out in a lakeside cabin hoping to survive this crisis.

A visually based exploration and appreciation of the work of artist Dorothy Cross, showing many of the highlights of her career to date, framed by her evolving and passionate relationship with the sea. The film follows her as she embarks on a new sea-based project in New Ireland, an island off Papua New Guinea that is one of the last true wildernesses left on Earth. This documentary marks the first time the artist has agreed to participate in a film about her work.

On hearing she may not have long to live, a woman in her fifties goes looking for love in all the wrong places.

Poet Kevin Barrington takes to the streets at night to confront what terrifies him.

A documentary film looking back at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, including rowing brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan, who won silver medals at the games. In August 2016 Gary and Paul O’Donovan, two young rowers from West Cork in Ireland, came from nowhere to become household names after bolting their way to silver medal success at the Rio Olympics. Not only did they become the first ever Irish rowers to bring home Olympic medals but within a week Paul also went on to become the fastest singles lightweight rower on the planet by winning gold at the World Championships. With catch phrases like ‘Pull Like A Dog’ and ‘Stheak and Spuds’ these two young men have succeeded in warming the hearts of a nation.

In 2011, the National Gallery of Ireland closed its doors at Merrion Square, and two thirds of the building, to begin one of the largest refurbishment projects in the history of the state. Six years later, after numerous delays and costing close to €30million, the NGI finally reopened the historic Dargan and Milltown wings in June 2017. This special observational documentary film secured unique access inside the walls of the National Gallery of Ireland, the nation’s most visited cultural attraction, while the institution goes through huge change. Three and a half years in the making, director Adrian McCarthy and Wildfire Films observed the day-to-day running of the institution while witnessing the transformation of the dilapidated historic Dargan and Milltown wings. A mammoth challenge for architects Heneghan Peng, the OPW and the construction team as they renovate a protected 150 year-old and 110 year-old building, while also opening up new spaces never-before-seen by the public.

Documentary following former professional cyclist and journalist Paul Kimmage as he discusses the blight of doping in cycling and the toll whistleblowing has taken on him personally.

Do you REALLY know what OCD is? Dig beyond the stereotypes in this documentary, profiling multiple people who deal with this mental illness in all its known and often unknown forms every single day.

On the 15th anniversary of its launch, this documentary follows Father Ted creators Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews on a return trip to Craggy Island to take in its location and discuss how the series was made with cast and crew.

Against the backdrop of Ireland’s stunning west coast, this film digs deep into the day to day lives of the surf community, taking the audience beyond the bluster of the typical adrenaline fueled film to create a very real portrait of those who choose the surf lifestyle.

Creepy found- footage horror about a grad student whose research into video chat culture quickly takes a dark and unsettling turn. Starring Melanie Papalia (2016)(74 mins).

Follows Irish champion boxer Katie Taylor as she tries to rekindle her career after a year of setbacks.

In October 2016 news of the sudden death of Munster rugby head coach Anthony 'Axel' Foley reverberated throughout the rugby world and beyond. This documentary tells a story of Munster rugby through his life. Told from within the Munster family, we get to know the man and get an extraordinary honest insight into the events surrounding Anthony's time as head coach, his death and the emotional aftermath.

Autism And Me is a revealing observational documentary that explores the autism spectrum through the experiences of a number of Irish children, teenagers and young adults. We hear directly from a range of diverse and engaging participants about what living with autism is like and about how they feel they are perceived by the rest of the world.