a group of people sitting facign forward, clearly paying attention to something/someone out of frame.

British Council Ireland are proud to have worked with the Dublin International Film Festival in 2023 and 2024 to bring the best of UK film expertise to Ireland, for discussions surrounding issues to do with equality, diversity and inclusion in film - from programming, to audience development and artist development. 

Irish Film Programmers Networking Event and Workshop with Isra Al Kassi from film collective T A P E

In 2024, we partnered with the Dublin International Film Festival to bring Isra Al Kassi from the UK film collective, T A P E, to Dublin, where she gave a masterclass on programming and audience development to the Irish Film Programmers Network. 

The network was born over the summer of 2020, when a small group of Irish film programmers came together to share insights and knowledge about filmmaking, audiences, festival and cinema exhibition, as well as the move to online screening platforms. These groups expanded rapidly to include many cinemas and film festivals throughout Ireland and the UK. The group met on a monthly basis to share resources and updates on their events and were often joined by international colleagues who shared their experiences with the group. With the return to in-person screenings, the monthly meetings reduced somewhat but the group still met to welcome new programmers and events and to debate issues relating to film exhibition. As all of these events were held online, our event was the first opportunity for these programming colleagues to meet in-person. 

About Isra Al Kassi

Isra Al Kassi has a background in events management and community spaces and cinemas. She is the co-founder of T A P E Collective and has curated for London Short Film Festival, BFI Southbank, Reclaim the Frame and Aesthetica Short Film Festival. Isra has also recently worked with BIFA, Inclusive Cinema, Independent Film Trust and London Film Festival, with a focus on audience development and outreach.

About the T A P E Collective

T A P E was founded in 2015 by Angela Moneke and Isra Al Kassi after meeting through the Barbican Young Programmers scheme. T A P E launched as a response to the lack of representation on screen; wanting to platform and highlight the sheer variety of under-served films out. Over the years T A P E has curated a number of well-rounded screenings bringing together film, art, music, talks and more into one space and events with a focus on representation, identity and heritage; bringing exciting screenings to new audiences, championing the forgotten could-be cult films of the festival circuit with a focus on programmes of women of colour both behind and in front of the camera. 

Volta Presentation and Interview with Sir Steve McQueen

British Council Ireland were invited to the Volta Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to honour Sir Steve McQueen. Representatives from British Council Ireland, as well as the British Embassy in Dublin, including British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston, were invited along to the award ceremony, which was followed by an exclusive interview with the award winning director, filmmaker, and Turner Prize winning artist Sir Steve McQueen. Known for titles including his acclaimed first feature Hunger (2008), the multi award winning 12 Years a Slave (2013), and the BAFTA award winning Small Axe series (2021), Sir Steve McQueen was joined by Irish actor and screenwriter Mark O’Halloran (Conversations with Friends, 2022, Adam & Paul, 2004).

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Panel at Dublin International Film Festival 2023

In 2023, as part of ongoing discussions on diversity and inclusion, British Council Ireland partnered with Dublin International Film Festival to present a panel that shed light on making inclusive programming choices, improving practices around EDI in the creative arts industry, and broadening the lens and reduce barriers to accessing cinema and creative practice.

Pannellists Included:

Rico Johnson-Sinclair, Race Equality Lead at British Film Institute (BFI) & Film Programmer with a focus in QTBIPOC stories.

Ruth McCarthy, Artistic Director of Outburst Queer Arts Festival.

Amanda Coogan, artist working across live art, performance, sculpture and installation.

Nic Pillai, UCD's academic lead for the Creative Futures Academy (CFA).

Dr.Bashir Otukoya, law academic and public educator specialising in equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Zbyszek Zalinski, diversity and inclusion lead at RTE.

External links