Actors Aidan Quinn, Jeremy Irons and Fionnuala Flanagan, Paddy Hill of the Birmingham Six and Gerry Conlon of the Guildford Four are among participants at this year's Galway Film Fleadh which opened in the city last night.
Irish and international producers, directors and financiers will attend the week-long event, which includes a number of Irish premieres, masterclasses and discussions.
Amnesty International's Irish section is hosting a selection of films in association with the fleadh. These include Ghosts, directed by Nick Broomfield, about the 23 Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Britain's Morecambe Bay in February, 2004.
The difficulties facing people who have been set free as a result of miscarriages of justice is the focus of a debate at the fleadh today which will be preceded by a screening of Jim Sheridan's story of the Guildford Four, In the Name of the Father.
Paddy Hill and Gerry Conlon will participate in a discussion entitled Is there life after life?, hosted with the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation.
The 30th anniversary of the making of Bob Quinn's 1977 Irish classic, Poitín, will also be marked on Thursday with the screening of a digitally scanned and remastered version of the film, with a new music score by Bill Whelan.
Starring Cyril Cusack, Niall Tóibín and Donal McCann, the film draws on a story by Colm Bairéad of an elderly poitín maker and his daughter who exact revenge on two cheating agents.
For more information, consult the website www.galwayfilmfleadh.ie
