Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children, Evelyn, Dermot and Maurice, make it clear to the authorities that his is an untenable situation. The Catholic Church and the Irish courts decide to put the Doyle children into Church-run orphanages. Although a sympathetic judge assures Desmond that when his financial situation reverses, he will be able to get his children back; money is hard to come by. During that time, Evelyn and her brothers suffer the abuses of living in orphanages while Desmond struggles to secure finances. Now he must battle the courts to get his children back. Written by Anonymous

This short film were presented at the Belfast film festival. THE FOUR HORSEMEN is a futuristic allegory adapted from the Book of Revelations which illustrates the struggle of ‘Life’ when pitted against ‘War’, ‘Famine’, ‘Death’ and ‘Pestilence’. The novel is directed by Robert Kelly, lasts 16 minutes, and was produced in Ireland, 2006.

A middle-aged crime boss (Malcolm McDowell) smugly reflects back from 1999, narrating the brutality which made him triumphant - and feared. As an unnamed young hood (played by Paul Bettany) in Swinging 60’s London, he aped his mod boss Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), and seemed to do anything for him. But his narration exposes all-consuming envy: of Freddie’s supremacy, and especially his tall bird (Saffron Burrows). The baby shark develops his viciousness and backstabbing, scheming to be Gangster No. 1. Written by David Stevens

Set against the glitzy backdrop of the French Riviera, aging gambler Bob Montagnet is about to gamble it all on the casino heist of a lifetime; a spectatcular sleight of hand–two heists, one real, one not, but which is which? Under the watchful eye of Roger, a policeman who would as soon save his longtime opponent as arrest him, Montagnet assembles a team that consists of partners Paulo and Raoul, technical mastermind Vladimer, former-drug-dealer-turned-informant Said, Anne, a young Eastern girl Montagnet rescued from prostitution, and the perfect complement to a double theft–identical twins Albert and Bertram. Written by Sujit R. Varma

“gobshite” is a dark comedy about a slightly demented English gangster who has upset the underworld pecking order by deciding he wants a bigger piece of the pie. He devises a scheme to get what he wants but must travel to a sleepy, seaside community in Ireland. As a cover for his plan he needs to acquire a local Irish family’s pub to promote a new brand of beer. Problems occur when the rightful owners of the pub put up more of a fight for their livelihood, than expected. Written by Mike Scullion

The Cardiff club scene in the 90’s: five best friends deal with their relationships and their personal demons during a weekend. Jip calls himself a sexual paranoid, afraid he’s impotent. Lulu, Jip’s mate, doesn’t find much to fancy in men. Nina hates her job at a fast food joint, and her man, Koop, who dreams of being a great hip-hop d.j., is prone to fits of un-provoked jealousy. The fifth is Moff, whose family is down on his behavior. Starting Friday afternoon, with preparations for clubbing, we follow the five from Ecstacy-induced fun through a booze-laden come-down early Saturday morning followed by the weekend’s aftermath. It’s breakthrough time for at least three of them. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}

I liked that movie, but I love the original “What Rats Won’t Do” (1998) with James Frain, Natascha McElhone, and, surprise! surprise! Parker Posey. In that movie the attraction is much more logical and real. I recommend it with all my heart. Written by V Petrova

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Pierce Brosnan is at the top of his game in the dark comedy, “The Matador,” written and directed by Richard Shepard. Proving there is life beyond Bond, Brosnan’s moved on and up with his role as a hit man who suffers from job burnout in this strangely touching buddy comedy.

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An (unnamed) Guy is a Dublin guitarist/singer-songwriter who makes a living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad’s Hoover repair shop by day, and singing and playing for money on the Dublin streets by night. An (unnamed) Girl is a Czech who plays piano when she gets a chance, and does odd jobs by day and takes care of her mom and her daughter by night. Guy meets Girl, and they get to know each other as the Girl helps the Guy to put together a demo disc that he can take to London in hope of landing a music contract. During the same several day period, the Guy and the Girl work through their past loves, and reveal their budding love for one another, through their songs. Written by Charles Delacroix

Ireland will never be the same after Rawhead Rex, a particularly nasty demon, is released from his underground prison by an unwitting farmer. The film follows Rex’s cross country rampage, while a man struggles to stop it. Written by K.L.