Colin Devlin will headline the Wee Craic Festival in New York

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The Wee Craic is the name of New York City’s one-night only festival of the best of Irish short films and live music. Billed as the Irish fest that’s half way to St. Patrick’s Day, this year it’s scheduled for September 17 at the Tribeca Cinema and Lounge. CAHIR O’DOHERTY asks festival director Terence Mulligan what to expect.

 
Every year New York’s Wee Craic Festival serves up a night of cutting edge Irish films and world-class Irish music for the distinctly tempting price of just $20.

For less than your average yellow cab fare you can see 10 award winning short Irish films (featuring both animation and comedies) that’s tied in with an often celebrity filled live music after party. As deals go, it’s really one of the best the city has to offer.

In the past few years the Wee Craic (now in its 12th year) festival has been a home away from home for up and coming Irish performers like Mundy, Laura Izibor, Mark Geary and Brendan O’Shea. But A-list Irish movie stars often in check in too, so it’s not unlikely that you’ll find yourself rubbing shoulders with Colin Farrell or Cillian Murphy.

“It’s half way to St. Patrick’s Day and that’s why we chose it,” says Terence Mulligan, the festival’s Brooklyn-born Irish American director. “We don’t do the green beer and the shamrocks, we provide a contemporary progressive reflection of modern life in Ireland.”

Irish music fans will want to know that this year’s main headliner is Colin Devlin of the Devlins, who’s new CD entitled Democracy Of One is currently burning up the charts.

“Colin Devlin has a song called ‘The Heart Won’t Be Denied,’ and I have to tell you it’s a showstopper,” Mulligan tells the Irish Voice. “His music is brilliant and it’s featuring on One Tree Hill now.”

Each year the Wee Craic Festival committee handpicks each short film from a few international festivals such as the Galway Film Fleadh, and even as far afield as the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals. The basic recipe has stayed the same all these years too -- the shorts films must have some Irish theme, or be shot by local Irish filmmakers or star some Irish actors (or if all else fails they just have to be shot in Ireland).

Happily there’s no shortage of them. And if you’re still not sold, how about a Jameson open bar from 8-10 p.m. on the night?
“We’re excited that Colin Devlin’s coming in. He’s had some really great songs out this year,” says Mulligan.

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