The Shamrock Spitfire (12A) + The Elvermen

The true story of Irish fighter pilot Brendan “Paddy” Finucane, who at the age of just 21, became the youngest ever Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force, and one of its greatest and most celebrated fighter aces during World War Two.

The Shamrock Spitfire chronicles the epic true story of Brendan Finucane, or Spitfire Paddy as he was increasingly known, who was killed when a “one in a million chance” bullet from ground fire pierced the radiator of his spitfire during a mission over France. With his plane rapidly losing altitude, he attempted to fly back across the English Channel but was forced to ditch into the sea and he subsequently vanished.  He remains listed as missing in action to this day.

The future of Europe hangs by a thread as the fierce battles rage in the skies over southern England. Pilots from countries invaded by Germany were involved, including a handful of volunteers from Ireland.  Brendan was one of these Irishmen.

RAF pilots were already seen as glamorous, and Brendan’s fame spread after he shot down the best-known German fighter pilot of the time, Adolph Galland. Battling at more than 10,000 feet with enemy aircraft requires a mixture of bravery, tactical awareness and brute force.  Brendan had it all.

Cert: 12A

Running time: 1hr 48mins (+14mins*)

*Prior to the main title, there will be a screening of The Elvermen, a documentary directed by local film-maker Isla Badenoch, and Borderlines Film Festival, UK, Open Screen Award Winner 2024.

As the sun sets on the banks of the River Severn on the outskirts of an impoverished city in the UK, a group of men gather in a race to catch a vanishing creature; the elusive elver. Shot over a moonlit night, The Elvermen is an atmospheric film that reveals the last of a hidden community hunting an endangered fish.

“Isla Badenoch comes incredibly close to catching lightning in a bottle with her meditative documentary” – Short of the Week

Running time: 14mins