Founded in 2003, San Francisco's Irish Film Festival takes over the Roxie this weekend, kicking off the three-day festivities with the regional premiere of Ian Fitzgibbon's A Film with Me in It, a black comedy about a struggling actor (Mark Doherty) who seeks counsel from his hard-drinking best friend (Shaun of the Dead's Dylan Moran) when a series of freak accidents turns his run-down flat into a mass grave. Doherty, who wrote the script, will be on hand to field questions following the 9 p.m. screening.
An opening-night party, hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland and the Bay Area's Irish Network, will be held at the Picaro Cafe on 16th Street, starting at 6:30 p.m. Other festival highlights include Friday night's Magners & Shorts, a program featuring nine of Ireland's best new short films and free Irish cider; Conor Horgan's acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama One Hundred Mornings; and festival director Niall McKay's documentary The Bass Player: A Song for Dad, in which the filmmaker revisits his turbulent childhood with his often-absent musician father.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Roxie box office or TicketWeb.