Podtalk: Mike Houlihan of 5th Irish American Movie Hooley, in Chicago Sept. 27-29, 2019

CHICAGO – Since Chicago is one of the great Irish immigrant cities in the U.S., it stands to reason that a film festival would be dedicated to Irish American films, and Mike Houlihan – a local writer/radio host/playwright/actor/filmmaker – founded this festival in in the Windy City in 2015. The 5th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley will take place September 27th-29th, 2019, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. More information about the three film festival, including tickets, can be accessed by clicking here. [15]

The “Hooley” is not only a nickname for Mike Houlihan, but it also is Irish slang for “party,” and the three day festival takes on that atmosphere as lively conservations take place after the films, with appearances by the filmmakers and subjects of the screenings. Friday, September 27th is Opening Night with “Misty Button,” a narrative black comedy on the propensity of the New York City Irish to create boozy shenanigans. On Saturday, September 28th, “The Man Who Wanted to Fly” is a documentary profile of Bobby Coote, who fulfilled a lifelong desire to learn aviation. And finally on Sunday, September 29th, the fest concludes with the music documentary “Cumar, A Galway Rhapsody.”

The Line-Up for the Irish American Movie Hooley
Photo credit: SiskelFilmCenter.org

The Founder and the Producer of festival is Mike Houlihan, who is a fixture in the Chicago entertainment scene as an actor, stand-up comedian, radio personality and filmmaker. In the 1990s, he did a one man show called “Goin’ East on Ashland” that ran for six years, and had a world premiere in 2000 with his play “Mickey Finn” at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre. In 2009, he wrote and was featured in the film “Tapioca.” and released a documentary in 2013 entitled “Our Irish Cousins.” He can be heard on “The Skinny & Houli Show” on WCEV-AM. Tonight at 7pm (September 26th, 2019), he will be taping a documentary at the Curragh Irish Pub, 6705 North Northwest Highway in Chicago, and the night of Irish music is free and open to the public.

In the following Podtalk, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com speaks with Mike Houlihan on the Irish American Film Hooley, the Irish in Chicago, Irish Pubs and Irish Catholics … spoiler alert, it’s all Irish.

[17]	By PATRICK McDONALD [18] Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [17]