BAC Irish Films Feature Houli's Top Picks

CHICAGO — In celebration of the return of the South Side Irish Parade, the Beverly Arts Center will host Houli-Fest, a one-day Irish Film Festival Saturday, March 12..

Hibernian Media's Mike "Houli" Houlihan has selected three of his favorite films showcasing Irish culture. Screenings are at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Wilcanic Lab Theatre.

4 p.m.: Goin' East on Ashland
Mike’s one-man comic memoir of growing up Irish on the Southside, which was recorded live onstage at the Beverly Art Center in 1994 and ran for over six years all over Chicagoland.

6 p.m.: Our Irish Cousins
This film premiered at the 13th Annual European Union Film Festival in 2013 and details Houli’s first family trip to Ireland in 2009, featuring a cast of thousands along the way and garnering three stars from RogerEbert.com.

8 p.m.: In Search of Weeping Jim
This film tells the story of the ‘father of the Chicago flag’, the film premiered at the 7th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley in September to rave reviews and tumultuous huzzahs in County Mayo, Ireland last October.

Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Chicago, offers ample parking and a bar for patrons’ enjoyment. Tickets for each screening are $12 and can be purchased online.