Songs for While I’m Away, a feature documentary directed by Emer Reynolds on the life and music of Phil Lynott which will be screened at Fastnet Film Festival in Schull over the last weekend in May.

Post screening, Fastnet will host a Q&A with director Emer Reynolds, Philip’s former wife Caroline, his daughters Sarah & Cathleen and Producer Alan Maher. The festival provides a rare opportunity to hear from Phil’s daughters first-hand.

The film tells the story of how a young black boy from working class 1950’s Dublin, became Ireland’s greatest Rock Star. As lead singer of Thin Lizzy, Phil was a songwriter, a poet, a dreamer and a wild man. Told extensively through the words of Phil himself and focusing on some of his iconic songs, the film gets to the heart of Philip, the father, the husband, the friend, the son, the Irish rock icon.

Emer Reynolds - Irish film director, editor, and screenwriter, is acclaimed for her work in documentary and narrative cinema. Notable projects include The Farthest (2017), exploring the Voyager missions with depth and resonance, and Songs for While I'm Away (2020), a touching biopic on Phil Lynott and her narrative debut, Joyride (2022) featuring Olivia Colman. Reynolds' work, marked by its intellectual rigor and emotional depth, continues to earn her recognition and awards, making her a significant figure in film both in Ireland and abroad.

Alan Maher, an Emmy-winning Irish producer and co-Managing Director of Cowtown Pictures, known for Lola, which won the 2023 Méliès d’or, and Ballywalter, celebrated for its box office success. His portfolio includes "Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away" (2020) and the IFTA-winning Rialto (2019). Maher was Ireland’s Producer on the Move at Cannes 2017 and is spotlighted by the Hollywood Reporter and a member of the ACE Producer’s Network.

This Globe Production in association with Fís Éireann is produced by Alan Maher and John Wallace for Cowtown Pictures and Peter Worsley for Eagle Rock Films.

For further information about the Fastnet film festival can be found here.