Jailbreak Film Productions announced last week that Open Mic Dublin - The Movie has been selected for an American film festival: the YoFi MicroFest Irish Cinema Showcase.

Filmed over two years, the documentary explores Dublin’s music scene, telling the stories of the people who organise open mics and the artists who perform at them.

The documentary’s creators, Alan Morton and Conor Clancy, have been involved with open mics for more than seven years. They used their deep familiarity with the scene to interview over 20 artists, including the man who started Dublin’s first open mic more than 25 years ago.

In a press release, Jailbreak Film Productions emphasized the importance of sharing their work with an American audience. “Films like this help cement the love of Irish culture in America,” they said.

They added that “since the film contains all contemporary artists performing all new music and poetry it also updates the understanding of that culture. Art in Ireland is a constantly evolving thing and is something that we should never stop shouting about.”

Open Mic Dublin - The Movie was previously screened at two other American film festivals: the 2019 Great Lakes International Film Festival and the Irish Film Festival New Jersey.

The latest to accept the film, YoFi MicroFest Irish Cinema Showcase, will take place from July 17-19 in Yonkers, New York. The festival is only in its eighth year of operation, but has already been voted one of FilmFreeway’s top 100 festivals numerous times.

Watch the trailer for Open Mic Dublin - The Movie on YouTube below.