International Premiere
Singer Eva Cassidy has one of the most tragic success stories in contemporary music, rising to global fame years after her death from melanoma at 33 years old. While her powerful voice didn’t have as large an audience during her life, her friends and family knew she was special from an early age. Tracing her life from a precocious, talented child to the soulful, uncompromising artist she would become, directors Alex Fegan and Malcolm Willis uncover an intimate portrait of Eva. With never-before-heard recordings and exclusive footage, they not only capture the raw talent and grace of Eva’s music, but the humility and vibrancy of her inner life. A self-effacing, shy woman who valued her independence and artistic vision over chasing fame, Eva weathered internal and external pressures while staying true to herself. An intimate tribute not only to her art, but the person behind the legend, The Essence of Eva celebrates the beautiful life of Eva Cassidy and the indelible legacy she left behind.
Oct 6 & 7: Q&A
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Ireland
2025
English
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Malcolm Willis, Alex Fegan, Brendan Byrne
Screenwriter
Alex Fegan, Malcolm Willis
Cinematography
Malcolm Willis
Editor
Alex Fegan
Malcolm Willis
Malcolm is an English director who has lived in County Kerry, Ireland, for over 25 years. A former fireman and police detective, he entered filmmaking later in life. His debut feature documentary Kilimanjaro Mama (2019) won Best Feature at the Kerry International Film Festival. His second film, Blow-Ins (2022), explored immigration in Dingle and premiered on RTÉ One. He wrote, directed, and produced both films and is currently producing two new documentaries.
Filmography: Blow-Ins (2022)
Alex Fegan
Alex Fegan is an Irish filmmaker who left a career as a lawyer in 2008 to pursue his childhood dream of filmmaking. He is the founder of Atom Films, and has made some of Ireland’s best-loved documentaries including The Irish Pub (2013), Older Than Ireland (2015) and Sins of Ireland and Am I Here? (2024).
Filmography: Man Made Men (2009); The Irish Pub (2013); Older Than Ireland (2015); Am I Here? (2023); Sins of Ireland (2024); The Omagh Hum (2024)
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Possible Love
Lee Chang-dong’s first film since Burning (2018) is a sardonic, slow-burning satire about two couples: a documentary filmmaker married to a wealthy businessman, and a working-class family struggling to make ends meet after the husband has been laid off.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
The Secret in Their Eyes
This month's Talking Pictures screening is a multi-layered, poignant thriller interweaving the personal lives of a prosecution investigator (Ricardo Darin) and a judge, with a manhunt spanning twenty-five years. Stay for cookies, coffee and a chat after!
The Haunting
Directed by Robert Wise in 1963, The Haunting is a classic exercise in the suggestive power of cinema, adapted from Shirley Jackson's 1959 best-seller, The Haunting of Hill House, a provocative blend of supernatural and psychological horror.
