It’s a timely choice.

The opening film of the 63rd Cork Film Festival will be the award-winning Irish production, Float like a Butterfly, the story of a young girl’s fight for freedom and belonging.

The European premiere will take place at The Everyman on November 9th and will be attended by the film’s writer and director Carmel Winters.

An inspirational coming-of-age tale of an Irish girl from the Travelling community and the pursuit of her dream to be a boxer, Float Like A Butterfly won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) prize for the Discovery programme at the Toronto International Film Festival last month.

This year’s Closing Night Gala is the Irish premiere of Nadine Labaki’s multi-award-winning film Capernaum, also at The Everyman on November 18th.

Nadine Labaki’s sensational film, which took the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival, is set in Beirut and tells the courageous story of a 12-year-old boy who sues his parents for bringing him into a world of poverty.

“We are thrilled to be premiering these two significant films, directed by two outstanding female directors, in Cork.” said Festival Producer and CEO Fiona Clark.

“Their stories reflect and resonate with the times we live in – life on the margins of society seen through the eyes of a child; the reality of personal and social struggles; and the human need to achieve a sense of belonging.”

Tickets for both films are now on sale at corkfilmfest.org. The full 10-day programme for Ireland’s largest film festival, which will showcase the very best in new cinema, will be announced on Tuesday, October 16th.