Swing Bout

A gripping film with a big heart and a captivating collection of characters. The story unfolds in the locker-room, offices, toilets and corridors, and cleverly manages to keep up the exhilarating tension without ever bringing us into the ring, and the fact that we never see the ring makes the story all the more powerful. The very relatable characters are brought to life by brilliant performances and sharply written and authentic dialogue. All the above along with a great soundscape, rich cinematography and thoughtful visual design make this a refreshing treat of a film. I'll look forward to the team's next creation.

I was lucky enough to see Swing Bout at a sold out full house at the Dublin International Film Festival. Simply put, the film is excellent. It lit a fire in me, a need to make another film. The passion of everyone involved eminates from the screen.

The writing and directing is sharp and energetic. The performances are captivating and nuanced. The production is extremely polished. Camera, lighting, sound, makeup, all the departments excel at their roles.

The story is universal, making it accessible to all, no matter your background or where you are from. I will be watching this film again and have no doubt the team behind it will continue to thrive and make more and more hits.

Set in the world of female boxing competions, this low budget feature really punches above it's weight. Beautifully acted and directed, it's story is gripping and personal. I'd highly recommend a look to see just how much can be done to create character driven story and tension, with a small amount of finance. The editing is tight and the performances are powerful. The soundtrack keeps us feeling the presence of the boxing ring, while the ensemble of actors brings us into the messy and conflicted world of the boxing competitions. It is a powerhouse of a production and I look forward to seeing what is next for this team.

I was incredibly impressed with Swing Bout. I am always very supportive of independent film making, especially Irish film. However Swing Bout really stands out as something special and has set the bar extremely high for Irish filmmaking going forward. It's extremely exciting to see such a stacked cast of fresh and exciting emerging Irish talent such as Baz Black and Sinéad O'Riordan up on the big the big screen and they've got some fantastic material to work with here. There is an immaculate attention to detail in Swing Bout. The set, the score, the performances all come together perfectly to create an exiting momentum from start to finish. Not a single frame is wasted, I was thoroughly invested in the life's of all the characters and it all builds towards an exciting conclusion you will never see coming. Go out and experience Swing Bout on the big screen as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed.

Great independent Irish cinema with no agendas, just great storytelling and great characters on a roller coaster of adrenaline. I loved the characters, they felt real and relatable. The plot and sub-plot interweved perfectly and the comedy and drama balance was perfect. Well done to all involved.

When you consider the rubbish that Hollywood is churning out with massive budgets and then when you see what talented passionate people can produce with tiny budgets without the interference of studios and agendas it's clear that allowing directors and producers to be their authentic selves and tell stories they believe in leads to far superior work. It's a pity the industry is so upside down like this, but its refreshing to know that great cinema still exists. Highly recommend.