WILDCARD ACQUIRES ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY GUGGI FOR IRISH CINEMA RELEASE ON 28 AUGUST
Wildcard has acquired the Irish rights to the acclaimed documentary GUGGI, an intimate portrait of the internationally renowned Irish artist which features contributions from Bono, Gavin Friday and Jim Sheridan. The film will open in cinemas across Ireland on 28 August, with a special opening night screening and Q&A at the Irish Film Institute featuring Guggi, director Ian Thuillier and producer Gabriella Janni, hosted by poet Gary Jermyn.
GUGGI traces the remarkable creative journey of one of Ireland’s most celebrated contemporary artists, who emerged from the anarchic post-punk energy of Dublin’s late-1970s music scene before turning away from performance to pursue a deeply personal and solitary artistic path.
Since its World Premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival earlier this year, GUGGI has continued its festival journey with an International Premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York and a screening at Docs Ireland in Belfast. The film will next screen at the Boyle Arts Festival on 17, 18 and 20 July, ahead of its Irish cinema release.
Filmed over several years with unprecedented access, the documentary follows Guggi through the quiet rituals of his creative life, offering a rare glimpse into the discipline, dedication and contemplation behind his work. Through conversations with lifelong friends Bono and Gavin Friday, audiences are brought back to a Dublin shaped by religion, poverty, friendship and artistic ambition, while fellow artists and commentators reflect on Guggi’s enduring influence on contemporary Irish art.
More than a biography, the film explores how creativity can emerge from trauma and how art can provide meaning, purpose and connection. Through an intimate portrait of Guggi’s distinctive artistic vision and the thoughtful, repetitive processes that underpin his practice, GUGGI becomes a moving meditation on friendship, resilience, creativity and the transformative power of art.
The film features Guggi, Bono, Gavin Friday and Jim Sheridan, alongside internationally renowned artist Sean Scully, writer and art critic Kelly Grovier, playwright and artist Mannix Flynn, and a host of artists, curators and lifelong friends who illuminate Guggi’s enduring influence on contemporary art and culture.
Speaking about the news, director Ian Thuillier said: “From the very beginning, my hope was to make a film that went beyond the story of an artist and explored the deeper human need to create. It’s wonderful to have Wildcard bringing GUGGI to Irish cinemas, and I hope audiences leave feeling inspired by Guggi’s honesty, resilience and extraordinary body of work.”
Guggi said: “Truthfulness has always been an important ingredient in my work, and I believe it is where all art begins. That was important to me in making this film. I hope it gives people a glimpse into my life and some sense of where my work comes from. I’m deeply honoured that the film will open in Ireland first—where I live and work, my home, and a country I love.”
Gabriella Janni, producer of GUGGI said: “As Guggi’s partner, this film began as a personal labour of love, rooted in a deep belief in the man and his story. I was equally drawn to the context that shaped such a unique artist: the bleak Zeitgeist of 70s and 80s Dublin, the disciplinarian family life and the escape through faith, friendship, music, and humour. But more fundamentally, it was about the transformative journey, to use Sean Scully’s words of ‘finding a place of beauty, where you can live’, and the quiet, meditative space between the artist and his work.”
Gillian Cooper, Head of Distribution at Wildcard added: “We were deeply moved by Ian’s meditative work, which offers a rare glimpse into the life and mind of a true artist. We’re thrilled to bring it to Irish audiences on the big screen.”
GUGGI was produced by Ian Thuillier and Gabriella Janni for Tall Tale Films with the support of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
Wildcard will release GUGGI in Irish cinemas on 28 August.
