(RED BANK – MARCH 6) Basie Center Cinemas, the independent movie house located on White Street in downtown Red Bank, will present the Irish-American Comedy + Film Fleadh this Saturday, March 11 at 6:30PM.

A partnership with the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival (www.dublininternationalcomedyfilmfest.com), the Fleadh – Irish for ‘Festival’ – will feature short films culled from this year’s festival in Dublin, as well as Love Letters Profiles, a comedy TV pilot episode written by Spring Lake screenwriter Michael Farragher. In all, 8 short films will be screened, in addition to a live comedy set by Irish comedian Katie Boyle.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity the showcase some of the best of Irish film comedy in the States thanks to the Irish American Comedy & Film Fleadh,” said Cathal Feeney, Co-Founder of the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival.

The hope, Feeney and Basie Center officials say, is for this year’s inaugural event in Red Bank to forge an annual partnership and stateside Fleadh, highlighting Irish-centric films and comedy from both sides of the Atlantic.

“Part of our objective as a nonprofit, independent cinema is to celebrate the contributions of filmmakers worldwide,” said Izzy Sackowitz, Chief Operating Officer, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “This was the perfect time of year to deploy our relationship with the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival, and our hope is to grow that relationship forward in years to come.”

Tickets for the Irish-American Comedy + Film Fleadh are on sale now through www.basiecentercinemas.org and the Basie Center Cinemas box office. This is an all-ages to enter, 21 to drink event.