DECEMBER 2016 SPIKE LEE THE IRISH FILM INSTITUTE The Irish Film Institute is Ireland’s national cultural institution for film. EXHIBIT It aims to exhibit the finest in independent, Irish and international cinema, preserve PRESERVE Ireland’s moving image heritage at the IFI Irish Film Archive, and encourage EDUCATE engagement with film through its various educational programmes. IFI MEMBERSHIP FEAST YOUR EYES Why not give the gift of IFI Membership this Christmas? Our monthly pairing of a film and a specially devised For just €35 (€20 concession), IFI Members get cheaper main course menu will be the seminal Christmas classic, tickets, discounts, double loyalty points, and lots more! It’s a Wonderful Life, followed by a festive feast in the Moreover, you also directly help support the IFI’s vital IFI Café Bar on December 14th at 6.30pm. Frank Capra’s work in preserving and restoring Ireland’s moving image classic depicts a terrible alternate future without the heritage, via the IFI Irish Film Archive, as well as engaging benevolent interventions of beleaguered businessman young people through our national education programme. George – James Stewart, in one of his most endearing performances. Tickets €20; free list suspended. IFI FILM SHOP GIFT CARD From the best in Irish film and TV to the top Looking for a great Christmas stocking filler? Why not give DVDs of 2016, including Sing Street, Brooklyn, Viva, an IFI Gift Card? Credit can be added to cards and spent in and 1916: The Rebellion, look no further than the the IFI Film Shop, IFI Café Bar and IFI Cinemas throughout IFI Film Shop for the best Christmas gifts! Don’t forget, the year – the perfect present for the film fan in your life! if you’re an IFI Member, you’ll automatically get 10% Just ask at the IFI Box Office. off (excludes gift cards) and the IFI Film Shop will be open on Christmas Eve for those last-minute purchases! 2 DIRECTOR’S NOTE This December, the programme brings to a close a very busy year for the IFI with some fantastic new releases and Christmas classics. DECEMBER AT THE IFI As we draw towards the end of another busy year at the IFI, This month we also welcome the eleventh edition of I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers IFI & Kinopolis, our annual celebration of the finest new and members for their support over the last twelve months. Polish cinema. This year’s programme sees one of the We’ve had a momentous year with highlights including the strongest selections yet. We’re delighted to present a festival launch of the IFI Player, the publication of our first schools with work from emerging artists (Jan P. Matuszyński), programme covering the full academic year, our fourth annual prominent filmmakers (Tomacz Wasilewski) and cinematic IFI Spotlight on Irish film, a host of exclusive screenings, greats (the late Andrzej Wajda). and some very special guests including Whit Stillman and Michael Moore to name but a few. I’m also pleased to announce the presentation of an important Ciné-Concert of Little Old New York, which we The IFI is a not-for-profit organisation, constantly investing recently acquired for the Archive from the Library of Congress in our film preservation and education initiatives. in Washington. The screening will be accompanied by pianist It is through our Box Office, Café Bar, Film Shop, fundraising Morgan Cooke and promises to be a very special evening. and membership that we generate our income in order to We would like to thank the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation continue to preserve over 30,000 cans of film (representing for their generous support of this project. Ireland’s moving image heritage) in the vaults at the IFI Irish Film Archive, and to develop new and ongoing learning And finally, I would like to thank the board and staff of the opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. IFI for all of their hard work during 2016, and on behalf of It is your support of our programme (and every cup of coffee everyone at the IFI, I’d like to wish all of our patrons and that you purchase!) that helps us to continue the work that supporters a very merry Christmas. we do. So, this December, I would like to thank you for all of your support throughout 2016, and would encourage you Ross Keane to look to IFI Membership and IFI Gift Cards as you do your Director Christmas shopping this year. Before we move into 2017 however, we have one last exciting month of events for your enjoyment. It wouldn’t be December without a selection of Christmas classics, and this year we’re bringing back the old favourites It’s a Wonderful Life and Scrooge. 3 NEW RELEASES, IFI SEASONS & DOCS & IFI CLASSICS EVENTS CALENDAR CHI-RAQ OPENS DEC 2ND DATE SCREENING TIME CRASH AND BURN OPENS DEC 2ND 1ST COMMAND AND CONTROL 18.30 SULLY OPENS DEC 2ND THU 2ND CRASH AND BURN + Q&A 18.30 THE BIRTH OF A NATION OPENS DEC 9TH FRI LIFE, ANIMATED OPENS DEC 9TH 5TH ACCESSIBLE SCREENING: A UNITED KINGDOM* 15.50 MON UNITED STATES OF LOVE OPENS DEC 9TH 6TH ACCESSIBLE SCREENING: A UNITED KINGDOM* 20.50 THE BLACK HEN OPENS DEC 16TH TUE IRISH FOCUS: THE WAITING GAME 18.30 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE OPENS DEC 16TH IFI CAFÉ BAR PUB QUIZ (FREE EVENT) 21.30 7TH FROM THE VAULTS: 18.30 SCROOGE OPENS DEC 16TH WED CINÉ CONCERT: LITTLE OLD NEW YORK UNCLE HOWARD OPENS DEC 16TH 8TH IFI & KINOPOLIS: UNITED STATES OF LOVE 18.30 DONNIE DARKO OPENS DEC 23RD THU 9TH IFI & KINOPOLIS: KAMPER 18.30 THE EAGLE HUNTRESS OPENS DEC 23RD FRI IFI & KINOPOLIS: AFTERIMAGE 20.30 10TH IFI & KINOPOLIS: THE RED SPIDER 16.00 SAT IFI & KINOPOLIS: PLANET SINGLE 18.00 11TH IFI & KINOPOLIS: ANIMATION PROGRAMME 12.00 SUN IFI & KINOPOLIS: THE LAST FAMILY + Q&A 18.00 GET SOCIAL! 14TH FEAST YOUR EYES: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 18.30 Excited about this month’s programme? So are we! WED Tell your friends which film you’re planning to watch, 15TH NT LIVE: NO MANS LAND 19.00 THU share your movie reviews and show us your best pics 18TH IFI FAMILY: THE SECRET OF NIMH 11.00 on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! SUN Join the IFI Community online: 19TH ACCESSIBLE SCREENING: THE BIRTH OF A NATION* 18.10 MON @IrishFilmInstitute 20TH ACCESSIBLE SCREENING: THE BIRTH OF A NATION* 13.00 TUE @IrishFilmInstitute @IFI_Dub 24TH CINEMAS CLOSED (BOX OFFICE OPEN — SAT FOR MEMBERSHIP/GIFT CARD SALES) 25TH CINEMAS CLOSED — SUN 26TH CINEMAS CLOSED — Open Captioned screening MON 28TH WILD STRAWBERRIES: THE MEDDLER 11.00 WED Audio Described screening 30TH WILD STRAWBERRIES: THE MEDDLER 11.00 FRI * Denotes screenings which are open captioned. For more information on our Accessible Screenings, please visit www.ifi.ie/accessible †The exclusivity status of films is correct at time of going to print TIMES For a breakdown of times and dates of IFI New Releases, IFI Docs & IFI Classics, check out our weekly schedule on www.ifi.ie/weekly-schedule or the IFI ads in The Irish Times on Fridays and Saturdays. You can also sign up to receive our weekly ezine by joining at www.ifi.ie/signup. 4 DECEMBER 2016 CHI-RAQ NEW RELEASE OPENS DEC 2ND When an eleven-year-old girl is killed Taking the bones of Aristophanes’ in the crossfire of a shootout between comedy Lysistrata, and its anti-war FILM INFO: rival gangs the Trojans and Spartans, female-led sex strike, Lee fashions a 127 mins, 2015, USA, Digital Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris), girlfriend to bracingly current cri de coeur against Notes by David O’Mahony Spartan leader Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon), black-on-black violence in Southside decides enough is enough, and rallies Chicago, an area that has seen more her sisters to withhold all sexual favours Americans killed in the past fifteen until a cessation of hostilities is observed. years than the Afghan and Iraq wars Spike Lee’s unlikely reimagining of combined. The film also playfully honours an ancient Greek drama is the prolific its theatrical roots with one-man Greek director’s most cinematically exuberant, Chorus Dolmedes (Samuel L. Jackson) politically engaged and vital film punctuating the action with delightfully in many years. effusive commentary. CRASH AND BURN IFI DOC OPENS DEC 2ND For a fleeting moment in the early ‘80s, including a series of drink and drug- Tommy Byrne was the world’s greatest fuelled escapades and an altercation FILM INFO: Formula 1 driver, a man who looked set with Ayrton Senna – ultimately led 81 mins, 2016, Ireland-UK, Digital to rival Senna and Schumacher with his to his exclusion from the club. Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn fearless style and his record-breaking speeds. Coming from humble Dundalk Director Seán Ó Cualáin roots and starting out as stock-car (Men at Lunch) finds Byrne in Florida, driver in rural Ireland, he quickly rose now a driving coach, content with We are delighted to welcome to win a host of championships and set his lot, but bitter about a career that director Seán O Cualáin and new records in time trials in the UK. was doomed before it even began. Tommy Byrne to participate in a Never at home or fully welcome in Q&A after the 18.30 screening the privileged world of Formula 1 on Friday, December 2nd. drivers, Byrne’s wild behaviour – 5 DECEMBER 2016 SULLY NEW RELEASE OPENS DEC 2ND Airline pilot Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Tom Hanks take on the role of a man who Sullenberger came to international refused the label of ‘hero’ and insisted FILM INFO: attention on January 15th, 2009 when instead that he was simply doing his job.