Irish Film Institute -IFI UNVEILS PLANS FOR 2023

IFI UNVEILS PLANS FOR 2023

Ross Keane, Director/CEO of the IFI, today unveiled the Institute’s operation plan for 2023. This sets out all aspects of Ireland’s national cultural institution’s plans for the forthcoming twelve months. It looks forward with confidence and ambition, despite the struggle that cinemas in Ireland have experienced since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

Speaking at the announcement today, Director Ross Keane said, “We are delighted to unveil our ambitious plans for this coming year with some some exciting new programmes, seasons and events in our exhibition calendar; major upgrades to our digital preservation capabilities alongside releases of newly restored and digitised archival film collections; and, in education, some exciting new initiatives to engage young people with film both in and out of the classroom.”

A destination venue for audiences and filmmakers, the IFI in Eustace Street is the home of film in Ireland. Committed to providing access to the diversity of world cinema and to place Irish film into that international context, it also houses the IFI Irish Film Archive as well as the popular IFI Café Bar and specialist IFI Film Shop, all of which create a unique space where film lovers can browse, eat, watch films, research and discuss. 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the National Film Institute offers a special opportunity to celebrate the IFI’s mission to Exhibit, Preserve and Educate, with events such as IFI Open Day showcasing the institutional remit and unique programming across all areas.

EXHIBITION

A jam packed schedule of Irish and International work is lined up for 2023 including the IFI’s four flagship festivals, the IFI Family Festival, IFI Documentary Festival, IFI Horrorthon and IFI French Film Festival. 

Those will be among the highlights announced for 2023: 

March – The Films of Kinuyo Tanaka (1909-1977) one of the stars of Japanese cinema presented in new 4K digital restorations; March/April – East Asia Film Festival Ireland; IFI Spotlight annual review of the year’s production in film and television with panel discussions, presentations and interviews; April – retrospective of the great Italian director, Federico Fellini including a screening of a new 4K restoration of La Dolce Vita; Werner Herzog Season (IFI@Home); May – a celebration of the work of film artist Joe Comerford; June – John Cassavetes focus – (IFI@Home); July  – Exploring Outer Space (IFI@Home); Brief Encounters – a programme of short film works curated from a range of practices;  August: IFI Open Day offering a full day of free films; Paul Newman Retrospective; IFI Family Festival; September – IFI Documentary Festival and Iconic Docs a programme of seminal Irish documentaries (IFI@Home). October – IFI Horrorthon and Dublin Festival of History; November – IFI French Film Festival and December – IFI Kinopolis Polish Film Festival and IFI and Women in Film and TV Ireland will present their annual showcase of short films directed by up-and-coming female creatives.

Local Films for Local People, will see county-specific programmes drawn largely from the IFI Irish Film Archive presented to cinema audiences who enjoy a direct connection to the people and places appearing on screen, showing a rich tapestry of life in Ireland over several decades.

PRESERVATION:

The IFI Irish Film Archive acquires, preserves and makes available Ireland’s moving image heritage on behalf of the nation. Capacity for ingest and processing has been doubled and for the first time now includes Virtual Reality files.

The large number of preservation projects underway include: Ballymun Communications Archive Project featuring video footage and documentation spanning forty years in the life of Ballymun;  The Diageo/IFI Guinness Advertising project of nearly 50 years of Guinness television advertising; Three Female Filmmakers Project preserving and cataloging the work of Margo Harkin, Anne Crilly and Trish McAdam; Women In Focus project to restore, recover and recontextualise amateur films made by women over the past century, and restoring the Irish films of Benjamin T Gault, a conservationist and naturalist who recorded life and the rural environment of the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry in the 1920s.  

EDUCATION:

The IFI continues to offer audiences many ways to engage with film through a diverse range of education programmes and activities for all stages of life. In 2023 the IFI Family programme and IFI Family Festival will continue alongside an extensive Schools Programme both at IFI, nationwide and online. March will see the introduction of the IFI Youth Card (offering €5 tickets to all those aged 16-22) allowing access for reduced price tickets. An youth advisory panel is also being set up to give feedback, evaluate and be part of the consultation process for the IFI Strategy over the next five years. 

The IFI Careers in Screen Day 2023 will offer young people, aged 15-18, the opportunity to hear directly from filmmakers and industry practitioners through talks and seminars. Partnerships with Bealtaine and others continue this critical analysis and engagement to those a little older too. 

IFI@Home

Audiences can also continue to engage right across the country via IFI@Home. A wealth of content will be added throughout the year including live-streamed events, Q&As and panel discussions. There will be lots more to explore on the IFI Archive Player with additions including the 1970s Guinness Film Club collection, Guinness Adverts collection, an Irish language focus, a History of Animation collection, and the addition of the Gault Collection following its screening at DIFF. 

Given the challenges to the sector, fundraising, support and development continue to be key.  The IFI is very grateful to existing supporters and funders without whom their work would not be possible.

IFI CINEMAS TODAY


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland