THE IRISH FILM Institute (IFI) celebrates a big milestone this week – 30 years at its Temple Bar base. And next year, it will celebrate 80 years in existence.

So what better way to celebrate than provide a day of free screenings? All day today, people can get free tickets to a rake of great films at the IFI, from early to late.

“It’s a big day to celebrate and we’ve decided to mark that celebration by celebrating the audiences, the people who have supported us over the last 30 years,” said IFI Director, Ross Keane.

He told The Journal that at the IFI they have a loyal audience who have supported them across the decades – but they also hope that the day will help encourage some newcomers to go along too. 

The day of celebration is even more meaningful when you remember that that cinema was effectively shut down for two years during the height of the Covid pandemic. “As we hopefully go into a new side of Covid, it’s a nice time to be celebrating people gathering together,” said Keane. After all, cinema is “all about the communal viewing experience”.

It’s really been taken away from us for so long that I suppose today is a chance to celebrate cinema again and enjoy film together again.

Over the past three decades, the IFI has evolved as the world of film has evolved. Covid accelerated some of it – the IFI added its online streaming service IFI@Home (accessible throughout Ireland) during the lockdowns. 

“Cinema distribution and cinema all changed so much and are going to continue to change,” said Keane. “What we’ve learned over the 30 years is we are constantly changing and evolving, moving with the times and responding to those changes.”

For example, 30 years ago films were all on film, but now most are digital. That said, the IFI has a fierce love for film – it does operate a preservation side to its work after all – and can screen films on 16mm, 35mm and even 70mm. 

“We used to get massive cans of film in every week, and now we are downloading almost everything,” said Keane. All those changes are very exciting, he said, and bring new opportunities. 

So why do Irish people love the cinema so much? “I think Irish people love storytelling in all of its forms and that’s probably why we punch above our weight in so many artforms,” said Keane. “Cinema is probably the most accessible storytelling. I think Irish people love good stories and that’s why we love going to the cinema in Ireland.”

The screenings

Tickets for each of the films will be available one hour before screening, to avoid queues forming hours in advance. But there will be queues, so do get there early. If you can’t make a film, the IFI will also be offering chances to see the preservation and education work it does, as well as offering 20% off in its café today. 

This year’s programme of free screenings includes classics, previews and carefully curated Irish film including:

• Jean-Luc Godard’s The Image Book
• Stanley Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey screened on luminous 70mm
• Frank Borzage’s Academy Award-winning 7th Heaven
• Geraldine Creed’s The Sun, The Moon and The Stars
• Paul Newman stars in ‘60s witty romantic drama The Hustler
• Actor-director Vincent Gallo takes centre stage on the big screen in Buffalo ’66.

Preview screenings include:

• Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song
• After Yang, the story of a family who lose their AI helper, and the profound feelings that the experience induces.

Other screenings include:

• Pariah, a coming-of-age and coming-out tale set amongst Brooklyn’s black community.
• Plan 9 From Outer Space which has grown a cult audience despite often being described as the worst film ever made.
• The Vanishing, George Sluizer’s superlative thriller
• Into The West in this, its 30-year anniversary.
• To The Moon, Tadhg O’Sullivan’s cinematic ode to the moon will also be available to stream on IFI@Home, free of charge, for those who can’t join for the Open Day. A promotional code will be posted on social channels today to view the film.

For the full schedule of events and timings see here.

Tickets for each film will be distributed in the IFI foyer one hour before each screening starts. Places on projection booth tours and IFI Irish Film Archive tours (at 12.30pm and 2pm) can only be reserved by emailing info@irishfilm.ie or by calling 01 679 5744 – email subject line should include either ‘Open Day: Projection Booth’ or ‘Open Day: Archive Tour’.