events

The Belfast Film Festival began in 1995 as part of Féile An Phobail and has developed hand in hand with the evolving culture of film patronage and filmmaking in the city.

Belfast Film Festival believe film should be an experience, and so, as well as presenting the best in new, short and classic cinema in their spring and summer festivals, they’ve set themselves apart by having site-specific screenings.

Site-specific cinema means hosting the classics of the silver screen in surroundings that enhance and intensify your experience of the films. They have screened Evil Dead in the Ormeau Park, Cool Hand Luke in the Crumlin Road Gaol, The Breakfast Club in Christchurch Library, Odd Man Out at The Albert Clock, 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Titanic Dry Dock and Jaws in the Bangor Aurora swimming pool.

They have presented cinematic collaborations, like the showing of La Traviata in the beautiful St Anne’s Cathedral, with an accompaniment by NI Opera’s Young Artists’ programme, or the horror masterpiece Suspiria at the Waterfront with live soundtrack by Italian rock band Goblin, to name but a few.

To celebrate quality cinema, they have also established a documentary film competition in The Maysles Brothers Award. This was launched in 2006 by the legend Albert Maysles himself, and recognises the best of new observational documentary work from around the world.

There is also their short film competition, this provides a platform for fledgling filmmakers from across the island of Ireland to showcase their work and for the winner, to be shown the prize money.

Belfast Film Festival are also heavily involved in promoting film education and nurturing practical filmmaking skills throughout the North. Which is why they are currently working on a programme of community outreach projects that they hope will galvanise people’s accessibility to, and awareness and enjoyment of film culture in hard to reach and underprivileged areas. They will be working with community groups to offer writing and filmmaking workshops, industry discussion panels, special screenings and master classes.