Irish Film Institute

Infobox generic
style0 = class="infobox" style="width:18em; font-size:90%;"
color = red
name = Irish Film Institute
sub0 = Dublin cinema|
img1 =
width1 = 220px
cap1 = Irish Film Institute, Dublin|
hdr1 = Information
lbl1 = Address:
row1 = 6 Eustace Street, Dublin 2
lbl2 = Number of screens:
row2 = Two
lbl3 = Former Names:
row3 = "Irish Film Centre" (1992-2003)
lbl4 = Opened:
row4 = September 1992
lbl5 = Architect:
row5 = O'Donnell & Tuomey
lbl6 = Seats:
row6 = 364The Irish Film Institute is a national body dedicated to supporting Irish Film heritage. It maintains an archive of Irish films and provides education in film culture. At its arthouse cinema in the Temple Bar quarter of Dublin it shows independent and foreign language films that don’t see wider distribution through the commercial multiplexes. It also runs a number of film festivals throughout the year.

Funding is provided by the Irish government through the Arts Council of Ireland and through the National Lottery.

There are two cinemas, Cinema 1 has a capacity of 258 while the smaller cinema 2 has a capacity of 104. Both cinemas are wheelchair accessible and both are equipped with a sound loop which hearing aid users can access by switching their hearing aids to the 'T' position.

Riding the wave of optimism that led to the redevelopment of Temple Bar as Dublin's 'Cultural quarter' in the late 1980s and early '90s, the IFI (then IFC) opened in September 1992. The award-winning building, designed by architects O'Donnell and Tuomey, was transformed from the old Quaker Meeting House into the Film Institute, with funding from the Arts Council, the National Lottery, the European Union, Bord Fáilte and private sponsorship. Six Eustace St. offered a new home to the Irish Film Archive as well as organisations such as Film Base, Access Cinema, Screen Producers Ireland and Media Desk. The launch was well attended, with Neil Jordan, Barry Norman, Patrick Bergin, John Boorman, Jim Sheridan and Brenda Fricker among the guests.

One of the key aims of the IFI is to increase the range of films available to Irish audiences. New releases, national seasons, directors' retrospectives, thematic programme, festivals and special events have been regular features of the programme, with the number of films screened rising to the present level of over 400 a year. The late 1990s saw the IFI welcome its one millionth customer and embark on a series of improvements to its facilities, including the introduction of digital sound, larger screens in both cinemas, and the installation of Ireland's only functioning 70mm projection system in Cinema One. The IFI also provides a platform for debate and acts as a meeting place for a variety of groups. A successful series of public interviews has brought many international filmmakers to IFI audiences over the years, including John Woo, Peter Greenaway, Dennis Hopper, Atom Egoyan, Sydney Pollack, Tim Roth, Joel Schumacher and Claude Miller. Evening courses have also offered cinemagoers the opportunity to explore everything from Indian cinema and America independents to Spanish film, with lectures following each screening.

The bookshop has established a reputation throughout the country for its wide selection of books on Irish Film and its range of Irish and world cinema on video and DVD. The bar and restaurant have also provided a focal point for many people, film community and general public alike.

External links

* [http://www.irishfilm.ie Irish Film Institute]