Lovers of cinema come forth as the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is set to take place this year from the 19th to the 29th of March, with it comes all the excitement that you would expect from Ireland’s premier film festival. There is a stunning range of films on display in a number of venues across Dublin ensuring that there is something for absolutely everybody.
There are a number of box office locations where you can book tickets including the Festival HQ on 13 Lower Ormond Quay, Cineworld on Parnell Street, and in the Light House Cinema on Market Square, Smithfield. However the easiest way to book tickets throughout the festival is online where you will receive a pdf of your ticket. In terms of pricing there are a good range of deals. Afternoon screens are €7, while evening and weekend tickets are €11. Special presentation and Galas range in price from €11-€20. A season ticket will set you back €250, but there is a multi-purchase discount option available in which you can get either 5 or 10 tickets for €50 or €95 respectively. There is a 10% discount for Students, OAPs, and unemployed persons when booking in person.
It is sure to be a riveting festival with a delightful mix of old classics like The Americanisation of Emily (1964), to blockbuster new releases such as The Water Diviner (with special guest Russell Crowe). If documentaries are more your style, there are some incredibly fascinating ones in this year’s festival. If you are a fan of the 90’s Seattle Grunge scene or musically inclined in general, there is Cobain: Montage of Heck delving into the life of the troubled Nirvana frontman. If animation is more your thing then you can’t miss The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness which is a documentary taking you inside the wonderful world of the renowned Studio Ghibli.
There are also a number of industry happenings taking place over the course of the festival. There will be a special event titled Kubric’s Cameras and the Cinematography of Barry Lyndon, in this event long time Kubrick collaborators Doug Milsome and Luke Quigley will discuss the intricate camera techniques that make Kubric’s films so iconic. If you’re more interested in the writing processes of film making there are a number of script writing workshops and panels of experts just waiting to answer your questions.
As always there are a number of special guests at JDIFF, past guests have included acting greats such as Al Pacino, Colin Firth, and Glenn Close, to name but a few. This year is no different. There are a number of high profile guests including Russell Crowe who will be at the premier of The Water Diviner, Ryan O’Neal will be present at the screening of Barry Lyndon, and Kenneth Branagh will be the special guest at the screening of the new live action Cinderella. The festival is also honoured to host Julie Andrews for the special closing night Gala in which they will be celebrating 50 years of The Sound of Music.
I highly recommend taking some time to check out the festival. It is truly an incredible experience and missing it would be missing out on a great opportunity to connect with the vibrant film making community in Ireland. My recommendation is to pick five random films and check them out with a group of friends because you never know what you might find.