Job Shadow Initiative Award for the IFI Irish Film Archive

Last April I had the rewarding experience of spending my work day in the company of Darren McCarthy, who was sent from the CRC on the Job Shadow Initiative. Brainchild of the IASE, this scheme teams disabled people with employees nationwide for a day or week every April. Its dual remit is education of companies in the potential benefits disabled people can bring to the workplace, while giving participants an insight into what it is like to work for a company for a day. 

CRC Cert presentation at the Marino College

Credit must go the Lucy Collis, Darren’s key-worker for her fortuitous placement of a candidate with extraordinary suitability for the archive. Darren modestly introduced himself as a film collector, but is more of a curator, having amassed a personal archive of some thousands of film titles on DVD. Moreover, Darren has consolidated one of the largest personal repositories of film titles, with an exhaustive encyclopaedic knowledge of its content.

A cinematic kinship blossomed when I learned Darren was a fellow horror cinema enthusiast. Glaring gaps in my knowledge were filled and I was soon grounded in the realisation that I was a mere fan in the presence of an aficionado of great standing. From Hitchcock to Carpenter, Darren could answer any question on the genre. More impressive still was his talent for instant recall of any gem from his vast trove of film knowledge. This faculty was advanced beyond expertise, and any film organisation would benefit from such an exceptional asset.

Darren McCarthy at the IFI Irish Film Archive

Darren personifies the truth in the old saying ‘there’s no teaching like self-teaching’. His self-taught ethos was a catalytic inspiration for me to reinvigorate my own learning curve. I also felt Darren stimulated my colleagues in a distinct way, both more insightful and endearing that many esteemed visitors from ‘The Industry’ over the years.

For my part I wished to impart to Darren the hands-on experience of repairing a 35mm print post screening, and in urgent need of work. With splicer in hand we set to work on a Steenbeck, an antiquated pre-digital editing machine. We then updated the record for the film in inmagic, the IFA’s database on which its collections are meticulously catalogued. That we gelled as a team was evident in our completion of this task in record time.

In today’s proliferation of googling generalists, it was refreshing to behold Darren’s authoritative knowledge of a specialised field, wrought through years of dedicated film procurement and meticulous study. This was complemented with Darren’s fluid command of the net, evident in scenes he provided to illustrate films under discussion.

Gavin Martin (IFI) collecting the Award

While collecting our respective awards from presidential candidate Seán Gallagher and Lord Mayor Andrew Montague, Darren enthused about an I.T. course he was set to start at Marino College. I hope his exposure to our database will benefit this endeavour, especially if he creates records for his own vast collection some day.

Gavin Martin

Collections Officer

IFI Irish Film Archive

For more information on the IFI Irish Film Archive, visit our website [here].

Watch the IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Fund film, starring Saoirse Ronan [here].

The IFI French Film Festival has begun...

The 2011 IFI French Film Festival kicked off last night with the Gala Opening and screening of The Bird.

Maria Manthoulis (Unifrance Films), Director of The Bird Yves Caumon

and French Ambassador Emmanuelle D'Achon at the Gala Opening

After months of planning and preparation, the IFI French Film Festival finally kicked off in style last night with a gala screening of Yves Caumon's beautiful film The Bird. The Festival was officially opened by Sarah Glennie, Director of the IFI, Emmanuelle D'Achon, French Ambassador, and Yves Caumon, director of The Bird.

To a packed cinema, Yves Caumon charmed the audience and even posed the question of why cinemas around the world seem to be predominantly full of women?! The screening was followed by a Q&A with Yves, and then by the annual reception where the French wine flowed and the cheese went down a treat!

Yves Caumon introducing his film The Bird

But we can't all sit back now that the Festival has started as we're straight into the next 11 days (and nights) of films, discussions and guests. For anyone who missed the opening film last night (tickets sold out quite some time ago), there's a second chance to see The Bird this evening, and Yves Caumon will once again participate in a Q&A.

Declaration of War

There's an abundance of highlights to choose from over the next few days. France's official submission for next year's Oscars, Declaration of War, is on tonight (and will be screened again on Sunday evening) and is certainly one not-to-be-missed. Star of two films in this year's Festival, Catherine Deneuve has her first outing in His Mother's Eyes on Sunday evening, an intricately plotted study of mother-child relationships.

House of Tolerance

One of the standout films from Cannes this year, and one of the hottest tips of the Festival, is Bertrand Bonello's House of Tolerance which follows the lives and interweaving stories of prostitutes within a Parisian brothel. This may be your only opportunity to see this remarkable film, so seize the opportunity! And we're all ready to receive the second (of many) special guests at this year's Festival. Director Philippe Ramos will be with us on Friday and Saturday to introduce his film about Joan of Arc, The Silence of Joan.

Philippe Ramos

Meanwhile, back at the IFI Café Bar, we've suddenly come over all French and are offering a selection of tantalising Gallic specials for the duration of the Festival. You can even pre-book your table by calling the bar on 01 679 8712.

A bientot!

Ross Keane

Public Affairs & Marketing Director

To see the full programme, please visit our website.

Do not miss any Festival updates - follow @IFI_Dub on Twitter and use #IFIFrench

Launch of GAA Football Gold DVD - 9th November, Croke Park

Last Wednesday, the IFI decamped to the Mecca of the GAA, Croke Park, for the launch of our second GAA DVD. GAA Football Gold features footage of the 1947 to 1958 All Ireland finals which have been preserved by the IFI Irish Film Archive and is now made available to all GAA fans and anyone interested in the era. We were delighted that John Costello, Secretary of the Dublin GAA, brought a very special guest along with him, the Sam Maguire. Possibly the most popular guest of the day if the number of IFI staff and even the Minister's staff who wanted to get a photograph taken with the cup were anything to go by.

Bernard Brogan, Pat Giroy and Kasandra O'Connell (IFI)

Pat Gilroy, Dublin All Ireland winning manager and Bernard Brogan from the Dublin team made time in their very busy schedule to join us. It was fitting that since Dublin won the All Ireland this year, that they got an opportunity to pay tribute to the men that came before them, whose achievements are no less worthy of celebrating and recalling as the team of today. 

From the 1955/1958 Dublin panels we were delighted to welcome Paddy O Flaherty, Jim Crowley, Mick Moylan, Sean “Yank” Murray, Cyril Freaney, Cathal O Leary, Norman Allen who suffered an appendicitis before the 1955 All Ireland final and could not play but still features as he is introduced as one of the linesmen before the 1953 All Ireland final, Johnny Joyce, who holds the record for highest scoring player in a single championship match and GAA legend and former Dublin captain Kevin Heffernan and my own father Jimmy Gray a sub in 1955.

GAA Footballers 1955/58 with Annmarie Gray and Kasandra O'Connell (IFI)

Amongst all these Dublin players, came a brave Kerry man, Minister Jimmy Deenihan who was delighted to be able to formally launch our DVD despite the Dublin centric nature of the event. He did assure us Dublin wouldn't win it again! He did however take the opportunity to take credit for Dublin's All Ireland win last September by being introducing the Brogan brothers' mother and father to each other. The GAA is obviously something that is close to the Minister's heart and he spoke at length and with great passion about the era, which included many successful Kerry players.

As someone who was born and bred into the GAA, I was delighted to introduce the event; Kasandra O'Connell, Head of the IFI Irish Film Archive also gave a speech detailing the work that went in to producing this DVD and the importance of our collection of GAA footage.

Dublin's All-Ireland winners Bernard Brogan (2011) and Kevin Heffernan (1958), and Minister Jimmi Deenihan

After the speeches, we watched a selection of clips from the DVD, including the 1958 final. It was great to see the former players point each other out, tease each other, and slap each other on the back for their performance especially as they were seeing the highlights of their final for the first time in over 50 years. In this era of DVDs, video recorders, youtube etc. it is hard to imagine that the record of such a significant day would be left to statistics, scorelines, a match report and fading memories. Nothing can replace the experience of seeing the matches again, to replicate the excitement, the drama, the heartbreak and the triumph. Due to the work of the IFI Irish Film Archive, these memories will never fade and the production of the DVD means that a new generation can appreciate how the game has changed and developed and can be reminded of past glories. It is a perfect Christmas present!

Profits from the DVD will go towards the IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Fund.

Annmarie Gray

IFI Deputy Director

For more information on previous DVDs released by the IFI Irish Film Archive, including GAA Hurling Gold, Irish Destiny, Seoda or The O'Kalem Collection, please visit our website.

For orders and information on other DVD releases, please contact IFI Film Shop on 01 679 5727 or email: filmshop@irishfilm.ie. 

Follow @IFI_FilmShop on Twitter!

The IFI in Washington

The IFI has been working on a number of major projects in the US as part of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year of Irish Arts in America 2011.

And so, as the curtain went down on Guests of the Nation; we raised a post-show glass to composers, foley and film-making artistes; snatched a very few hours of sleep and jumped on a train for our next engagement – a Ciné-concert at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

This Other Eden: Ireland and Film

The concert was to be the climax of This Other Eden: Ireland and Film, a film series which ran in the National Gallery between Aug 27^th and Sep 25^th.  Curated by IFI International alongside Peggy Parsons – one of the most highly regarded film curators in the US – the film series looked at the relationship between storytelling, literature and real life as refracted in the kaleidoscope of Irish fiction and non-fiction film.

Ross Keane, Sarah Glennie and I arrived somewhat bleary eyed in the nation’s capital but soon rallied as we marvelled at its grandeur, at the spakling white government buildings and the tree-lined mall stretching away as far as the eye could see – a relief after the hustle and bustle of New York. 

Our first appointment was at the Irish Embassy in Washington where Kevin Conmy, Deputy Chief of Mission hosted a reception (coordinated by Deirdre Bourke and Noreen Hallinan) celebrating the success of the film series.  He welcomed guests of the National Gallery of Art, the marvellous Washington-Irish cultural group - Solas Nua;  of Culture Ireland and of the American Ireland funds. Also in town were a group of Irish Military History Society members – over on an American Civil War research visit. The guests were treated to a foretaste of the full ciné-concert when Aran island fiddler Dr Aine Ni Chonghaile (on a fellowship in Notre Dame, South Bend, Illinois) accompanied by the short film His Mother (1912) to the great delight of all – particularly the military historians who, as a group, were probably least exposed to silent film and music presentations but who responded in the most enthusiastic, untutored fashion with great guffaws of delight at the film’s charming narrative.

Deirdre’s fellow musicians, all from Inis Oírr, arrived into town later that evening. They were gathered to reprise their performance of Aran of the Saints (1932) (premiered on the Aran Islands, Summer 2011) and to present a further three films with music performed as solo, duet and full ensemble pieces. On Saturday morning Deirdre, piper, Micheál Ó hAlmhain, his daughter, champion harpist Caitríona Ní Almhain and vocalist MacDara Ó Chonaola arose bright and early, starbucked themselves, gathered instruments (bodhráns, pipes, a Norwegian fiddle lent by Ms Loretta Kelly and a Harp lent by Washington instrument maker, Eric Kemper) and headed for the breathtaking east wing of the National Gallery of Art. A rigorous day of practise followed  – rehearsals to date had been by skype - and now, after months apart, the team were to meet face to face to fuse their talents and create a traditional Irish soundscape for the films. After  a hard day’s work we headed to nearby Fairfax Virginia where the serendipitously-scheduled Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann / Irish Traditional Music Festival was taking place – a chance for me to distribute fliers for the next day’s event and for the  musicians to meet up with a handful of old friends and see some of North America’s finest musicians strutting their stuff.

We reconvened at the Gallery on Sunday to continue rehearsals and to prepare the auditorium for our concert.  The auditorium is a beautifully appointed  space – intimate yet with a 450 capacity. And then the audience began to arrive – a smattering of familiar faces from the Fairfax Fest; from the Embassy and from Solas Nua; and Kim Tomadjoglu from the American Film Institute. But more interesting perhaps were the hundreds of unfamiliar faces – regular Gallery attendees whose primary interest was in exploring new cinema, and in finding new ways of engaging with old cinema.  It was fascinating to expose this audiences (with probably no previous significant experience of Irish cinema) to an eclectic mix of Irish material – films about a short-lived whaling station on Iniskea, a surreal travelogue from 1922 featuring the ghost of Disraeli and President William Cosgrave’s mother, one about a peasant fiddler and finally the Catholic Film Society’s precursor of Flaherty’s iconic Man of Aran - all this and real live Gaelic-speaking Aran islanders too! 

National Gallery Curator Peggy Parsons summed up the success of the series thusly ….

“For the thousands who came to view the films (the total recorded attendance was 3,600), the series was both a wonderful eye-opener and a very palpable source of pleasure – surprising in terms of its depth, breadth, and novelty – with a coherent structure that afforded a concentrated view of Irish history, mythology and literature unlike anything else that has taken place in Washington in recent years.”

It was an honour to collaborate with this national cultural institution and to further the reach of our cultural exhibition programme through the support of Imagine Ireland – Culture Ireland’s programme of Irish Arts in the US.  A most welcome outcome of the project is a heightened interest in and receptiveness to new Irish cinema in Washington  and we look forward to an on-going programme of new Irish cinema at Solus Nua and at the National Gallery.

Sunniva O'Flynn

IFI Curator

For more information on IFI Irish Film Archive and it's recent IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Fund campaign, featuring Saoirse Ronan, visit: http://www.ifi.ie/preservationfund/

Visit Imagine Ireland website http://www.imagineireland.ie/ for more information on other events featuring Irish arts in America. 

November at the IFI

Welcome to the IFI’s November programme and our annual celebration of French Cinema.

The IFI French Film Festival: Beloved

The IFI French Film Festival returns this month with a fantastic programme bringing you the best of new French cinema, and a chance to rediscover the work of some of its greats. We are delighted to be joined by leading figures in contemporary French Cinema: actors Sandrine Kiberlain and Jean-Pierre Darroussin, and directors Yves Caumon and Philippe Ramos. Distinguished critic Michel Ciment returns to the Festival for a screening of his new documentary on Kubrick and for a public discussion with one of our very special guests, distinguished director Claude Miller. This promises to be a fascinating encounter between two people who have done so much to define French Cinema and is not to be missed.

Film director Claude Miller

A focus for this year’s Festival is a special programme to celebrate the 60^th Anniversary of the Prix Jean Vigo. Established in 1951 the Prix aims to recognise directors whose work demonstrates a passion for cinema, a sense of innovation, and independence of mind – qualities associated with Jean Vigo himself. This visionary approach has ensured that the list of past winners includes France’s most distinctive filmmakers, and some extraordinary films – a selection of which we have been delighted to screen over the last few weeks. The programme continues during the Festival with the screening of previous winners and two films by Jean Vigo himself. We are honoured that Luce Vigo, President of the Prix and Jean Vigo’s daughter will be joining us to introduce the programme.

Prix Jean Vigo: All The Fine Promises

All this and 21 Irish premieres including some of the most celebrated titles from this year’s Cannes and Venice film festivals.  For more information on the full programme see www.ifi.ie or the separate Festival programme available in the IFI. The Festival would not be possible without the support of the French Embassy in Ireland and we are very grateful to the Ambassador, and all our Festival partners, for their continued support of what has become one of Dublin’s cultural highlights.

The IFI French Film Festival: The Bird

The IFI Irish Film Archive is custodian of one of Ireland’s most remarkable resources – our nation’s film. Preserving and making this extraordinary collection accessible to the public is central to the work of the IFI and we have exciting plans for a much-needed new IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation and Research Centre which will provide the Archive with a secure new home, and allow us to grow and develop in the future. We are launching a major fundraising campaign to help us achieve this and a very familiar face will be popping up on our screens to ask for your help – please take a moment to listen.

The IFI Irish Film Archive

The IFI Irish Film Archive tells the story of Ireland’s cultural, social and political journey throughout the last century and it is essential we make sure this vital resource is there for future generations. Your help with this is very much appreciated.

Sarah Glennie

Director

For more information and bookings, visit the IFI French Film Festival website (http://www.irishfilm.ie/french2011).  

Join the conversation on Twitter - use #IFIFrench and follow @IFI_Dub or find us on Facebook/IrishFilmInstitute for Festival updates, news and ticket competitions!

DVD: GAA Football Gold

Yes it's that time of the year again and the IFI Irish Film Archive is ready to press go on its latest GAA DVD release: GAA Football Gold. 

Following the incredible success of last year's release of hurling highlights from the '40s and '50s (it was one of the biggest selling sport DVDs last year), we have put together a fantastic package for Gaelic football fans, which covers the period 1947-1959. The 1947 match was the first one filmed for cinema audiences and was played between Cavan and Kerry in the New York Polo Grounds, home of the NY Giants baseball team. As it has rarely been seen,  we were delighted to have been  given permission to include it on this DVD and share it with current Gaelic games fans.

1947: Kerry vs. Cavan

The All Ireland Football Finals were routinely filmed by the National Film Institute (before it was renamed the Irish Film Institute) from 1948 onwards and generally lasted 10-20 minutes. In addition to highlights of the senior and minor games, the films showed the build-up to the match and the players in training, and generally had a tongue-in-cheek newsreel quality. Over the last few months, the IFI Irish Film Archive staff has been painstakingly assessing the sound and picture elements of GAA film material held in our vaults, selecting the best quality elements and transferring them to a digital format ready for publishing on DVD. As with our other DVD releases, considerable time and effort has also been spent producing an accompanying booklet full of interesting images of the matches and crowds, with illuminating liner notes provided by Dr. Seán Crosson.

GAA fans will be fascinated by the footage of legendary football stars of the '40s and '50s in action, but there is much in this collection to interest the general public: there is tremendous footage of Dublin supporters, some in drag, making their way to Croke Park by pony and trap in 1958, and spectators on the roofs of the stands & children sitting behind the goal posts, in the days before health and safety spoiled the fun. Other note worthy footage is the cameramen getting ready to film in 1957, groundsman Jimmy Curran preparing the pitch in 1947 and Micheal O'Heir gives a rousing commentary throughout. Dublin fans will relish their county's win in 1958, which is reminiscent of their recent glorious victory, but the geographical spread is wide with Meath, Cork, Louth, Derry, Cavan, Mayo, Armagh and Galway all featured.

The DVD will hit the shops from November 9th and will be available of the IFI website and from IFI Film Shop, keep checking our website for further details.

Kasandra O'Connell
Head of IFI Irish film Archive

For more information on previous DVDs released by the IFI Irish Film Archive, including GAA Gold, Irish Destiny, Seoda or The O'Kalem Collection, please visit our website.

For orders and information on other DVD releases, please contact IFI Film Shop on 01 679 5727 or email: filmshop@irishfilm.ie. 

Follow @IFI_FilmShop on Twitter!

 

The Glamour of Awards

The IFI reigned victorious last night as we picked up the gong for Dublin Cinema of the Year at the Dublin Living Awards. 

Ross Keane and Annmarie Gray picking up the Award

We were delighted be nominated for two awards at the Dublin Living Awards last night: Dublin Cinema of the Year and Dublin Café of the Year. So Annmarie Gray and I trekked up to the Mansion House, decked out in our finest garb, ready for a night of anticipation and excitement!

It was certainly a glamourous affair as Dublin's nominated organisations dressed up to the nines. Presidential hopeful David Norris got a standinng ovation as he arrived in, nominated (and then the winner) for Dubliner of the Year.

We unfortunately lost out to Insomnia for Dublin Café of the Year, so we were then pinning all our hopes on our second nomination. We were delighted when our names were called out as winners of the Dublin Cinema of the Year Award, and the rapturous response we got from the audience indicated that the IFI was a very popular choice. Annmarie and I made our way to the stage for the official photo, but we were spared from doing our finest Gwenyth Paltrow Oscar speech impression, as the organisers decided on a no-speech policy to keep the whole night running as smoothly as possible, thereby saving the audience from having to endure any gushing acceptance speeches. We'll just have to save that speech for the Oscars some day...

So, given that we didn't get to say it last night, many thanks to everyone who voted for us across our two nominated categories. It really does mean a lot to us and we were thrilled to be crowned Dublin Cinema of the Year. We pride ourselves at the IFI on delivering a truly unique programme of activities, giving audiences the opportunity to see films here that they simply would not otherwise see. So this award is a ringing endorsement from Dublin's cinemagoers of the work that we do.

Thanks again and here's to retaining the crown next year!

Ross Keane
Public Affairs & Marketing Director