On September 21st towns and cities around the country will be hosting events for the 7th annual Culture Fest. Over 300,000 people nationwide are expected to take part in the various cultural events on the night which are all free of charge.
The cinematic highlights that will be on display include:
Dublin: Meeting House Square, Temple Bar will host a special 20th anniversary screening of Far and Away, the beguiling ‘Oirish’ drama where Tom Cruise effects the worst Irish accent ever to grace the silver screen.
Wicklow: The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely will see Fritz Lang’s seminal dystopian fantasy Metropolis getting a new age makeover when electronic performance artist ARKEYE (Alan Williams) re-interprets the score. Given that Metropolis is one of the best films ever made this is probably the event of the night!
Galway: The Galway Film Centre will host an exclusive screening of Natural Grace: Irish Music and Martin Hayes, which won the Best Documentary Prize at the 2012 Galway Fleadh. Charting the musician’s journey and styles, the filmmaker travelled with him from his home in East Clare, to performances in the USA and Japan. The director, Art Ó Briain has created an eloquent and beautifully crafted film and will be in attendance afterwards for a Q&A
Galway: NUI Galway will host a film screening of The Dead, an adaption of Joyce’s story, directed by John Huston. In addition, there will be an introduction on the John Huston archive held at the James Hardiman Library
Cork: Cork City Hall’s main hall will become an atmospheric movie theatre with a mix of great shots and features films to suit all tastes and ages.
Sligo: The Model, Sligo Town will host an afternoon and evening of family movies, including The Gruffalo and Pixar’s classic animation Toy Story.
Carlow: The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow Town will host the Irish première of William Desmond Taylor’s 1920 film The Soul of Youth. The film takes on a series of social issues through one boy’s story, beginning with unwanted new-borns and going on to loveless orphanages and homeless street youths before finding a solution through the relatively new juvenile court movement. Described at the time as “practically the first recognition of a demand for original juvenile fiction in the movies”, the film will be screened with live musical accompaniment. The film will be introduced by a surprise Hollywood special guest.
More information about all of these and the non-movie events can be found on the Culture Night website. http://www.culturenight.ie/