An up and coming Irish film-maker Gerard Hurley combines traditional storytelling techniques and experiences gained while traveling to weave a wonderfully heart-felt story in The Pier, a film that is picking up rave plaudits at home and abroad.

The Pier which was filmed in New York and in various locations in West Cork including Goleen, Ballydehob, Dunmanus, Schull, Skibbereen, Castletownsend, Castlehaven, Tragumna and Bantry stars Karl Johnson, Gerard Hurley and Lili Taylor. After twenty years of no contact with his son, Larry McCarthy (Karl Johnson) pretends to be dying in order to trick his son, Jack (Gerard Hurley) into returning home to West Cork. When Jack arrives he is furious to find that his father is alive and kicking and, if anything even more furious, when he's tricked into staying.

The Pier is a delicately paced story that pits father and son against one another in a battle that is as old as humanity. While the viewer longs for reconciliation, director Gerard Hurley is a masterful storyteller and it's never quite apparent whether the two protagonists will figuratively bury the hatchet or literally bury a hatchet in one another.

The dates of screening are

Sunday, January 29th, IFI Dublin

Tuesday, February 2nd, Classic Listowel, Kerry

Friday, February 3rd, 4th, 5th, Skibbereen Town Hall, Co Cork

Friday, February 3rd - Feb 9th, Eye Cinema, Galway

Saturday, February 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th Park Cinema, Clonakilty, Co Cork

Sunday, February 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, Cinemax Bantry, Co Cork

Sunday, February 5th,6th,7th,8th Qand A on 5th, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork

Monday, February 6th, 7th, Macroom Briary Gap, Cork

Tuesday, February 7th, Phoenix Cinema, Dingle, Kerry

Thursday, February 9th, Carrick On Shannon Multiplex

Wednesday, February 15th, 18th, The Model Sligo

Tickets for The Pier are available by contacting the venues directly. For more information see www.thepierfilm.com

The ‘O’Kalems’ is the name given to a small group of motion picture pioneers, led by actor/director Sidney Olcott and actor/writer Gene Gauntier of New York’s Kalem Company, who between 1910 and 1915 produced almost thirty (mostly short) films dealing with Ireland and Irish subjects. The majority of these films were shot in and around Killarney, Co. Kerry, making extensive use of its famous landscape and using locals as extras. Produced over four successive summers, the ‘O’Kalem’ films were not only the earliest fiction films produced in Ireland, but also the first American fiction films shot in Europe. They offered American audiences unprecedented representations of Ireland, its history and people, and provided a powerful corrective to stereotypes that had, up until then, dominated the American stage and screen. Blazing the Trail: The O’Kalems in Ireland provides an unprecedented account of the making of the films and their place in American and Irish popular culture. Click here to book tickets

Lial, Hassan and Maradona Akkouch are talented street dancers and musicians who live in Berlin’s Neukölln district. Becoming increasingly well known, they also live in fear of deportation to Lebanon as their residency status is still unresolved, although they have lived in Germany for 18 years. Lial and Hassan decide to use their talents to support the family but Maradona gets increasingly in trouble, putting himself even more at risk. This is a wonderful and hard-hitting documentary about a family’s struggle for the right to stay in their adoptive country. Must Pre-Book on 066 712 9934

Our French Film Project this year takes a very different turn with this surreal and wacky animation. Based on the Belgian animated cult TV series of the same name, it follows three plastic toys, Cowboy, Indian and Horse, who all share a house in a rural town where nothing is ever quite normal. On Horse’s birthday, Cowboy and Indian’s plan to give him a barbeque backfires spectacularly when they accidentally buy 50 million bricks. This starts off a hilarious chain of events: first the house gets destroyed under the weight of the bricks and then the new walls they build mysteriously disappear. In search of the thieves, the trio travel to the centre of the earth, trek across frozen tundra and discover a parallel underwater universe. A French film like none you will have seen before! €5 – Must Pre-Book on 066 712 9934

They are the men you think of with affection and with gratitude. They are close to the soil, familiar with birth and death, nurture and development. They have encompassed vast change within a sophisticated philosophy. Some are legends in their time, unassuming and calm, their feet kept on the ground, they say, by their neighbours. They have lived lives full of work, joy, and suffering. They have endured. And they are very very funny. They are Everyman. Come and see them.     Seo iad na fearaibh go raibh cion agus buíochas agat orthu. Tógadh le talamh iad, breith agus bás, cothú agus cúram mar bhonn lena saol. Ní chuireann siad aon nath in athraithe móra a linne, tá tuiscint rófhorbartha chuige sin acu. Cuid acu, siad laochra a linne iad, ach coimeádann a gcomharsain ciall iontu. Tá an obair, an t-áthas agus an brón, iad go léir, ina saol. Agus táid ana, anaghreannmhar. Seo iad Everyman. Ná teipeadh ort iad a fheiscint.     Click here to book tickets

From the Oscar-winning team behind Man On Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment that aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language. Following Nim’s extraordinary journey through human society, and the enduring impact he makes on the people he meets along the way, the film is an unflinching and unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. What we learn about his true nature – and indeed our own – is comic, revealing and profoundly unsettling. There are moments of absolute magic in Project Nim, and most of them involve Nim himself: his ‘conversations’ with humans, his strange habits and mannerisms, his inherently adorable nature in his youth. Click here to book tickets

A touching story about three brothers travelling to Ballybunion over the Halloween weekend of 1987, on a family mission. Noel, 17, is serious and weighed down by responsibility; Paudie: 11, cocky but not so bright and Scwally: 7, is naive and obsessed with Star Wars. Using a battered bread van, the brothers embark on a journey across the wild Irish landscape, grappling with grinding gears, dodgy electrics and sibling tensions to get to an arcade in Ballybunion. The way the brothers speak to each other throughout the film is funny, touching, and best of all - it's real. PJ Dillon & Paul Fraser will attend this screening. This film will be preceded by a screening of the short film Most Important Click here to book tickets

‘It’s alive!’ This year celebrate All Hallows Eve at the home of the Kerry Film Festival. We will be screening one of the greatest horror films of all time, Frankenstein. Based on Mary Shelley’s gothic novel of the same name Frankenstein first hit cinema screens in 1931 and became one of the definitive horror films all of time. The film depicts the classic horror tale of an ardent young scientist, Dr Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his obsession to create human life. Frankenstein’s experiments lead to spectacularly successful but dire results when he creates monstrous and unnameable human life, Played here by Boris Karloff, James Whale’s creation lead to the creation of a horror icon in the form of Frankenstein’s monster that has been imitated again and again throughout cinema history. Frankenstein will be screened as you have never seen it before using the magnificent but eerie Windmill at Blennerville as the actual screen. This is an outdoor screening so dress for the weather and wrap up warm or even better dress for the occasion and dress at your scariest. This screening will be preceded by three short films: Sudd – Out of Erasers, Le Miroir and The Waking. Click here to book tickets

Showing for the first time ever in a cinema, Durango, based on the John B Keane novel of the same name and starring Brenda Fricker and Patrick Bergin is a charming tale depicting the quest of a strong willed young man, Mark Doran (Matt Kessler). The year is 1939 when Doran makes the controversial decision to lead the great October cattle drive of Tubberlick 40 miles across across the countryside rather than deal with an unscrupulous local buyer, a quest that has never been undertaken before. Doran and his gang encounter a gamut of challenges on their adventure across the country involving love, friendship and loyalty. This charming and heartfelt tale is very definitely a worthy tribute to the John B Keane’s great novel.

On the secluded Isle of Jersey in the final days of World War II, a young woman waits for her beloved husband to return from the front. Grace (Nicole Kidman) has been raising her two young children alone in a beautiful, cavernous, Victorian mansion, the one place she believes them to be safe. But they are not safe. Not anymore. When three new servants (Fionnula Flanagn, Elaine Cassidy and Eric Sykes) arrive to replace the ones that inexplicably disappeared, startling, supernatural events begin to unfold. Grace's daughter reveals she has been communicating with unexplained apparitions. At first, Grace is reluctant to believe in her children's frightening sightings, but soon, she too begins to sense that intruders are at large. Who are these numinous trespassers? And what do they want from Grace's family? In order to discover the truth, Grace must abandon all of her fears and beliefs and enter the otherworldly heart of the supernatural.   The Others will be screened in tribute to the work of Fionnula Flanagan who is this year's recipient of The Maureen O'Hara Award for women who have excelled in the art of film.  

Francis Ford Coppola’s Oscar winning epic is loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Set in the Vietnam War the movie follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) who is sent upriver to Cambodia to exterminate the renegade Green Beret Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando, in a role that, by his own admission, was one of the darkest of his life. The film perfectly encapsulates the madness of Vietnam, in the words of director Coppola, “We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and, little by little, we went insane!” A brilliant movie and one that has to be seen on the big screen. Click here to book tickets

Actor Diego Luna’s (Rudi y Cursi) accomplished debut feature is an unusual tale of family dynamics and patriarchy. Abel is a troubled nine-year-old boy who has suffered a breakdown and retreated into silence, apparently as a result of his father abandoning the family. When his mother Cecilia brings him home from the psychiatric ward, Abel begins inhabiting the persona of the absentee dad. The family plays along and bizarrely the charade works; Abel’s fear about his family is transformed and their desire for a father figure is satisfied. Luna expertly handles the subject matter and crafts an intriguing and humorous family drama. Must Pre-Book on 066 712 9934

Tomas, a shy 8 year old orphan, is adopted by Maire O’Donnell, a beautiful woman bursting with life. She brings him home to Corrie, a remote island off the coast of Ireland where he meets Alec, her reticent husband who cannot hide his disappointment at Tomas’ timidity and halting speech. Undiscouraged, Maire shares with Tomas the secret of the seals and other wonders and teaches him that you can find magic anywhere - if you really look. In this rugged and enchanting world, Tomas thrives and Alec begins to see in Tomas what Maire always has. But when tragedy strikes, Tomas is faced with his greatest challenge for he’ll lose everything unless he can find - and share - the magic that’s inside him. Risking all, Tomas embarks on a perilous journey where he will need to call on all of Maire’s gifts to triumph and come home.

For one week the fate of the United Nations was in the hands of a battalion of Irish soldiers, surrounded at Jadotville, Congo 155 men were threatened with annihiliation by mercenaries hired by a giant mining company which was trying to tear Congo apart, backed by Britain, France and Belgium. The eyes of the world are on Katanga, fabulously wealthy breakaway province, controlled by white European colonists, mercenaries and gaint mining companies. After the Prime Minister of the Congo Patrice Lumumba was murdered by the Katangese, the UN determined to bring the breakaway province back to Congo. An Irishman, General Sean Mac Eoin was made Supreme Commander of the UN forces in the Congo, Conor Cruise O’Brien took charge of the UN in Katanga and hundreds of irish soldiers poured into the breakaway province. In September 1961 the UN went to war against Katangese troops and white mercenares. The questions the world asked were: how much force can be used to justify upholding a UN resolution, when “mission creep” resulted in the UN using fighter jets and bombers on a city filled with civilians to forcibly bring a rebel government to its knees. This was 1961. 50 years later are we any the wiser?

When an Irish farmer dies, his sole heir Donal is left some land; but Donal hasn't inherited much in terms of social skills. Despite the encouragement of his gobby best mate Karl, he finds it hard to talk to women, and in frustration turns, almost inevitably, to the Internet. He hooks up with Kiwi call-girl Kim, who harbours a business plan that would see her off her back and behind a desk, greeting punters at her own brothel. Donal's newfound means might provide her with the money she needs, but what might Donal be getting out of the deal? Click here to book tickets

Karen (Amy Huberman), a recovering addict, has forged a new life for herself in a rural town with her husband Brendan (Owen McDonnell) and young daughter. Karl (Allen Leech), an old boyfriend, arrives in town out of the blue, bringing with him memories of Karen’s shady past, invading and shattering her new idyllic present. Fearful that Karl will jeopardise her family by revealing details about her past, Karen reluctantly agrees to take a trip with Karl to meet another old acquaintance who Karl claims has evidence that could compromise them both. Ghosts must be laid to rest and horrors acknowledged, before the perfect surface of Karen’s life can be restored. Nothing is as it seems, but the past will be buried one way or another. This film is preceded by short film The Ranger Click here to book tickets

Australian director David Michôd makes an exciting and assured feature debut with Animal Kingdom, a wrenching Melbourne-set gangster saga about a teenager coming of age in a crime family. The film's young hero is teenage Joshua "J" Cody. After his mother overdoses on heroin, J moves in with his grandmother, Smurf (Jacki Weaver), who kisses her sons and grandson on the lips and runs the clan. His three uncles - one of whom, Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) is on the lam - are at war with an equally violent and ruthless police force. The bodies pile up. When J has had enough, he negotiates with Sergeant Leckie (Guy Pearce), a seen-it-all detective who guides the youth through the depths of police corruption. Michod's lean script enlivens the underbelly of graceful Melbourne thanks to a flawless ensemble cast, drawing more on Hong Kong dramas than on Scorsese's mob movies. Newcomer Flecheville begins as a monosyllabic teen and grows up fast as distrust builds between him and Pope, played with a chilling sinister depravity by Ben Mendelsohn.  

This one hour documentary narrated by Audrey Galvin traces the journey of the River Feale as it rises in North Cork, flows through West Limerick and North Kerry until it meets the Atlantic Ocean near Ballybunion. It explores the historical, cultural, social and economic lives of the communities which live along its banks and how the River Feale has inspired a generation of writers & artists. Featuring stunning aerial photography, archival footage and interviews. Supported by North & East Kerry Development Ltd. under the Rural Development Programme. This screening will be introduced by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, TD. Click here to book tickets

This Leaving Certificate Comparative Study title for 2012/2013 tells the story of Michele (Guiseppe Cristiano), a 10-year-old boy filling long summer days riding his bike and running through wheat fields in rural southern Italy. However his playful days are interrupted with the discovery of hole in one of the fields, revealing a young boy of similar age chained and imprisoned. Michele attempts to befriend the starving boy and the plot unravels to reveal shocking secrets about the adults in the village. Stunning cinematography powerfully frames this loss-of-innocence story against the rural Italian landscape. €5 – Must Pre-Book on 066 712 9934

There are cinematic milestones that have left a marked impression on the landscapes in which they were filmed. John Ford's take on his idealized vision of Ireland, 'The Quiet Man', is one such film. When it was released 'The Quiet Man' became a monster hit all across the world and won Oscars for Best Director and Best Cinematography. Its impact went way beyond the Irish Diaspora and it still resonates with international audiences almost 60 years later. This documentary delves into the psyche of John Ford and his twenty year struggle to bring his homage to his parent’s homeland to the screen.  The film features contributions from  commentators and film makers including Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Jim Sheridan and, exclusively, Maureen O' Hara. Click here to book tickets