WHAT’S ON / DECEMBER 2016

from qft (AND THE GRISWOLDS)

BOOKING AND VENUE INFORMATION

OUEEN’S FILM THEATRE

THE HOME OF INDEPENDENT CINEMA IN NORTHERN IRELAND

JOIN US AT THE QFT BAR QFT is the only cinema in Northern Ireland with a fully licensed bar, serving up a specially selected range of local and international beers, wines, spirits, tea, coffee and treats. Enjoy a drink with friends before and after the film, and as both our cinemas are now licensed you can bring your drink with you while you watch the movie.

FREE PARKING

ACCESS

TICKET PRICES

QFT offers free on-site parking every night from 5.30pm, and all weekend, in the main Queen’s University site.

QFT is wheelchair accessible. We endeavour to host access screenings when possible. Access screenings include audio enhancement, audio description and on-screen captioning. See the website for more details.

Standard admission (after 5.30pm): £6.70 Standard admission (before 5.30pm): £5.00

BOX OFFICE The Box Office opens 30 minutes before the first screening of the day. Skip the queue by booking online at queensfilmtheatre.com and printing your tickets at home.

Box Office: 028 9097 1097 (after 6pm only)

TICKETS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS

Senior Citizens, Disabled Users (Carers’ tickets are free), Unwaged, QUB Staff: £5 (after 5.30pm) / £4 (before 5.30pm) QFT Film Card, Students (aged 16 and over in full-time education), Children (under 16 years): £4 (all day) *ID required for discounted prices Mondays £4 for every film* The ticket price for uncertified films includes a one-day QFT membership. *Certain exclusions may apply,

QFT operates a Community Ticket Scheme. For more information please go to queensfilmtheatre.com/engage. For community group ticket requests please email [email protected]. QFT IS KINDLY SUPPORTED BY:

02/03

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

FEDS 2017 FILM EXHIBITION, DISTRIBUTION & SALES TRAINEE SCHEME

OFT FILM O CARD Get discounted tickets plus invitations to special events, exclusive meal deals, free tea and coffee refills and much more. If you think a career in the film industry isn’t for you, think again. We are looking for people like you to get a head start in your film career. FEDS is a new traineeship scheme from the Independent Cinema Office that offers more than eight months of paid work at QFT, and other top cinemas and film festivals in the UK. FEDS puts you ahead of the pack in the job market: 70% of past trainees move into full careers in the film industry. We want to make the film industry more inclusive. Only 3% of the film workforce is from an ethnic minority background and less than 1% are people who consider themselves disabled. That’s why this scheme is specifically looking to recruit from these groups. How do I apply? Visit the Independent Cinema Office website: independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/training/feds2017 and fill in a short application form.

Buy online at queensfilmtheatre.com

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QUEENSFILMTHEATRE @QFTBELFAST @QFTBELFAST

What’s the deadline? You need to apply by 3 January 2017. Don’t miss this chance.

Throughout the QFT programme you will see this symbol accompanying specific films. The F-Rating highlights films made by and featuring women. Any film that answers ‘yes’ to one of these questions is awarded the F-Rating stamp of approval. 1. Does it have a female director? 2. Is it written by a woman? 3. Are there significant female characters on screen in their own right? Visit f-rated.org for more information.

NEW RELEASES

CHI-RAQ FRI 2 – THURS 8 DEC

DIR: SPIKE LEE • USA • 2015 2 HRS 7 MINS



Spike Lee reimagines Aristophanes’ ancient Greek play Lysistrata as a dazzling modernday hip-hop musical. Set in Chicago’s South Side, where gang violence has got out of hand (the title conflates Chi-cago and I-raq), the plot begins with a tragedy when a child is killed by a stray bullet. Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris), partner of local gang leader ChiRaq (Nick Cannon), leads a group of women in a radical solution. Featuring an all star cast, including Samuel L. Jackson as a one-man chorus in a nifty three-piece suit, Chi-Raq is scorching social analysis framed as raunchy entertainment.

PATERSON FRI 25 NOV – THURS 8 DEC

DIR: JIM JARMUSCH • FRANCE/ GERMANY/USA • 2016 • 1 HR 58 MINS

This thoughtful new film from Jim Jarmusch focuses on a working-class poet (Adam Driver) in a small New Jersey town who practices his craft amidst the quiet magic of everyday life. Adam Driver (Frances Ha) hits a career high in this quietly charming film about the married life of a poet-bus driver (the eponymous Paterson) and his artist-baker wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani). Together, they live and create in the town of (you guessed it) Paterson, navigating the extraordinary and the everyday of married life.

ACCESS SCREENING The 6.30pm screening on Tues 6 Dec will include audio description and on-screen captioning.

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

ARRIVAL FRI 9 – WED 14 DEC

DIR: DENIS VILLENEUVE • USA 2016 • 1 HR 56 MINS

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker star in this richly textured sci-fi from director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners – and the forthcoming Blade Runner sequel). When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – led by expert linguist Dr Louise Banks (Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.

A UNITED KINGDOM FRI 25 NOV – THURS 8 DEC

DIR: AMMA ASANTE USA/UK/CZECH REPUBLIC 2016 • 1 HR 51 MINS

Amma Asante (Belle) directs this impassioned drama depicting an interracial romance that changed the world. A United Kingdom is a powerful testament to the defiant and enduring love story of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana) and Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), the London office worker he married in 1948 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the government. Amma Asante follows Belle with another elegant, impassioned drama that also reveals a painful episode in the history of British race relations and imperial politics.

04/05

NEW RELEASES

LA FILLE INCONNUE

THE UNKNOWN GIRL FRI 9 – WED 14 DEC

DIR: JEAN-PIERRE & LUC DARDENNE • BELGIUM/FRANCE 2016 • 1 HR 53 MINS • SUBTITLED

CERT TBC

Belgian auteurs the Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night) return with a morally astute investigation of personal responsibility, justice and compassion starring Adèle Haenel (Les Combattants). After refusing to answer a latenight knock on her clinic door, a doctor (Haenel) seeks to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of her unidentified caller. Playing intelligently with the traits of traditional detective dramas, The Unknown Girl is another characteristically engaging social commentary from the two-time Palme d’Or winning Dardenne brothers.

THE PASS FRI 16 – SUN 18 DEC

DIR: BEN A. WILLIAMS • UK • 2016 1 HR 27 MINS

Russell Tovey and Arinze Kene play two footballers who struggle with their sexuality in this gripping adaptation of John Donnelly’s acclaimed play. We meet nineteen-year-old Jason and Ade the night before their first Champion’s League game. The excitement is high as the pair prepare for the biggest match of their careers to date. But the dynamic changes when out of nowhere, one of them kisses the other. Following their careers over the next ten years, the impact of their kiss reverberates through a decade of fame, failure, secrets and lies.

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

DOG EAT DOG FRI 16 – SUN 18 DEC

DIR: PAUL SCHRADER • USA • 2016 1 HR 33 MINS

Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe star in this blackly comic crime caper from director Paul Schrader (Affliction, The Walker). Troy (Cage), Mad Dog (Dafoe), and Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook) are three ex-cons looking for a final big score that will be their ticket to an early retirement. Luckily, mafioso “The Greek” (a cameo by Paul Schrader) has just the job for them: kidnapping a mobster’s baby. Deep down, they know this is a bad idea, but does that stop them? Of course not. Pitch-black hilarity ensues.

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER MON 19 – THURS 22 DEC

DIR: BILLY O’BRIEN • IRELAND/UK 2016 • 1 HR 43 MINS

Sixteen-year-old John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records) is not a serial killer—but he has all the makings of one. Keeping his homicidal tendencies and morbid obsessions with death and murder in check is a constant struggle that only gets harder when a real serial killer begins terrorising his sleepy Midwestern town. Now, in order to track down a psychopath and protect those around him, John must unleash his darkest inner demons. Based on the cult novel by Dan Wells, this twisted, genre-bending thriller co-stars Christopher Lloyd and Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser.

06/07

NEW RELEASES

DOCUMENTARY

LIFE, ANIMATED FRI 9 – THURS 15 DEC

DIR: ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS • USA 2016 • 1 HR 32 MINS

A fascinating and moving documentary about how an autistic boy learned to communicate through Disney films. As a child, Owen Suskind stopped speaking and was diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder, but his love for Disney films led his family to develop an extraordinary way of communicating with him. Against medical advice, they helped him find his voice through mimicking and channelling Disney characters. Oscar®winning director Roger Ross Williams has made a joyous and mesmerising film that’s a celebration of difference, diversity and animation.

DOCUMENTARY + SATELLITE Q&A

THE COMING WAR ON CHINA MON 5 DEC, 8.00PM

DIR: JOHN PILGER • UK • 2016 CERT 1 HR 50 MINS TBC

The Coming War on China is John Pilger’s 60th documentary film. Pilger reveals what the news doesn’t – that the world’s greatest military power, the United States, and the world’s second economic power, China, both nucleararmed, may well be on the road to war. Filmed over two years, Pilger’s film is both a warning and an inspiring story of resistance. Followed by a live satellite Q&A with John Pilger, hosted by Afshin Rattansi.

TICKETS £10 (£8 concessions and Film Card holders)

08/09

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING THURS 1 & SAT 3 DEC

DIR: ANDREW DOMINIK • UK/FRANCE 2016 • 1 HR 53 MINS

Final screenings of Andrew Dominik’s unique and heartbreaking film about the making of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Skeleton Tree. Originally a performance based concept, the film evolved into something much more significant as Andrew Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the band’s new album, Skeleton Tree. Interwoven throughout the Bad Seeds’ filmed performance are interviews and footage shot by Dominik, accompanied by Cave’s narration and improvised rumination.

DOCUMENTARY

TICKETS £8

EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS FRI 9 DEC, 8.30PM

DIR: THORSTEN SCHÜTTE FRANCE/GERMANY • 2016 • 1 HR 33 MINS

A dazzling documentary portrait of brilliant musical maverick Frank Zappa. A genuine iconoclast, whose non-conformist political and social views were as provocative as his genre-shattering music, the charismatic composer left an extraordinary legacy when he died in 1993. Now filmmaker Thorsten Schütte has trawled the archives to uncover and weave together a wealth of performance and interview material spanning Zappa’s 30 year career. Told in Zappa’s own words, Eat That Question is a hugely entertaining celebration of one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century.

SECOND SIGHT/SPECIAL EVENTS

BLUE VELVET FRI 2 – SUN 4 & WED 7 DEC

DOCUMENTARY

DIR: DAVID LYNCH • USA • 1986 • 2 HRS 1 MINS

BLUE VELVET REVISITED

A welcome 30th anniversary restoration of (arguably) David Lynch’s masterpiece.

DIR: PETER BRAATZ • GERMANY/SLOVENIA/USA • 2016 1 HR 26 MINS • AGE: 18+

Set to the haunting melody of Roy Orbison’s In Dreams, David Lynch’s exploration of a sleepy small town caught in the grips of the American Nightmare retains all of its disquieting power three decades on.

In 1985, David Lynch invited a young German filmmaker named Peter Braatz onto the set of his latest production, Blue Velvet.

SAT 17 DEC, 7.30PM

Colliding sensuality and violence, voyeurism and innocence, menace and magic, Blue Velvet is a deceptively dark story of amateur sleuthing gone weird. Kyle MacLachlan stars as the wannabe gumshoe drawn into a warped lust triangle with a damaged femme fatale played by Isabella Rossellini and an unhinged thug played by Dennis Hopper. Equal parts shocking and compelling, it remains a potent dissection of the American psyche, its social mores and its sexual proclivities.

Over the next couple of months, Braatz recorded hours of footage, shot thousands of photographs and conducted numerous interviews with the cast and crew. For over 30 years, the majority of this material has gone unseen. But now, Braatz has pieced together his archival treasure trove to create a hypnotic meditation on one of cinema’s most enigmatic masterpieces.

10/11

SPECIAL EVENTS

BLACK STAR

Join us in celebrating some of cinema’s greatest talents in Black Star, a major new season from the BFI. Our season concludes in December with a reissue of Oscar® winning classic In the Heat of the Night; an all-day celebration of hip-hop; and a season of films featuring music icons from Diana Ross to Beyoncé.

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT SUN 11, MON 12 & SAT 17 DEC

DIR: NORMAN JEWISON • USA • 1967 • 1 HR 50 MINS

One of three releases in 1967 that would cement Sidney Poitier’s position as the pre-eminent black actor of his generation, In the Heat of the Night is a taut culture clash thriller that first hit cinemas in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. The legendary Bahamian-American actor stars opposite Rod Steiger as one half of an odd couple police duo forced to work together to solve a murder in a small Mississippi town bristling with racial tension. Celebrated on its initial release with 5 Oscar® wins, including Best Picture, its representation of American race relations and law enforcement remains strikingly relevant.

Black Star is a celebration of the range, versatility and power of black actors on film and TV, taking place in cinemas at BFI Southbank and nationwide, on DVD and on BFI Player. Black Star provides a meaningful and high-profile platform for audiences to explore a galaxy of black actors through history, spotlighting the creativity and charisma of trailblazing performers, and celebrating the transatlantic wave of black British talent currently breaking across our screens.

SPECIAL EVENTS

WILDSTYLES One day. Three classic hip-hop movies. Celebrate the originators, the innovators, the MCs and the beatmakers who created a cultural revolution. Join us in the QFT Bar throughout the day for hiphop tunes old (school) and new from The Hungry Ear and Rudimentary Records DJs. T-WOC ‘SENTINELAS’ ALBUM LAUNCH SAT 10 DEC, 11.00PM Sentinelas is the first album release on Rudimentary Records. Produced and conceived by Irish producer Mick “t-woc” Donohoe, the album is the unintentional soundtrack to a 1970s Brazilian educational comic book, fusing together hip-hop, electronic music, and dub. Live AV set – FREE admission.

WILD STYLE

SAT 10 DEC, 2.35PM

DIR: CHARLIE AHEARN • USA • 1983 • 1 HR 22 MINS

Wild Style, the first true hip-hop movie, is a thrilling snapshot of exploding creativity encompassing freestyling, scratching, breakdancing and graffiti in early 1980s New York. An essential portrait capturing the birth of a radical new artistic culture, this music-filled 1983 docudrama follows the exploits of maverick tagger Zoro (played by the legendary New York graffiti artist Lee Quinones). Everything in Wild Style is authentic – the story, style, characters, and most of the actors, who were drawn from the community. It also features a who’s-who of old-school hip-hop pioneers, including Grandmaster Flash, Busy Bee, Lady Pink, Fab 5 Freddy, The Cold Crush Brothers and many more.

12/13

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON SAT 10 DEC, 8.30PM

DIR: F. GARY GRAY • USA • 2015 • 2 HRS 27 MINS

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST SAT 10 DEC, 4.25PM

DIR: MICHAEL RAPAPORT • USA • 2011 • 1 HR 37 MINS • AGE: 15+

Acclaimed actor Michael Rapaport goes behind the camera to document the inner workings and behind-the-scenes drama of one of the most innovative and influential hip-hop bands of all time, A Tribe Called Quest. For 20 years, the group produced jazz-infused music that drew new audiences to hip-hop. In spite of unparalleled success, the group fractured in 1998 under dramatic constraints and tumultuous pitfalls. The silence was broken with their 2016 comeback album, ‘We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service’, completed before the death of MC Phife Dawg. Rapaport offers unprecedented insight into this seminal band in his remarkably honest and emotional portrait.

In the mid-80s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in America. When five young men (including Dr. Dre, Easy E and Ice Cube) translated their experiences into brutally honest rhymes that rebelled against abusive authority, they put their anger about life into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Following the meteoric rise and fall of seminal rap group N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton tells the astonishing story of a music and pop culture revolution that ignited a cultural war and gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. With their rise to fame comes all the problems that come with it - meanwhile, their manager goes from friend to enemy and Los Angeles explodes during the 1992 Rodney King riots. It’s a powerful story thrillingly told - and the young actors playing their real life counterparts are all hugely charismatic - but above all, this is an explosive piece of hip-hop history that speaks urgently to right now.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BLACK VOICES A season of films featuring legendary singers and iconic performances; stories of love and life, hardship and redemption… and dancing. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” – Let’s Go Crazy, Prince

DREAMGIRLS SUN 11 DEC, 8.00PM

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT TUES 13 DEC, 8.30PM

DIR: BILL CONDON • USA • 2006 • 2 HRS 10 MINS

DIR: BRIAN GIBSON • USA • 1993 • 1 HR 53 MINS

Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy star in this love letter to the R&B music of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett were Oscar®-nominated for their portrayal of explosive husband and wife R&B duo Ike and Tina Turner.

Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, this hugely entertaining film follows the history and evolution of American R&B music through the eyes of Detroit girl group The Dreams (a riff on The Supremes) and their manipulative record executive. Standouts in an all-star cast include an Oscar®-winning Jennifer Hudson, and Eddie Murphy as raucous soul man Jimmy ‘Thunder’ Early.

The film charts Tina’s rise to stardom and her struggle to break free from Ike’s terrifying domestic abuse. Bassett gives a career-defining performance that immortalises the journey of a woman and artist discovering her voice.

14/15

THE HARDER THEY COME THURS 15 DEC, 8.30PM

DIR: PERRY HENZELL • JAMAICA • 1972 • 1 HR 43 MINS

In the classic crime drama The Harder They Come, Jamaican legend Jimmy Cliff shines as Ivan, a poor country boy who must turn “rude boy” in order to survive on the mean streets of Kingston. The quintessential reggae movie, with a soundtrack featuring tracks by Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, The Slickers and Toots and the Maytals, The Harder They Come is a deserved cult classic with a gritty, authentic edge.

PURPLE RAIN WED 14 DEC, 8.45PM

THE WIZ SAT 17 DEC, 3.30PM

DIR: ALBERT MAGNOLI • USA • 1984 • 1 HR 51 MINS

DIR: SIDNEY LUMET • USA • 1978 • 2 HRS 13 MINS

Join us to celebrate the life and career of the late Prince Rogers Nelson with this special screening of an ‘80s classic.

The grooviest adaptation of The Wizard of Oz you’ll ever see!

In his epic big-screen debut, Prince starred as a thinly-veiled version of himself, The Kid: a struggling Minneapolis rocker who feuds with his alcoholic father, fights his adoring girlfriend and seethes with jealousy over his zoot-suited rival (Morris Day). Purple Rain’s wonderful soundtrack album produced four US Top 40 hits.

We invite all the family to ease on down the yellow brick road with this special screening of The Wiz, the beloved Motown musical version (starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson) of Dorothy’s journey to the wonderful world of Oz. With a brilliantly funky soundtrack from Quincy Jones.

SPECIAL EVENTS

NORTHERN IRELAND HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL Each year the 10th December is celebrated as Human Rights Day across the world.

The date marks the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Civil society groups across the world use this date as an opportunity to celebrate and mark the importance of human rights globally.

QFT is delighted to present four films in the run up to Human Rights Day, as part of the 2016 Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival. For more information on the festival visit nihrf.com

16/17

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

DOCUMENTARY

HUBERT BUTLER: WITNESS TO THE FUTURE

FAMILY SCREENING

SONG OF THE SEA SUN 4 DEC, 12.30PM

SUN 4 DEC, 3.00PM

DIR: TOMM MOORE • IRELAND/DENMARK/BELGIUM/ LUXEMBOURG/FRANCE • 2014 • 1 HR 34 MINS

DIR: JOHNNY GOGAN • IRELAND • 2016 • 1 HR 38 MINS

Irish animator Tomm Moore follows his celebrated feature debut, The Secret of Kells, with another ravishing – and Oscar nominated – fantasy based on Irish folklore. Ben and his little sister Saoirse, a Selkie or Seal child, embark on a fantastic journey across ancient legend and magic attempting to return to their home. This animated film is sheer joy for young and old and parallels the worlds of our magical oral folklore tradition and modern Ireland.most enigmatic masterpieces.

Hubert Butler (1900-91) – “Ireland’s Orwell” – is now widely considered one of the great essayists of the twentieth century and a forerunner of the Irish human rights movement. This remarkable film follows his writer’s journey from an Anglo-Irish childhood and study at Oxford; through his time in Stalinist Russia, interwar Yugoslavia, and Nazi Germany; to his later life as a market-gardener, writer and public intellectual at Maidenhall, Co Kilkenny, where his family had lived for a century and a half. Followed by a discussion with director Johnny Gogan, poet Chris Agee, and BBC journalist Darragh Mac Intyre.

HILLSBOROUGH TUES 6 DEC, 6.00PM

CERT TBC

Screening in partnership with Irish Pages. irishpages.org

In 1989, ninety six people went to a football match and never came home.

I, DANIEL BLAKE

Hillsborough is a moving account of that disaster and the 27 year campaign for justice. Beginning with that fateful day, April 15th 1989, the film details the horror of the tragedy, told through the experiences of those directly involved: fans, survivors, family members and police officers.

DIR: KEN LOACH • UK/FRANCE/BELGIUM • 2016 • 1 HR 40 MINS

Dan Gordon’s powerful documentary will be followed by a talk from Prof Phil Scraton, the man instrumental in uncovering the truth.

THURS 8 DEC, 6.20PM

Beginning with Cathy Come Home in 1966, Ken Loach has consistently shone a light on social issues; homelessness, inequality, injustice and poverty. Now, at 80, he has made what might be his final film, I, Daniel Blake, and what a film it is. On one level the story of an everyman battling a Kafkaesque bureaucracy, Loach’s Palme d’Or winning masterpiece is an excoriating critique of the English benefits system and a culture which paints those in need as ‘shirkers’. Powerful, honest and at times unbearably moving, I, Daniel Blake is not an easy watch – but it is a film that everyone should see. Followed by a discussion with Nicola Browne and Bertie Atkinson of Participation and the Practice of Rights Project.

IMAGE: I, DANIEL BLAKE

DOCUMENTARY

DIR: DANIEL GORDON • UK • 2016 • 2 HRS 1 MINS

CERT TBC

SPECIAL EVENTS

Is it that time already? Why yes it is. Welcome to this year’s selection box of filmic festive treats. Old favourites (we’d be in trouble if we left out It’s a Wonderful Life!) nestle next to films we haven’t shown for many’s a holiday season. There’s something for everyone but don’t wait, book now to avoid that George Bailey sinking feeling.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE SAT 10 – SUN 11 & FRI 16 – FRI 23 DEC

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET SAT 10 – SUN 11 & WED 21 – FRI 23 DEC

DIR: FRANK CAPRA • USA • 1946 • 2 HRS 10 MINS

DIR: LES MAYFIELD • USA • 1994 • 1 HR 54 MINS

This ultimate feel good and festive classic, from Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, stars James Stewart as despairing businessmen George Bailey.

Based on the 1947 classic, and as much-loved as the original, Miracle on 34th Street follows a little girl who discovers dreams can come true if you really believe.

One fateful Christmas Eve, George receives a visit from Clarence, a celestial messenger, who prevents him from jumping into a freezing river. The pair travel together through moments in George’s life to show him what the world would be like if he had never existed.

Six-year-old Susan (Matilda’s Mara Wilson) has doubts about the existence of Santa Claus. Her mother told her the “secret” about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn’t expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa (a loveable Richard Attenborough) who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all - something to believe in.

“What is remarkable about It’s a Wonderful Life is how well it holds up over the years; it’s one of those ageless movies, like Casablanca or The Third Man, that improves with age.” – ROGER EBERT

18/19

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS MON 19 – FRI 23 DEC

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS SAT 17 & MON 19 – FRI 23 DEC

DIR: HENRY SELICK • USA • 1993 • 1 HR 21 MINS

DIR: VINCENTE MINNELLI • USA • 1944 • 1 HR 53 MINS

The Nightmare Before Christmas is the story of the skeleton who stole Christmas; a playfully skewed take on the festive ghost story tradition from the unique, gothic imagination of Tim Burton.

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas …” So sings Esther Smith (Judy Garland) to her little sister Tootie (Margaret O’Brien) in Vincente Minnelli’s endlessly enchanting, luscious Technicolor treat.

Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere! First conceived as a children’s book, the macabre magic of its fairytale setting was eventually realised through the distinctive qualities of stop-motion animation.

Minnelli’s sublime evocation of early 20th-century America recounts one year in the life of the Smith family of St. Louis as they eagerly anticipate the coming World’s Fair—with romance, heartbreak, and holiday celebrations along the way. The 3.00pm screening on Tues 20 Dec is presented in partnership with Age Friendly Belfast, with an introduction by author Jan Carson. Free tea, coffee and biscuits for ticket holders from 2.30pm.

SPECIAL EVENTS

DIE HARD FRI 16 – SUN 18 DEC

THE APARTMENT MON 19 – TUES 20 DEC

DIR: JOHN MCTIERNAN • USA • 1988 • 2 HRS 12 MINS

DIR: BILLY WILDER • USA • 1960 • 2 HRS 5 MINS

“Yippee ki-yay melon farmer!”

In Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning comedy, Jack Lemmon plays an unfortunate office worker who lets his superiors use his apartment for their affairs over the Christmas period.

Twelve terrorists. One cop. The odds are against John McClane...that’s just the way we like it. Die Hard is the film for you if you like your Christmas movies violent, sweary and wearing a vest. New York City cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to LA to spend Christmas with his estranged wife. His first stop is the office Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza, where his wife works. But terrorist Hans Gruber (the late, great Alan Rickman) turns up with some hard-core mayhem in mind, leaving McClane alone in a vest, sans shoes, to save the day.

Wilder’s romance-farce isn’t a Christmas film exactly but the holiday season is central to its wonderfully maudlin, sentimental tone. Lemmon is lonely office bottom-runger C.C. Baxter, who goes after promotion by allowing his seniors the use of his apartment for their extramarital liaisons. Meanwhile, he hopes to catch the eye of the sassy elevator girl, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine). Deliriously funny, The Apartment is also shot through with Wilder’s customary wit and cynicism.

20/21

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION WED 21 – FRI 23 DEC

TOKYO GODDOFAZAZU

TOKYO GODFATHERS WED 21 – THURS 22 DEC

DIR: JEREMIAH S. CHECHIK • USA • 1989 • 1 HR 37 MINS

DIR: SATOSHI KON • JAPAN • 2003 • 1 HR 32 MINS • SUBTITLED

With 25,000 lights on the roof, the SWAT team taking siege outside, and an exploding turkey on the dining room table, the Griswold family celebrates the holiday in true National Lampoon style!

Inspired by the John Ford western Three Godfathers, Satoshi Kon’s anime gem follows three homeless friends on the streets of Tokyo who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve.

Before there was Bad Santa, the Griswolds were already besmirching the holiness of Christmas with general ill will and sarcasm. That’s not what they set out to do, of course. In fact, having survived both Wally World and Europe, Clark (funniest man alive Chevy Chase) and his family are now attempting to have a “good old-fashioned family Christmas.” What could go wrong?

Taking narrative and character cues from classic Hollywood, Kon shines a light on the compassion inherent in all of humanity harkening back to the films of Frank Capra and Charlie Chaplin. There’s no shortage of visual beauty on display with dancing buildings, dazzling lights, and drizzling snow, creating a beautifully atmospheric animated world. In his penultimate film, the late Satoshi Kon seamlessly blends whimsy and pathos for a stirring and sweet Christmas tale. Subtitled version.

FILM CARD HOLDERS CHRISTMAS SCREENING SUN 18 DEC

Details are still being finalised for our annual Film Card holders Christmas get together. But expect an advance preview of a new and forthcoming release and a classic to warm your cockles. More For details on the benefits of signing up to a QFT details soon! Film Card visit queensfilmtheatre.com/support

SPECIAL EVENTS

CINESEEKERS FILM CLUB

The CineSeekers Film Club host monthly screenings for young people, presenting a diverse and varied range of international children’s films. Tickets £4.

ASTERIX: THE MANSIONS OF THE GODS SAT 3 DEC, 4.00PM DIR: LOUIS CLICHY & ALEXANDRE ASTIER FRANCE/BELGIUM • 2014 • 1 HR 26 MINS ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION

The first animated Asterix movie in ten years is a brilliantly funpacked family adventure with plenty of action and a fabulous satirical storyline. As the Roman Empire continues its expansion, Julius Caesar becomes increasingly exasperated by the small village of indomitable Gauls who continue to hold out against its might. But now he’s come up with his most dastardly plan to crush their resistance. Little does he know that this village is home to Asterix and Obelix, and they have no intention of letting Caesar control them.

HIJACK CHRISTMAS MOVIE QUIZ WED 14 DEC, 9.00PM

Whether you’re spending Christmas in Connecticut, St. Louis or you’re Lost in New York, hop on The Polar Express and Jingle All The Way down to the Hijack Christmas Movie Quiz! So assemble your Christmas family, be they Kranks, Griswolds or Claus’, and take our ultimate festive film test. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal! Maximum five players per team. Visit queensfilmtheatre.com for more info.

22/23

BOOK ONLINE AT QUEENSFILMTHEATRE.COM

LIVE EVENTS BRANAGH THEATRE LIVE

THE ENTERTAINER (ENCORE) SUN 4 DEC, 2.00PM

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE

NO MAN’S LAND THURS 15 DEC, 7.00PM

RSC LIVE

THE TEMPEST WED 11 JAN 2017, 7.00PM

3 HRS (INCL. INTERVAL)

2 HRS 30 MINS APPROX. (INCL. INTERVAL)

3 HRS 30 MINS TBC (INCL. INTERVAL)

Kenneth Branagh stars in John Osborne’s modern classic set against the dying days of the music hall. This has at its centre the memorably sad, middle-aged figure of fading music-hall star Archie Rice, whose failing career is set against the backdrop of post-Colonial decline and personal tragedy.

Following their hit run on Broadway, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart return to the West End stage in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, broadcast live to cinemas from Wyndham’s Theatre, London. Also starring Owen Teale and Damien Molony, don’t miss this glorious revival of Pinter’s comic classic. The broadcast will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with the cast and director Sean Mathias..

The Tempest will be brought to life on the Royal Shakespeare Company stage with the help of Intel and Andy Serkis’ Imaginarium, featuring some of today’s most advanced technology in a bold reimagining of this magical play. Simon Russell Beale returns to the RSC after 20 years to play Prospero in a production directed by Artistic Director Gregory Doran.

TICKETS Live: £15 (£12.50 concessions and Film Card holders) Encore: £12.50 (£10 concessions and Film Card holders)



AT A GLANCE

Times are subject to change. Please check queensfilmtheatre.com for up-to-date information.

DECEMBER DATE

EVENT

TIME

Fri 2

A United Kingdom Paterson Blue Velvet Chi-Raq

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.40pm 9.00pm

Sat 3

One More Time With Feeling Asterix: The Mansion of the Gods A United Kingdom Paterson Blue Velvet Chi-Raq

3.50pm

Song of the Sea Branagh Theatre: The Entertainer Hubert Butler: Witness to the Future + Q&A A United Kingdom Paterson Blue Velvet Chi-Raq

12.30pm

A United Kingdom Paterson The Coming War on China + satellite Q&A Chi-Raq

5.30pm 6.30pm

Tues 6

Hillsborough + Q&A Paterson (Access screening) Chi-Raq A United Kingdom

6.00pm 6.30pm 9.00pm 9.15pm

Wed 7

A United Kingdom Chi-Raq Blue Velvet Paterson

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.40pm 9.10pm

Thurs 8

I, Daniel Blake + Q&A Chi-Raq Paterson A United Kingdom

6.20pm 6.30pm 9.10pm 9.15pm

Fri 9

The Unknown Girl Life, Animated Eat That Question: Frank Zappa Arrival

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.45pm

Miracle on 34th Street Wild Style It’s a Wonderful Life Beats, Rhymes & Life: A Tribe Called Quest The Unknown Girl Life, Animated Arrival Straight Outta Compton T-WOC ‘Sentinelas’ album launch

12.30pm 2.35pm 3.00pm

Miracle on 34th Street The Unknown Girl It’s a Wonderful Life In the Heat of the Night Life, Animated Dreamgirls Arrival

12.30pm 1.15pm/5.40pm 3.00pm 3.40pm 6.00pm 8.00pm 8.10pm

The Unknown Girl Life, Animated In the Heat of the Night Arrival

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.45pm

Arrival Life, Animated What’s Love Got to Do With It The Unknown Girl

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.45pm

Sun 4

Mon 5

Sat 10

Sun 11

Mon 12

Tues 13

4.00pm 6.20pm 6.30pm 8.40pm 9.00pm

Wed 14

8.00pm 9.00pm

4.25pm 5.40pm 6.30pm 8.00pm 8.30pm 11.00pm

6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.45pm 9.00pm

Thurs 15 Life, Animated NT Live: No Man’s Land The Harder They Come

6.30pm 7.00pm 8.30pm

Fri 16

It’s a Wonderful Life The Pass Dog Eat Dog Die Hard

3.30pm/6.10pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.50pm

Sat 17

Meet Me in St. Louis The Pass In the Heat of the Night The Wiz It’s a Wonderful Life Blue Velvet Revisited Die Hard Dog Eat Dog

1.00pm 1.10pm/5.30pm 3.10pm 3.30pm 6.10pm 7.30pm 8.50pm 9.25pm

Sun 18

Film Card Christmas Screening It’s a Wonderful Life The Pass Dog Eat Dog Die Hard

Time TBC 6.10pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 8.50pm

Mon 19

Meet Me in St. Louis The Nightmare Before Christmas It’s a Wonderful Life The Apartment I Am Not a Serial Killer

1.00pm

The Apartment The Nightmare Before Christmas Meet Me in St. Louis (Age Friendly Event) It’s a Wonderful Life The Apartment I Am Not a Serial Killer

1.00pm

Miracle on 34th Street The Nightmare Before Christmas It’s a Wonderful Life National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Meet Me in St. Louis Tokyo Godfathers I Am Not a Serial Killer

1.00pm

2.00pm 3.00pm 5.50pm 6.00pm 8.10pm 8.30pm

Arrival Life, Animated The Unknown Girl Purple Rain Hijack Christmas Movie Quiz

Tues 20

Wed 21

1.45pm/6.30pm 3.30pm/8.50pm 3.45pm/6.20pm 9.00pm

1.10pm/6.30pm 3.00pm 3.30pm/8.50pm 6.20pm 9.00pm

2.30pm 3.30pm/8.50pm 4.20pm 6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm

Thurs 22 Miracle on 34th Street Meet Me in St. Louis It’s a Wonderful Life The Nightmare Before Christmas National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Tokyo Godfathers I Am Not a Serial Killer

1.00pm 2.15pm 3.30pm/8.50pm

Fri 23

1.00pm 2.15pm 3.30pm/6.10pm

Miracle on 34th Street Meet Me in St. Louis It’s a Wonderful Life The Nightmare Before Christmas National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Sat 24 – HOLIDAY CLOSURE Thurs 29

4.40pm 6.20pm 6.30pm 8.30pm

4.40pm 6.20pm