Japan has given us some of the most dazzlingly original animated films over the years. Groundbreaking titles such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell have gained cult status internationally and have been hugely influential. To coincide with the Japanese Anime Weekend at the IFI in March, we will be screening one title from the programme for a schools’ audience.

Workshop
This will be followed by a one-hour workshop looking at the various techniques, styles and content which fall under the anime label, and their wider influence on film and animation.

60 places available, limited to 20 per school. Film and workshop: €8 per student.

If you are interested, please contact IFI Education on 01 679 5744 or email schools@irishfilm.ie for more information.

This film follows Miguel “Sugar” Santos, a 19-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic on his odyssey to Major League baseball in the United States. Like many before him, Sugar’s desire to play in the big league is a marriage of ambition and necessity, as his talent can earn the money needed to support his impoverished family. His journey takes him to rural Iowa and New York, and through his eyes we experience awe and alienation as he faces the challenges presented by being a major league import. This film weaves the drama of Sugar’s personal story in with the wider issue of talent recruitment from Latin America and its repercussions for the individual and families involved.

USA • 2009 • Drama • 120 mins • English/Spanish Directors: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Director Jane Campion (The Piano) returns to form with this fine, delicate drama about the 19th century poet John Keats and his love affair with the girl next door, Fanny Brawne. They begin at odds but soon become intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other. Keats’ poetry becomes a romantic remedy which not only resolves their differences, but also fuels an impassioned love affair. Campion’s subtle approach to this affectionate story of love, loss and poetry, alongside outstanding performances from Abbie Cornish and Ben Wishaw, creates a stunning film which attracts not only those interested in Keats but any with an interest in the written word.

UK/Australia/France • 2009 • Drama • 119 mins Director: Jane Campion

Performance
This screening will be followed by an engaging performance of Keats’ poetry by a professional actor, bringing the poets words to life.

In association with Poetry Ireland.

€5 screening/€8 screening plus performance.

The Hurt Locker

Set amidst the tense and chaotic environment of urban Baghdad, this thrilling Oscar-tipped drama follows a company of elite US soldiers tasked with one of the most nerve-wracking and deadly jobs in combat: disarming roadside bombs. When renegade Staff Sergeant William James joins Bravo Company’s bomb disposal unit, their tour of duty is in its final stages. His wild methods and thrill for dismantling leaves them open to danger, and in a city where chaos lurks around the next corner, James’ risk-taking pushes them all to the edge as they struggle to survive the end of their tour. Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break) crafts a masterful and gripping take on modern conflict.

USA • 2008 • Action/Drama/War • 131 mins • Director: Kathryn Bigelow

The story of one of the fashion industries most powerful figures, Anna Wintour, British-born editor of US Vogue, as she oversees the creation of the September 2007 issue of the ‘style bible’. Rumoured to have inspired Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada, Wintour has ruled Vogue for 20 years. Feared and respected in equal measure, she has
been referred to as ‘Nuclear’ Wintour. Being such a controlling force, it is all the more remarkable that director R. J. Cutler gained such unprecedented access to both her and the hallowed halls of Vogue.


USA • 2009 • Documentary • 89 mins • Director: R. J. Cutler

Discussion
Join us and a panel of professionals from the world of magazine journalism and fashion for an insight into the many career options of this exciting, creative field.