Alumni engagement and philanthropy



MONTH-LONG SERIES OF FILMS AND EVENTS TO CELEBRATE 'QFT50'

01 October 2018

Northern Ireland’s internationally renowned Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT) is set to host a month-long series of films and events to mark its fiftieth birthday.

To celebrate its golden year, QFT, which is an independent cinema based at Queen’s University Belfast, will offer a range of special events including brand new films and old classics. It will also show off its newly refurbished auditorium which has been completed after a £350,000 investment.

The month-long celebration, funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the BFI’s Audience fund, will also see over thirty special events take place including in-depth Q&As with Mark Kermode, Jim Sheridan and the cast of Derry Girls, plus a French themed disco with tunes provided by DJ David Holmes.

QFT50 kicks off on Friday 5 October with the opening of a special exhibition showcasing a range of artefacts, photographs and memorabilia from the past 50 years, as well as the screening of a preview of the new film First Man starring Ryan Gosling.

Speaking about the milestone anniversary, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, Professor Ian Greer said: “As we begin this month-long programme of events, I am excited and honoured to lead the celebrations which mark 50 years of QFT.

“At Queen’s, we are privileged to have such a unique cultural venue on campus, with vast experience of bringing a high-quality films to Belfast audiences.

“As well as being a social hub for our students and the wider community in Northern Ireland, QFT brings many positive economic, cultural and social benefits to the local economy.”

Head of QFT, Joan Parsons, said: “We are so excited to be celebrating the golden year of Queen’s Film Theatre with an amazing programme of events that takes a trip down memory lane and also looks to the future of film.

“The QFT is deeply embedded in the fabric of student life at Queen’s but it has also been an  important part of culture in Belfast itself and I am really excited to be able to present this programme of events and welcome old friends and new faces to the QFT in October.

“The celebrations will mark the contribution that QFT and film has made to Belfast during some very difficult years in the past and is a testament to the power of film that the QFT is thriving today.

“We thank National Lottery players for supporting us to highlight and share our fascinating 50-year heritage. We hope that after QFT50 we will have welcomed a whole new audience to the Theatre.”

Angela Lavin, Senior Grants Officer with Heritage Lottery Fund Northern Ireland said: “QFT has been part of the fabric of Belfast for 50 years and many people have strong memories of watching the wonderful array of diverse films that have been shown there over the years.

“We were delighted to invest National Lottery funding to help the QFT to collate, share and celebrate their rich heritage.

Speaking on behalf of the BFI (British Film Institute) Sarah-Jane Meredith, Manager UK Wide Audiences, said: "We are delighted to be able to support QFT as it celebrates 50 years of screening films to audiences in Belfast. 

“The QFT50 programme demonstrates an ongoing commitment by the venue to screening the very best in cinema, bringing great cinematic stories to new and existing audiences and re-kindling a love for cinema in lapsed audiences."

Highlights of the QFT50 Programme include:

  • Bloodyminded – First ever interactive live feature film broadcast online and at cinemas around the UK. The film will allow audiences to make its own decisions on the morality of war and decide the ending (14 October)
  • Themed 50th birthday celebration night with screening of Viva Marial, followed by a David Holmes DJ set (16 October)
  • Devils Doorway – Gala screening with director Aisling Clarke, former employee of QFT and first ever female-directed horror movie. (19 October)
  • Mark Kermode book launch and Q&A (21 October)
  • Derry Girls screening of favourite episodes with Derry Girls cast and crew (23 October)
  • Closing Night Gala – Widows by Steve McQueen with special guests to be announced (31 October)

The QFT50 celebrations are generously supported by National Lottery funding awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The British Film Institute.

For further information on 'QFT50' please contact Stephen O’Reilly, Marketing Coordinator, QFT, telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 1195. For the full Festival Programme and tickets for films/events (some of which may already be sold out) visit the QFT website.

If you would like to support the Queen’s Film Theatre Adopt-A-Seat programme please contact Meaghan Lyons, Regular Giving Manager or visit https://daro.qub.ac.uk/adoptaseatatqft.

General enquiries to Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO), tel: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.

 

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