The good, bad and just plain weird at Darklight

Despite the grim economic climate, a number of innovative film festivals continue to deliver exciting material to enthusiasts of the moving image.

The Darklight Festival, dedicated to independent, do-it-yourself and avant-garde pieces, remains among the most diverting. Now in its 11th year, the four-day jamboree kicks off on October 28th with a weekend focusing on the (loose, but flexible) theme of “heroes”. The opening bash, which takes place at the Grand Social bar in central Dublin, features State.ie DJs, live music from synth wizards Le Galaxie as well as Vengeance and The Panther Queen, and a special screening of the Free Your Film competition winners’ short films (in association with Sony Ericsson). The programme is innovative and pleasingly freaky.

Czech out (hem! hem!) Michael Connerty Presents: The Strange and Magical World of Czech Animationon Friday afternoon at the Irish Film Institute and enjoy work by such masters as Jan Svankmajer, and Jiri Trnka.

Not strange enough? Well, you may wish to investigate Synth Eastwood Presents: Seperado!The programme promises "a psychedelic western musical" which follows Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys through the theatres, nightclubs and desert teahouses of Wales, Brazil and the Argentine Andes, as he discovers what became of his long-lost Patagonian uncle. Gruff will be on hand to clarify (or further befuddle). darklight.ie

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