A cinema, with a cafe-bar and bookshop, as well as a home for numerous film related organisations.
Could be confused with Until recently, a trade show for various brands of tripods, metal briefcases and film cans, as many of those hanging out in the atrium feel obliged to keep symbols of their occupation on the table. This trend is, happily dying out.
Architect O'Donnell & Tuomey. Cost £2.25 million including £650,000 provided by Temple Bar Properties.
Opened September 1992. Staff around 40.
The Film Institute of Ireland has, as befits one of the largest of the cultural institutions in the Temple Bar, a firm idea of its place in the world. "We're here for three main purposes, says Sheila Pratschke, its director " to exhibit films, which is why we have two cinemas to preserve film, which we do in the Irish Film Archive and to make it accessible and to increase people's enjoyment and understanding of the medium through our education programme.
Between its two cinemas, the centre can seat around 370 people, while the central atrium can seat 350-400 people. Fifteen or so people can use the library and the Archive, but these are available only by appointment. The Institute is also home to seven film industry organisations Media Desk, EVE, Film Base, Irish Federation of Film Societies, Junior Dublin Film Festival, Filmmakers Ireland, and Hubbard Casting.
"We focus on the Institute as a space because we feel it is an important cross roads, a meeting place which has a much bigger function than just being a bar which makes money in order to support other activities," says Pratschke. "It is actually a space people can use for business as well as pleasure though we don't have anything in a financial sense to do with production or film development funds, we still feel the space is very useful for filmmakers."
