What goes around

Think arthouse movies appear in city-centre cinemas only? Thanks to Access Cinema, film buffs around Ireland don't have to wait for the quality stuff to appear on DVD, writes Gemma Tipton

Did you know that last month you could have seen Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Manin a mobile cinema parked in various spots around Co Leitrim? Or that Volvercame to Bray, Atomisedto Ballina, and Transamericato Birr? Once a dying breed in Ireland, arthouse and world cinemas are appearing regularly in towns all over the country as part of Access Cinema, an association of Irish Film clubs, now in its 30th year.

Backed by the Arts Council, Access Cinema enables some 47 film clubs and arts centres to book films, some of which have never been seen in Ireland before.

"We get them two or three months after their release," says director Maretta Dillon, "and we can also provide films not classified by the censor here, because they can be shown under 'club conditions'. Just because you live regionally doesn't mean you should be penalised in your access to the arts. Even in cities, there should be access to something beyond the multiplex. And with all the new multidisciplinary arts centres opening around the country, I would hope that one of the programmes they would include would be film.

"There's this idea that if you programme cinema they'll just roll up at the door," Dillon adds. "But that doesn't happen. You have to programme it carefully, sell it and market it - just in the way you would with theatre or opera."

In addition to programming Access Cinema also helps its members through training seminars on marketing and audience development. It isn't as straightforward as it may seem; showing films as a 'one-off' means you don't get the build-up of word of mouth.

With that in mind, Access Cinema also works on festivals and film seasons. It also encourages members to programme repertory classics.

"People seem obsessed with the new," Dillon says, "so to develop a rep cinema you need to have quite a lot of programming in depth. The Irish Film Institute can do that, but we do encourage our members to show at least one classic film per season."

After six years at Access Cinema, Dillon is leaving to re-establish the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin's Smithfield. (Once on Abbey Street, it closed in 1996 to make way for the Arnott's redevelopment.) Looking back, she agrees that the way we see films is changing rapidly.

"There are very few local two-screens left. When the UCIs arrived in the 1990s they invested in their cinemas and everyone upped their game." But with that, cinema became highly suburban, and city-centre venues declined (with notable exceptions, such as Cork's Kino). that's changing again, with, for example, plans to develop one or two screens at the Belltable Art Centre (there is currently no cinema in Limerick city centre), as well as the network of regional arts centres.

And what about the "threat" of DVD and movie downloads? Even though it may be easier to curl up with a bottle of wine and a rented DVD, the real glory of film is still about that collective, cinematic experience, Dillon believes.

"Humans are social," she says. "We'll always want to go out and do things together." And thanks to Access Cinema, you can - wherever you happen to live.

Coming soon

Saturday, April 21st

Hell Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth

Sunday, April 22nd

Paradise Now Glór Irish Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare

Monday, April 23rd

Perfume Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow.Gabrielle Sulan Film Society, Macroom, Co Cork.Offside University of Limerick

Tuesday, April 24th

36 Loughrea Film Club, Co Galway. Cave of the Yellow Dog Tuar Ard Arts Centre, Moate, Co Westmeath.Heading South Louth, Newry and Mourne Film Commission, Millennium Centre, Dundalk, Co Louth.I Am Cuba Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Pan's Labyrinth St John's Arts & Heritage Centre, Listowel, Co Kerry

Wednesday, April 25th

Red Road Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co Laois. Little Fish Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co Meath

Friday, April 27th

Offside Midnight Court Film Society, Scariff, Co Clare

Sunday, April 29th

Glastonbury Glór Irish Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare.Fateless Cloughjordan Cine Club, Co Tipperary

Monday, April 30th

Black Book Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow. Transamerica University of Limerick

Ladies in Lavender will tour Ireland as part of the Bealtaine Festival in May.

This year's Zoom programme for 15- to 18-year-olds includes Echo Park LA, The General, The Host, and Pan's Labyrinth. See website for participating venues.