To celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week, GAZE International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is hosting the Irish Premiere of THE WEDDING BANQUET. A Sundance hit with an all-star cast, including Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung. This reimagining of Ang Lee’s classic 1993 film, is a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating the disasters and delights of family expectations, queerness, and cultural identity.

The screening takes place on April 23rd and tickets are available for purchase here: https://events.ticketbooth.eu/...

There are plenty of films for the whole family to enjoy this bank holiday weekend - from this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar winner to a 20th anniversary re-release. Here's all you need to know to make the most of this weekend at Light House.

Oscar winner FLOW screens across the weekend and we are delighted to be hosting a giant Flow cat here at Light House, so be sure to say hello and take your photo with the star of the film. 

Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.

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From the Director of Napoleon Dynamite, A MINECRAFT MOVIE stars Jack Black and Jason Momoa. 

Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home they'll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected expert crafter.

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The first feature length outing of the legendary claymation duo, WALLACE & GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT is 20 this year and will be back on the big screen this weekend to celebrate.

Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

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MONSTER HOUSE screens as part of our Staff Picks strand on Sunday.

In this not-so-scary animated film, three teens discover that their neighbour's house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.

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Light House is excited to welcome the Japanese Film Festival back for another fantastic edition, bringing the latest and best Japanese films to our screens this April, alongside a few beloved classics!

From acclaimed new films like A Samurai in Time, Cloud and Teki Cometh to anime titles such as Ghost Cat Anzu and Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, we hope this year's festival has something for everyone.

Full listings and ticket are available HERE

STORYHOUSE announced additions to the 2025 programme today. The STORYHOUSE Festival champions, cultivates, and celebrates the art and craft of storytelling for the screen through a dynamic two-day programme. Taking place on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April 2025 at Dublin’s Light House Cinema, the festival will feature panels, keynote talks, interviews, and case studies, offering a unique opportunity to learn from an exciting lineup of acclaimed Irish and international screenwriters and storytellers. With a focus on supporting the next generation of screenwriters, it provides a platform for emerging talent to engage with and be inspired by the expertise of industry veterans.

The speakers revealed today include BAFTA winning writer AISLING BEA (This Way Up), writer-director AISLINN CLARKE (Fréwaka), BAFTA winning filmmaker SAVANAH LEAF (Earth Mama), writer CARA LOFTUS (Spilt Milk), writer COURTTIA NEWLAND (Small Axe, The Woman in The Wall), director MORGAN MATTHEWS (X+Y, The Railway Children Return), writer-director PRANO BAILEY-BOND (Censor), writer RICHIE CONROY (Crá, Fran The Man) and writer-director TOM SULLIVAN (Arracht).

In addition, the festival has announced the hosts for the events taking place across the two days, including writer-director LENNY ABRAHAMSON (Room, Normal People), writer MARK O’HALLORAN (Adam & Paul, Garage), writer STEPHEN SHIELDS (Abigail), writer-director FRANK BERRY (Michael Inside, Aisha) writer-director KATE DOLAN (You Are Not My Mother), writer SHEENA LAMBERT (The Lake), producer EMMA NORTON (The Dry, Normal People), and producer CHELSEA MORGAN-HOFFMANN (The Listeners, September Says).

Speakers already announced include Academy Award© winner PETER STRAUGHAN (Conclave, Wolf Hall), Academy Award© winner KENNETH LONERGAN (Manchester By The Sea, You Can Count On Me), LAURIE NUNN (Sex Education) and NIA DA COSTA (Candyman, The Marvels).

In addition to the masterclass sessions, the topics of discussion will include the craft of writing horror, navigating Hollywood, approaching low budget filmmaking, and writing films and television in the Irish language.

STORYHOUSE is a not-for-profit initiative spearheaded by Academy Award© nominated producer and co-CEO of Element Pictures, Ed Guiney. STORYHOUSE is supported by Screen Ireland, Fremantle and Element Pictures and is produced in association with the Light House Cinema.

Ed Guiney, Founder of STORYHOUSE and Co-CEO of Element commented: “We’re delighted to welcome an incredible roster of talent to this year’s STORYHOUSE, and we look forward to hosting insightful sessions that are set to inspire and ignite creativity, giving emerging voices the chance to connect, learn, and develop their craft alongside industry leaders.”

Aisling Bea, writer and speaker at STORYHOUSE, added: "First rule of Storyhouse festival is to have fun, well it's actually « no chatGPT », but I’m so excited to be a part of the esteemed panel of this year’s screenwriting festival and meet the new incredible writing talent Ireland has to offer. ***ChatGPT wrote this."

In parallel with the main event STORYHOUSE has expanded on STORYHOUSE LAB, a unique interactive programme which will now take place over five days, including the two-day festival.

The LAB will provide a small cohort of emerging writers with complimentary access to all STORYHOUSE events as well as additional focussed sessions with guests under the mentorship of BAFTA and IFTA winning TV and film screenwriter Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did, Bad Sisters). Our special guests at this year’s STORYHOUSE LAB will be Darren and Colin Thornton discussing their screenwriting career and their BFI London Film Festival Audience Award winning new film FOUR MOTHERS.

TICKET INFO

Tickets are now sold out. Please keep an eye on STORYHOUSE social channels / e-newsletter in case any further tickets become available at a later date. Any enquiries please email here.

ACCESSIBILITY

Full price tickets for public access are €50 for the two-day festival.

STORYHOUSE LAB

STORYHOUSE LAB applications are now closed for 2025.

Light House is delighted to welcome the NICE Italian Film Festival in Dublin for the 4th Edition, celebrating contemporary Italian cinema from April 3 - 6.

Explore the full line-up and book tickets HERE

The Programme:

Friday 4 APR

18:30 - DIAMANTI / Diamonds by Ferzan Özpetek — 135'

Saturday 5 APR

15:30 — UNA STORIA NERA / A dark story by Leonardo D'Agostini — 100'

18:30 — L'ABBAGLIO / The illusion by Roberto Andò — 131"

Sunday 6 APR

15:30 — REAL by Adele Tulli — 83'

17:30 — ROMANTICHE / Romantic Girls by Pilar Fogliati — 108'

19:45 — MEET THE ACTORS

20:10 — PARTHENOPE by Paolo Sorrentino — 136'

Light House presents Easter Eggers

This Easter Sunday we give thanks and praise to the new king of folklore, mythology and horror, Robert Eggers.

BOOK THE WITCH

BOOK THE LIGHTHOUSE

BOOK THE NORTHMAN

BOOK NOSFERATU 35MM

We are delighted to announce that Light House was the top performing site for the opening weekend of Gints Zilbalodis' FLOW.

This film, an independent film in the truest sense, made by a small team on a free software, has come a very long way. This dialogue-free animation has had an excellent opening weekend following a very successful awards campaign which culminated in an Academy Award.

Wunderkind director Gints Zilbalodis has taken the animation world by storm with his beautifully crafted sophomore feature Flow, which has received a multitude of awards and nominations to date, including two nominations for both BAFTA and the Academy Awards.

The mystical world he creates in Flow is in peril. There are traces of human inhabitants, but they are now nowhere to be seen as water begins to flood the landscape. The story begins following a small, solitary cat as the shoreline rises and the home where it once lived is submerged underwater. Forced to flee, he happens upon a refuge boat containing a calm and unperturbed capybara who seems amenable to his presence, and the two begin a journey on the water towards higher ground. Along the way they cross paths with a lemur, obsessed with collecting shiny objects, a boisterous and excitable dog and a stoic, mysterious secretary bird. Together, as they traverse the landscape on their fable-like quest, the ragtag team of animals must learn to trust each other and work together to survive.

We are delighted to support daring, innovative filmmaking and look forward to seeing what Gints and his team have in store next.

FLOW is now showing:

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BOOK SENSORY

BOOK PARENT & BABY

After seven years of brining the best in international, arthouse and repertory cinema programming to Galway audiences, Pálás Cinema will close its doors on Thursday February 27th . To mark the occasion, Pálás’s final film season will be a special trio of films that celebrate the magical place that is the cinema, and its treasured place in communities around the world.

Starting, appropriately enough, with Goodbye Dragon Inn, director Tsai Ming-liang’s wryly funny and tender drama about a cavernous old picture palace in Taipei City, about to close its doors forever. Screening on Saturday 22nd, Goodbye Dragon Inn is a love letter to the experience of movie-going, in which a small audience, the remaining few staff, and perhaps even a ghost or two, are each haunted by memories and desires evoked by cinema itself.

BOOK HERE

Pálás has been a place to celebrate and rediscover Irish films of all kinds. On Tuesday 25th, revisit Northern Irish filmmaker John T. Davis’s underseen gem The Uncle Jack. A portrait of the filmmaker’s uncle Jack McBride Neill, the cinema architect who designed many of Northern Ireland's most cherished cinemas. McBride Neill played a pivotal role in encouraging Davis's passion for film-making and the documentary explores their relationship and the role of obsession in the creative act.

BOOK HERE

Finally, on February 27th, what better way to close out a celebration of cinema, than with a declaration of love to the big screen by 33 of the world’s best directors.

Chacun Son Cinema (To Each His Own Cinema) is a collective work, made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, in which each director contributed a 3 minute short film paying tribute to the motion picture theatre. Participating filmmakers include the Coen Brothers, Olivier Assayas, Ken Loach, David Lynch, Jane Campion, Wong Kar Wai, Wim Wenders and many more.

BOOK HERE

Other films playing in Pálás’s final week include the Oscar® nominated Brazilian film I’m Still Here from director Walter Salles and September Says, the debut film from French actress Ariane Labed, based on the book by Daisy Johnson and produced by Element Pictures. Pálás’s David Lynch retrospective will also come to a conclusion, with the director’s film opus Mulholland Drive being the last film to screen before the cinema closes on the 27th.

The staff at Pálás wish to thank the Galway audience for being such loyal and enthusiastic supporters for the past seven years.

Irish audiences proved they still love cinema this Valentine’s weekend. Light House recorded the busiest day ever last Saturday (15^th February) welcoming 2324 film fans over the threshold. This compares to previous records of 2310 for National Cinema Day in 2023 and 2236 for Barbenheimer’s opening day in 2023.

The line up of films over the weekend included sold out screenings of Adam Elliot’s stop motion animation Memoir Of A Snail, Blue Velvet & Eraserhead as part of a David Lynch Retrospective, We Are Fugazi From Washington D.C with Doc ‘N’ Roll, Blue Road, Brief Encounter and The People’s Joker but the title that held the spotlight was Walter Salles’ triple Oscar nominated I’m Still Here – fifteen of the eighteen slots were sold out – many weeks in advance.

I’m Still Here was previewing in limited sites, hitting screen averages in ROI of €13,491. Light House secured the #1 spot for the top performing site in UK & Ireland ahead of the film’s wider release this Friday.

Brazilian audiences ensured Light House was the home of I’m Still Here in Ireland, as they flocked in their masses to the cinema to finally catch a glimpse of Fernanda Torres’ award winning performance. Highlights from the weekend included Brazilian themed food and music across the venue, photo ops and a Q&A with Researcher and Academic, Marina Frid, discussing the dictatorship period in Brazil (1964-1985).

Alice Black Head of Programming for Light House Group notes “Barbenheimer was a global moment where many audiences fell back in love with cinema. We are lucky enough to witness that still happening at Light House. We love all our films equally but to achieve the highest admits ever with films that we’ve nurtured from the ground up, is a real joy. Long live world cinema!”

Light House want to thank their entire team as well as new and loyal audiences for coming out in force to celebrate the remarkable journey that I’m Still Here has been on so far and only beginning in Ireland, presales for additional screenings indicate a successful run ahead for the film which is being released in Ireland and the UK by Altitude. Notably the overall weekend almost matched the admissions for Barbenheimer weekend in July 2023, which was the busiest weekend on record for Light House.

Additional events coming up in Light House include more sold-out screenings of I’m Still Here, Dublin International Film Festival, Oscar catch up screenings, a Bong Joon-Ho retrospective ahead of the eagerly anticipated Mickey 17 and a screening of Labyrinth as part of the Dublin Bowie Festival.

Tickets are on sale from https://www.lighthousecinema.ie/

As the 2025 Awards season winds to a close, it's almost time for the Academy Awards. On March 2, all of Hollywood's shiniest stars will hit the carpet, enter the Dolby Theatre, and a lucky few will leave with a statue. As ever, we have prepared our Light House ballot but this year we're throwing predictions out the window, sequestering our audience, and asking you; who do you want to win?

You can use our digital ballot HERE or download our printable version HERE. We have some great prizes to give away, including a year of Loyalty+, and all participants will be placed in a draw.

Happy voting!

Voting ends midnight Saturday, March 1^st.

Academy Award winning director, Bong Joon-ho is back this year with a brand new feature, MICKEY 17, starring Robert Pattinson. To celebrate, some of Bong Joon-ho's greatest hits will be returning to the big screen at Light House ahead of the release of Mickey 17 on March 7.

PARASITE (March 2)

MEMORIES OF MURDER (March 3)

SNOWPIERCER (March 5)

MICKEY 17 opens at Light House on March 7 - tickets are on sale now.

This Valentine's and Galentine's Light House and Pálás invite you to celebrate with a range of special screenings

Galentine's

JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS

Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody (Tara Reid), and Val (Rosario Dawson) move from small-town Riverdale to New York City when their band The Pussycats is offered a record deal. The label, spear-headed by CEO Fiona (Parker Posey), changes their name, their style, and attempts to control their every move.

BOOK LIGHT HOUSE | BOOK PÁLÁS

WICKED

Nominated for 10 Oscars, this adaptation of the hit Broadway musical tells the story of Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

BOOK LIGHT HOUSE | BOOK PÁLÁS

Valentine's 

BRIEF ENCOUNTER

After a chance meeting on a train platform, a married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) begin a muted but passionate, and ultimately doomed, love affair. With its evocatively fog-enshrouded setting, Rachmaninoff’s swooning 2nd Piano Concerto and two remarkable central performances, David Lean’s Brief Encounter deftly explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance.

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THE PEOPLE'S JOKER

Trans Image/Trans Experience Film Festival and Light House presents a Valentine's preview of Vera Drew's THE PEOPLE'S JOKER with a recorded introduction from filmmaker Vera Drew. An aspiring clown grappling with her gender identity combats a fascistic caped crusader.

LIGHT HOUSE ONLY

QUEER

Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novel of the same name starring Daniel Craig as William Lee an American expat in Mexico City who falls in love with a young man named Eugene Allerton, played by Drew Starkey.

PÁLÁS ONLY

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

A heartbroken young man (Jim Carrey) discovers his ex-girlfriend has had her memories of their relationship erased, and he reluctantly undergoes the same procedure in this fantastical yet emotionally grounded romantic comedy-drama.

PÁLÁS ONLY

Awards season is underway, and with the Oscar nominations announced we're bringing back our top picks from this year's nominees ahead of the ceremony on March 2nd.

Light House line-up

THE BRUTALIST

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

A REAL PAIN

DUNE: PART TWO

NOSFERATU (35MM + DIGITAL)

MARIA

ANORA

CONCLAVE

THE SUBSTANCE

SING SING

NICKEL BOYS

I'M STILL HERE

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

WICKED

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

BOOK HERE

Pálás line-up

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

CONCLAVE

DUNE: PART TWO

A REAL PAIN

THE BRUTALIST

NOSFERATU

NICKEL BOYS

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

ANORA

I'M STILL HERE

EMILIA PEREZ

NICKEL BOYS WICKED

BOOK HERE

As February approaches, it can only mean one thing for Dublin film lovers - it's almost time for DIFF!

From world premieres to intimate screenings, exclusive Q&As to parties and celebrations, DIFF offers a unique journey into the world of film, all set against the backdrop of buzz of the Irish capital. On Tuesday, January 28 the DIFF team took to Screen 1 in Light House to launch this year's festival programme which features a wide range of Irish and International films (including the highly-sought-after surprise film). We're thrilled to be hosting many of the screenings at Light House from the opening gala, Uberto Pasolini's THE RETURN which will see Oscar Nominee Ralph Fiennes pay us a visit, to the closing gala, Darren Thornton's FOUR MOTHERS, and many, many more inbetween when the festival runs from February 20 - March 2.

You can check out the full line-up and book your tickets on Dublin International Film Festival's website - diff.ie

You can watch the brilliant trailer for this year's festival HERE

Directed and co-written by first-time filmmaker Christopher Andrews and featuring standout performances from Oscar-nominee Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin), Christopher Abbott (Possessor, Sanctuary) and Nora-Jane Noone (Wildfire, Brooklyn), Bring Them Down is a fierce, muscular debut that signals a bold new cinematic voice.

Michael (Abbott), the last son of a farming family, lives an isolated existence with his ailing, cantankerous father Ray. Burdened by a terrible secret from his past, Michael has isolated himself from the world and dedicates himself to his prized flock. When the ongoing conflict with rival farmer Gary and his wayward and unpredictable son Jack (Keoghan) stirs old tensions and grievances, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

We are delighted to be joined by star of the film Nora-Jane Noone for a Q&A following a screening of the film on Thursday, February 6.

Tickets are on sale now. Pre-booking is advised:

BOOK NOW

David Lynch - a filmmaker, a painter, a musician - an artist in the truest sense of the word. The visionary work of David Lynch has inspired so many, far beyond the reaches of cinema and television. The very existence of the term 'Lynchian' is proof that he was able to capture the elusive, subconscious sense that there was something dark, strange and unspoken lurking beneath the mundanity of our lives in a way that nobody had before. Although the darkness is usually front and centre, his films are often humorous and ultimately hopeful. 

Lynch was a great believer in the joys of creativity. And so, we will be celebrating the life of this great, singular creative with a retrospective at Light House.

Light House

ERASERHEAD (from February 8)

BLUE VELVET (from February 15)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE (from March 8)

THE ELEPHANT MAN (from March 9)

TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (from March 15)

LYNCH/OZ (from March 16)

DUNE (from March 16)

THE SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH (from March 18)

LOST HIGHWAY (from March 22)

INLAND EMPIRE (from March 23)

WILD AT HEART (from March 29)

THE STRAIGHT STORY 35MM (From March 30)

Due to overwhelming demand, an additional Director Q&A will take place at Light House on Saturday, February 8. Tickets are available now and pre-booking is strongly advised: BOOK NOW

On January 31 at Pálás, there will be a screening  followed by a Q+A with director Sinead O'Shea, and moderated by filmmaker and Chair of ATU Film & Documentary, Jill Beardsworth. BOOK NOW

On February 2, as part of Brigit: Dublin City Celebrating Women, Director Sinead O'Shea will be in attendance at a Q&A following a screening of Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story at Light House. 

Regular programme screenings open from January 31, tickets are on sale now in both venues.

Regular Programme Light House

Regular Programme Pálás

Grace Pudel is a book-loving, snail-collecting misfit that falls into a series of misfortunes after being separated from her twin brother Gilbert. Despite her hardships, inspiration and hope arise when Grace begins a friendship with an eccentric elderly woman named Pinky.

From Academy Award-winning writer and director Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is a heartfelt and hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life starring Sarah Snook, Eric Bana, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Elliot will be in attendance at a Q&A following a screening of the film at Light House on Tuesday, January 14. 

Tickets for regular programme screening can be found HERE.

Light House and Pálás will be closing over the festive season for some much needed rest. Here's a look at our opening hours between Christmas and New Year's.

December 23

The cinemas will both be open as normal with a day full of festive films!

Light House - Book Here

Pálás - Book Here

December 24, 25, & 26

Light House and Pálás close for Christmas.

December 27

Both cinemas re-open with 4 new films and our Best of 2024.

SPIRITED AWAY

LIGHT HOUSE

Subbed - Book Here

Dubbed - Book Here

PÁLÁS

Subbed - Book Here

Dubbed - Book Here

BETTER MAN

LIGHT HOUSE - Book Here

PÁLÁS - Book Here

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG

LIGHT HOUSE - Book Here

PÁLÁS - Book Here

THE BEST OF 2024

LIGHT HOUSE - Book Here

PÁLÁS - Book Here

WICKED SING-ALONGS

LIGHT HOUSE - Book Here

PÁLÁS - Book Here

New Year's Eve

Both cinemas will close early on NYE following a screening of Rob Reiner's WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.

LIGHT HOUSE - Book Here

PÁLÁS - Book Here

January 1

Light House and Pálás will open in the afternoon, ready for another great year of films.

Until then, we wish you a very merry Christmas from all of us at Light House and Pálás.

It is with deep regret that after seven years of trading, Pálás will be closing its doors at the end of February 2025.

To many, Pálás is more than just a cinema and we have loved being a part of the community. We are so proud of our incredible team, the partnerships we have forged and the loyal audience we have fostered for Irish, arthouse and independent films in Galway.

We have worked hard to avoid this outcome but the stark reality is rising costs and the oversaturation of the Galway cinema market have made continued trading unviable, and we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the business.

We intend to provide the best possible filmgoing experience until we close our doors and we look forward to welcoming audiences until then.

We are forever grateful for all of the love and support you have shown us over the last seven years.

Go raibh maith agaibh as bhur dtacaíocht leanúnach ar feadh na mblianta.

With another year of excellent cinema coming to a close, we are bringing some of our favourite films of 2024 back to the big screen. From Belfast to Arrakis, our picks take us across the known Universe as well as the cinematic landscape - from the biggest of blockbusters to local, low key indies. It's always hard to pick favourites but here are a few that we just had to revisit.

You can check out the full line-ups for both Light House and Pálás below. Pre-booking is advised across all screenings. 

Light House

Perfect Days

All Of Us Strangers

Anora

The Substance

Challengers

Poor Things 35mm

The Zone of Interest

La Chimera

Dune: Part Two

Kneecap

Small Things Like These

BOOK HERE

Pálás

Small Things Like These

Gladiator II

Dune: Part Two

Perfect Days

All Of Us Strangers

The Substance

Kneecap

Poor Things

Challengers

That They May Face The Rising Sun

The Zone Of Interest

BOOK HERE