Film fest gets a drive-in cinema

A temporary drive-in cinema will be built in Cork this weekend as part of the city’s fourth Underground Short Film Festival.

Festival director Darren O’Mahony said the drive-in screen will be transported from Dublin for the festival’s outdoor screenings, which begin on Thursday.

“We’ve always wanted an outdoor screen and, thanks to our association with Underground Cinema Dublin, I’m delighted to say that we’ll be showing classic movies like Jaws, Ghostbusters, Alien, and Dirty Dancing. It’s going to be fantastic and I can’t wait to see it,” Mr O’Mahony said.

The drive-in screenings begin at 9.30pm Thursday with Dirty Dancing, followed by Ridley Scott’s Alien. A local short film will screen alongside each feature.

Ghostbusters and Jaws will be screened on Friday night.

Up to 120 cars will be able to drive on to the Munster Agriculture Society’s showgrounds site in Curraheen for film fans to enjoy the outdoor screenings on a 35ft screen.

The festival, which runs at venues in and around the city including the Kino, Camden Palace, and the Clarion Hotel, will feature almost 100 short films by filmmakers from 16 countries.

Festival sponsor Rising Sons Brewery is offering a free pint of beer to each film-goer who presents their ticket stubs, with a share of the profits going to ISPCC.

The festival was launched in 2010 with just four screenings.

Tickets can be bought on www.undergroundshortfilmfestival.com.