‘Picture House is … hands down … one of the brightest things about this festival. I’ve seen it make the people we bring it to laugh, cry and remember. It engages them in a get together otherwise beyond their reach. I am complimented to be a close part of something that is so vital to a marginalised segment of our society.’
Brenda Fricker, Patron of Picture House
The Dublin International Film Festival is a festival for the whole city and everyone in it. From the beginning we’ve strived to reach as many communities as possible, offering a diverse range of films in a variety of venues across town, but we’ve long been aware that not everyone has access to a cinema. That’s why in 2012 we launched Picture House, the Festival’s dedicated outreach programme, to bring the magic of the big screen experience to those who would otherwise be unable to enjoy it.
With the support of our Picture House patron, Academy Award-winner Brenda Fricker, we’ve screened a range of much-loved classics, from Singin’ in the Rain to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, in care homes, day care centres and health care settings, sometimes with live musical accompaniment. In recent years, working with Merchant’s Quay and the Probation Office, we’ve expanded the programme to include addiction centres and people in direct provision, striving to reach as many communities as possible.
Picture House is funded by the generous support of our donors and partners.