The crackle of excitement as the curtains peel back and the huge screen comes to life. The murmur of the cognoscenti as the first logo fades in. Which production company is that? What’s on their slate this year? Then, with the opening credits, a sweep of recognition ripples across the Savoy.

There are whoops. There are laughs. There may be groans. That indistinct noise you hear is hundreds of know-it-alls telling their neighbours that yes, they knew it all along, it was obvious really, that this year’s Surprise Film would be... (#SpoilerAlert)

Thanks to the evils of the internet, these days you’re never more than a single stupid tweet away from having a surprise spoiled. All hail, then, the ADIFF team, who each year manage to keep the Surprise Film - a brilliant idea conceived in a less information-saturated age - under wraps with such ruthless efficiency. And to Gráinne, whose choices over the years have ranged from soon-to-be indie classics to dark war-on-terror dramas to my own favourite, Muppets Most Wanted.

Now settle back, relax, and prepare to be Surprised.

Hugh Linehan
The Irish Times