Now that the programme of Audi Dublin International Film Festival has been officially launched, there's a wealth of films due to be screened from February 21st until March 4th.
As always, we've run through the programme and picked out eighteen films and events you should definitely check out. You can pick up tickets for all of these and get more information at adiff.ie and at ADIFF's box office.
In no particular order...
1. Black 47 - Cineworld, Wednesday February 21st, 9PM
The period-thriller-action-but-it's-sort-of-like-a-Western from Lance Daly opens ADIFF '18, and looks like it's going to be something really special. In attendance will be filmmaker Lance Daly and it's sure to be one of the highlights of the festival.
2. Isle Of Dogs - Cineworld, Wednesday February 28th, 6.30PM
Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated tale of dogs, the future, and a lost boy is already generating plenty of buzz and has a cast that includes Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bryan Cranston and Oscar-nominated director Greta Gerwig.
3. My Friend Dahmer - Cineworld, Sunday March 4th, 4.10PM
If you've enjoyed Netflix's Manhunter, you're in for a treat with My Friend Dahmer. Based on the graphic novel written by Derf Backderf about his own experiences with Jeffrey Dahmer as a teenager, this is a twisted, unusual drama.
4. The Breadwinner - Cineworld, Thursday February 22nd, 8PM
The Oscar-nominated tale of a young girl in Afghanistan who impersonates a boy in order to work to support her family has its Gala Premiere, with director Nora Twomey on hand to introduce the film.
5. You Were Never Really Here - Lighthouse, Monday February 26th, 8.30PM
Lynne Ramsay's follow-up to We Need To Talk About Kevin sees Jaoquin Phoenix play a brutal contract killer who stumbles onto a conspiracy when he tries to save a young girl from prostitution. With shades of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive, this is going to be something that'll stay with you for days. Director Lynne Ramsay will also be in attendance.
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6. Red Sparrow - Cineworld, Wednesday February 28th, 8.30PM
Jennifer Lawrence reteams with director Francis Lawrence for a slick, stylish politi-thriller about a Russian ballerina dancer who's trained to become a spy and seduce an American CIA agent. Not for the faint of heart by the sounds of it.
7. Journeyman - Lighthouse, Saturday March 3rd, 6.30PM
Paddy Considine's second directorial effort sees him play a middleweight champion boxer who suffers a horrific brain injury following his final bout, and soon learns that the toughest battle is still ahead. Paddy Considine will also be in attendance.
8. Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House - Cineworld, Thursday February 22nd, 8.45PM
Although you may know Liam Neeson from fighting terrorists or battling commuter traffic, Mark Felt is a departure from the actor's recent fare and sees him play the enigmatic Deep Throat, the insider source who helped to topple Richard Nixon's presidency with the help of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
9. First Reformed - Cineworld, Thursday February 22nd, 6.00PM
As well as taking part in a public Q&A and receiving the Volta Award, Paul Schrader's latest film will also receive its Irish premiere with the acclaimed director in attendance. Starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried, it tells the story of a former military chaplain who's tortured by the death of his son whom he pressured into enlisting in the army.
10. The Cured - Lighthouse, Sunday February 25th, 8.15PM
David Freyne's writing and directorial debut sees a world where zombies, now cured of their disease, attempt to reintegrate into society - but find themselves discriminated against by society and even their own families. Starring Irish actors Tom Vaughn-Lawlor, Sam Keeley and Independent Spirit Award winning actress Ellen Page, this is a fresh take on the zombie genre.
11. Thoroughbreds - Cineworld, Wednesday February 28th, 8.45PM
In what will now be Anton Yelchin's final film appearance, Thoroughbreds plays as a twisted modern thriller and sees two upper-class teenagers (Vanity Fair's Olivia Cooke and Split's Anna Taylor-Joy) hatch a devious plan to solve both their problems.
12. An American In Paris - IFI, Friday March 2nd, 1.30PM
The classic Gershwin musical from 1951 is being screened as part of ADIFF's Out Of The Past schedule. Gene Kelly plays a World War II veteran who's in Paris to make his name as an artist and features some of the most memorable dance routines in film history.
13. My Neighbour Totoro - Lighthouse, Thursday February 22nd, 11AM
Selected as part of Fantastic Flix by Oscar-nominated animator Nora Twomey, My Neighbour Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli's most seminal and influential works. First released in 1988, the anime has gone on to become a worldwide smash hit and inspired hundreds of films since then. If you've never seen it in a cinema, now's your chance.
14. Kissing Candice - Lighthouse, Friday March 2nd, 8.45PM
Aoife McArdle's feature-length directorial debut sees Red Rock alum Ann Skelly play a troubled young woman who's trapped in a sleepy seaside town and soon develops an unhealthy obsession with a troubled stranger.
15. The Ballad Of Lefty Brown - Cineworld, Saturday February 24th, 8PM
This slow-burn Western sees Bill Pullman - who'll also be in Dublin for the festival - as a brow-beaten lawman who's falsely accused of the murder of his partner, and has to evade authorities while trying to prove his innocence.
16. Performance - Lighthouse, Friday February 23rd, 4PM
The stories surrounding Performance are just as outrageous as the film itself - Anita Pallenberg actually shot up heroin on screen, some of the background criminals were actual East London criminals, some of the sex scenes were so extreme that the processing lab refused to work with them and cited obscenity laws. Whether the stories are true, the fact remains that 38 years later, people are still talking about it. Paul Schrader introduces the film.
17. Sea Sorrow - Cineworld, Saturday March 3rd, 4PM
Vanessa Redgrave's documentary interviews aid workers, politicians and victims of the global refugee crisis and attempts to understand how it's happening, why it's happening and what can be done to help. As well as introducing the film in person, Vanessa Redgrave will also be on hand to receive the prestigious Volta Award for her achievement in cinema.
18. Wonderstruck - Cineworld, Thursday March 1st, 6.10PM
Based on Brian Selznick's novel and with director Todd Haynes in attendance, Wonderstruck is the imaginative story of two children - one in 1927, the other in 1977 - whose life story and experiences interweaves and plays off against one another. Todd Haynes' stunning visuals play off the unusual story structure to great something truly unique.
