Every year the Irish Film Institute explores a diverse range of science fiction in its Dark Skies programme. In June 2019, Dark Skies returns to the IFI, and this year the festival will explore how the sci-fi genre has responded to our world’s ambiguous relationship to the machines we have created with the theme “Man Vs Machine”.
Taking place from June 8 – 30, Dark Skies’ focus this year is on the potential costs of the rapid development and integration of automation, information and biotechnologies which seem to offer seemingly limitless opportunities in our private and public lives as explored through a combination of thoughtful, thrilling, horrific and blood-pumping science fiction cinema.
Highlights include the 1973 movie adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Westworld, the infamous satire The Stepford Wives being shown in 70mm, Star Trek fan-favourite First Contact and more. The headlining films of the season will be James Cameron’s action showstopper Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which will also be screening on 70mm on Saturday 15th June, as well as the The Wachowskis’ anniversary-celebrating masterpiece The Matrix, which will be shown in a new 4K restoration on Saturday 29th June.
Check out the full schedule for Dark Skies 2019 below:
Westworld – Saturday 8th, 3.30pm
The Stepford Wives – Sunday 9th, 3.30
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (70mm) – Saturday 15th, 8.20pm
Demon Seed – Sunday 16th, 6.20pm
Hi, A.I. – Thursday 20th, 6.30pm
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer – Saturday 22nd, 6.30pm
Star Trek: First Contact – Sunday 23rd, 3.30
The Matrix – Saturday 29th 8.20pm
A.I. Artificial Intelligence – Sunday 30th 3.00pm
Tickets for Dark Skies: Man vs Machine are now on sale from the IFI here and from the IFI Box Office. A multi-pass ticket for four films, excluding Terminator 2: Judgment Day 70mm, is available for €37 directly from the IFI Box Office. Tickets for the 70mm screenings cost €14.50. The screening of The Matrix is presented in association with Dublin 2019: An Irish WorldCon.