Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108connect 2017 • 20 Irish Film Institute The IFI Irish Film Archive (part of the Irish Film Institute) collects, preserves and shares Ireland’s national moving image collection, a diverse resource that chronicles over one hun- dred years of Irish achievement and experience. The Archive collection spans 1897 to the pres- ent day, and the cameras of filmmakers have captured the development of modern Ireland in a uniquely accessible manner. The most impor- tant social, political and historical events of the last century are represented, enabling audiences to explore the Irish cultural identity and connect with the past. On any given day, the airy space that houses the Irish Film Institute is abuzz. Film-goers come in to catch a feature film or do research, the café is full of conversation and through- out the building archivists and technicians are meticulously restoring and preserving Ireland’s cinematic history and treasures. The Institute is truly a treasure to the public, but until now was not able to extend its offering beyond the brick and mortar of its Temple Bar location. The Irish Film Institute Player–New access to a living archive Most recently, The Ireland Funds provided a grant to help create the IFI Player. With a single click, visitors to The Irish Film Institute’s web- site www.ifiplayer.ie can now enjoy a virtual viewing room of their remarkable collections, giving audiences across the globe instant access to this rich heritage. The material on the IFI Player has been selected to give audiences a taste of the breadth and depth of the collections preserved by the Archive. Home movies, newsreels, travelogues, animations, feature films, public information films and documen- taries have been included as they have tried to reflect all aspects of indigenous amateur and professional production. This project is the result of an extensive Digi- tal Preservation and Access Strategy developed by the IFI. When the IFI Archive chooses titles for inclusion on the IFI Player there are a num- ber of technical and practical considerations. In addition to aiming to include a broad cross sec- tion of the material they preserve, they also have to clear each film with the relevant copyright holder and take into account any conservation issues. The material in IFI’s collections goes through a long process of management, preser- vation and digitization before they are able to share it with the public. The final clip of film that audiences can access on the Player, is the result of months and even years of work by Archive staff. The IFI Player is a significant step for the IFI, as it truly democratizes access to their collections. “The IFI relationship with The Ireland Funds goes back many years,” says Ross Keane, Direc- tor of the Irish Film Institute. “We’ve been very grateful for the grant given to support the IFI Player, something that we’ve been working on for a long time. We have this vast and wonder- ful collection of material dating from 1897 to the current day. Feature films, documentaries, news- reel, amateur collections, so much material that we have showing Ireland’s social, cultural and Once Upon a Tram: 1960A nostalgic trip along the beautiful Dublin coast, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city while enjoying the clatter and clang of the old Howth tram. This gentle film, directed by John Sarsfield and James Maguire and narrated by Cyril Cusack, records one of the last journeys of the Howth Tram, as it passes through the village, past the golf club and along the coast – a most elegant form of transport from a bygone era. “What we’ve developed with help from The Ireland Funds is one of the most exciting things I think that has come out of the IFI in many years,” reflects Ross. “It’s one of those truly groundbreaking steps in making this historic moving image archive accessible to the world.” a living Archive