Entertainment

Special event: Newcastle movie screenings

Anjelica Huston in The Witches, which will be screened at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle on Sunday
Anjelica Huston in The Witches, which will be screened at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle on Sunday

THE Strand Arts Centre in east Belfast is heading to the seaside this weekend for special movie presentations in Newcastle Co Down in association with Newcastle Community Cinema and NI Screen’s Digital Film Archive.

The ballroom at The Slieve Donard Hotel will make an ideal backdrop for a screening of The Witches this Sunday July 30, the big screen adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic starring Anjelica Huston, with kids encouraged to dress up as a witch – or a mouse.

To further sweeten the deal, this event will kick off with a mask-making workshop run by Down Community Arts followed by a chocolate mice hunt in the hotel.

On Sunday evening, the Daniel Craig and Toni Colette comedy Hotel Splendide will be screened at The Slieve Donard, where the film was actually shot.

Audience members are invited to sport vintage outfits and enjoy a special themed cocktail while watching this dark comedy, which will be preceded by archive footage of Gloria Hunniford performing in the ballroom.

On Sunday August 13, kids can swim in the heated outdoor pool at Tropicana followed by an indoor screening of Song of The Sea, while next month will see the Oscar-nominated animated feature The Secret of Kells screened during the Kilkeel Prawn Festival, preceded by archive footage of Vikings landing in Kilkeel Harbour.

:: Full event information at Strandartscentre.com, book tickets via Newcastlecinema.org and browse over 100 years of archive footage at Digitalfilmarchive.net. All screenings are part of the ongoing BFI Britain on Film: Coast and Sea programme.