Athy Film Club launches new season

ATHY Film Club has landed quite the coup for next month’s showing by securing a Q&A session with the art director of this year’s iconic Irish movie Kneecap – none other than Athy’s own, Frank Taaffe Jnr.

“Athy is a well of talent!” said Claudia Reeves from the Film Club. “It’s like every time you talk about it, someone new comes out.” Ms Reeve revealed this in the aftermath of the launch of the 2024-25 Film Club season, which was held recently in the Athy Community College with the showing of Io Capitano, a Senegalese/French/Italian co-production. The club is well capable of extending its audience catchment, and for Culture Night ran the animated Kensuki’s Kingdom.

“We wanted to reach out to families, and this was a good way to reach a younger generation,” said Ms Reeve. “The film season will be 10 months long, from September to June, and people can join the club as members or pay at the door,” she said. Membership costs €50, while door admission is €10 per night.

Asked how long the Athy Film Club has been going, Ms Reeve said: “At least ten years, because we were on a long time before Covid. The College has been very good to us, and they have a lovely auditorium upstairs where we meet.

“We’re really just a group of people who love cinema, and there’s none in Athy,” she added.