Jamie Monagan is chair of the committee that runs Cork Cine Club, which returns with its 29th season tomorrow night. The nonprofit, volunteer-run organisation continues with its mission of bringing the best of independent world cinema to Cork audiences.
The new season of ten films runs from 22 January to 16 April at Cork College of FET, Douglas Street Campus, known locally as St John’s College, with films from Ireland, India, France, Belgium, the UK, Occupied Palestine, the US and Iran.
Jamie, who is originally from New Jersey, has lived in Cork for 25 years. “I came with my husband and three children for what was supposed to be a one-year adventure,” she laughs. “We stayed for three years, and then went back for a year thinking, ‘Okay, we’re Americans. It’s time to go home and be sensible’.”
What transpired was that Jamie and her family realised that they had left their hearts in Cork so they came back for good and have made their lives here. Jamie has various strands of work, and her voluntary role with Cork Cine Club includes handling the marketing, website, newsletter and social media. “I love it and it’s fun,” she says. “I get a lot of pleasure out of it. It involves a great group of people, both the people who are on the committee and the people who come to our films, and it’s a real community – one we’re always very happy to expand. We love to see new faces and we love to see international people living in Cork coming to see our films, which come from all over the world.”
The season opens tomorrow night (January 22) with the Irish comedy-drama, Horseshoe, and as an added bonus, the film’s director, Adam O’Keeffe, will attend to introduce the film and take questions from the audience. Set in the West of Ireland, the story centres around four estranged siblings who return to their childhood home after their father’s death. It was never going to be easy to settle his estate, but when his ghost appears things just get harder – and funnier.
Other notable films are Young Mothers the latest from acclaimed Belgian directors, the Dardenne Brothers, and in a departure from Cork Cine Club’s usual contemporary film offerings, The Heart in Winter, the 1994 French masterpiece.
On the lighter side, the new season includes the joyful gem, Holy Cow, about a French teenager who aims to make award-winning cheese and win a €30,000 prize. Palestine 36 is the epic chronicle of the 1936 revolt by Palestinian Arabs against British colonial rule, and the season will conclude with Iranian director Jafir Panahi’s latest, It Was Just An Accident, which won the top prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Jamie says that one of the nice things about Cork Cine Club is that attendees very often stand around in the foyer after the film to have chats, in a way that they don’t do if you go to an average multiplex. “Everybody who comes has an interest in film, and not just the big Marvel comic book adventures,” she says. “Our films tend to be more serious and thoughtful, although we always get some comedy in there as well because we like to have a good mix in that regard. The people who come to our films are kind of adventurous in their tastes, and are willing to take risks in what they come out to see on a Thursday night.”
Cork Cine Club has two seasons every year, each with 10 films, and the films are provided through a Dublin-based Arts Council-funded organisation called Access Cinema. The venue can hold 9o people and Jamie is delighted that they are able to keep ticket prices to €8.50/€7 [concession].
“We’ve never raised our prices and we also absorb the booking fee,” she says, “and it’s because we’re volunteer-run. We’re not profit-driven, and as long as we can break even, we’re going to leave our ticket prices as they are so they’re extremely accessible.”
There is a real social aspect to Cork Cine Club and everyone is invited to come along half an hour before the first and last film of every season for a glass of wine/ sparkling water and chats for half an hour. “We’re always really happy to welcome new faces,” says Jamie. “It’s really nice to be involved in something that you can take pride in, and getting to show some really good films that are not going to be found in your local cinema to film-goers here in Cork.
For full details and to book online, see www.corkcineclub.com. Tickets are available online from Powertik or by cash or card at the door.
COMPLETE LISTING FOR CORK CINE CLUB’S SEASON 29
Thursday 22 January
Horseshow [Ireland]
Thursday 29 January
Santosh [India]
Thursday 5 February
Holy Cow [France]
Thursday 12 February
Urchin [UK]
Thursday 26 February
Classic Film Choice:
A Heart In Winter [France]
Thursday 5 March
Palestine 36 [Occupied Palestine]
Thursday 12 March
Young Mothers [Belgium]
Thursday 19 March
Nouvelle Vague [USA/France]
Thursday 26 March
Souleymane’s Story [France]
Thursday 16 April
It Was Just An Accident [Iran]
