Hinds helps QFT celebrate 40 years

Ciaran Hinds is appearing at the Queen's Film Theatre

Belfast actor Ciaran Hinds is returning to his native city to help launch a week of special events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT).

The celebrations begin on Friday with a special screening of the new Coen brothers film Burn after Reading, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Hinds, who has just finishing working on a film in Cork, is to visit the theatre on Saturday.

"I was due to go back to the family, but I'll put them on hold for a bit just because it's Belfast and it's home and it's the 40th anniversary," he told the Irish News.

"It's extraordinary that, through thick and thin and all that's gone on, this cinema has held its head high and offered people the opportunity to see extraordinary films from other cultures that you would not normally get to see."

The QFT, which is Northern Ireland's only art house cinema, first opened in a lecture theatre at Queen's University in 1968.

Theatre manager Susan Picken said that as well as screening some film classics, they would also use the event as an opportunity to look back at past Northern Ireland cinema hits.

"We have pulled out all the stops to come up with a truly exceptional programme for QFT's 40th anniversary," she said.

"Our aim is to celebrate 40 years of the best of cinema in Northern Ireland and the best of Northern Ireland in cinema, with a diverse range of film favourites past, present and future."