After giving you - and myself - a short breather from part one, I’m back with the continuation of my guide for the Belfast Film Festival - and possibly the longest blog entry I’ve ever written.

Tuesday 15th April

Summer Scars (festival) (book online) (trailer)
QFT, 7pm, £5.50

Forests scare the absolute crap out of me. Leave me in a forest overnight (note to possible enemies: please don’t) and I’ll probably have suffered several fear-enduced heart attacks by the time you come back the next morning. “A dark coming-of-age drama about six fourteen year old kids bunking off school to play in the woods. They are befriended by a drifter, whose behavior becomes increasingly suspect”. Come along to hear me shriek like a schoolgirl.

Rear Window (festival) (book online) (trailer)
The Strand, 8pm, £4.50

Another film I really shouldn’t have to explain, and that you should have already seen - but I enjoyed seeing Psycho when it played in the QFT, and I’ve never actually been to the Strand before. It’s classic Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart leads, what else do you need me to say?!

Thursday 17th April

Duke Special: Songs from the Silver Screen (festival) (book online) (official site)
Waterfront Studio, 9pm, £13

There is no faulting this man whatsoever - being one of the few local artists who still pops home now and again to treat us to something special and unique. This time, the Waterfront Studio will see the ‘Duke “present a series of new songs to accompany a selection of Czech and Polish animations, early silent films and surrealist films from the 1940s”. Another interesting mish-mash of excellent, but yet another that will likely sell out pronto.

7th Belfast World Pong Championship (festival) (book online)
John Hewitt, 8pm, £3.50 play & £3 watch

For this being the 7th time this has occurred in Belfast, it will also mark the 7th anniversary of me missing it. For the minimal price of £3, you can pop in for a few pints and watch a few games of pong - or for 50p more you can take part in the tournament. A good nights craic either way (I’m told …)

Friday 18th April

Blade Runner - Final Cut (festival) (book online) (trailer)
QFT, 10.45pm, £6

I’ve never really been a massive fan of Ridley Scott to be honest - but I’ve just finished reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (which borrows quite heavily from the book), and I fell asleep watching the DVD rip I found online. The film - which sees Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) on the trail of four escaped replicants - has been recut to the directors “definitive version”, so now is as good a time as any …

Saturday 19th April

Jameson Short Film Festival I, II & III (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)
The Baby Grand, 11am + 1.30pm + 3.15pm, £4 each

The “short film festival” returns to a more familiar form later in the week, taking up an entire day in the Baby Grand. Short films beyond 15 seconds - and the excuse to see if the inside of the Baby Grand is as hideous as the outside. Lovely.

David Haughey Exhibition (festival)
Black Box Cafe, Wednesday 9th April - Wednesday 23rd April

Maybe not an initially recognizable name, but you’ll instantly recognize his illustrations. David Haughey is probably more well known for his work with The Vacuum, but also created the cover for this years festival programme. Throughout the festival a series of illustrations from the ‘Fantasy’ issues of the Vacuum will be on display in the Black Box.