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Shooting for Socrates
We may not be Brazil, but with its see-through 'period setting' and wafer-thin plot James Erskine's chronicle of Northern Ireland's 1986 World Cup fails to even suspend disbelief
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Matthew Whiteside - Dichroic Light
Melding chamber aesthetics with electronic minimalism, the Lisburn-born composer's debut strikes a rewarding balance of abstract subtlety and melodic power
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Timbuktu
As far removed from the mainstream as its setting, Abderrahmane Sissako’s unflinching picture is rich in its portrayal of totalitarian rule in Africa but not without its glimmers of hope
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David Sedaris
The celebrated American humorist delivers an evening of interlacing tales and outrageous material disguised in a performance akin to catching up with an old friend
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Ash - Kablammo!
By no means a perfect comeback, but there is much to admire about Downpatrick's most famous sons' 'back to basics' first album in almost a decade
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I Am Here
David Holmes' directorial debut is a personal, poetic film born of bereavement following the death of his brother – watch the full film now
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Donal Scullion
Though sonically on point, the folk singer's debut album is a game of two halves with middling lyricism revealing little of the artist himself
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Girlhood
The third instalment of Céline Sciamma's coming-of-age trilogy is a poised and fascinating picture drawing towering performances from its street-cast actresses
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I Will Go There, Take Me Home
Curated by Derry's Gregory McCartney, The MAC’s latest group exhibition challenges visitors to consider the dangers of ignoring new political, social and economic realities
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Lanciatore
Paul Kennedy's wonderfully realised morality tale reveals the plight of the 21st century artist and warns of a brain drain as artistic opportunities dry up in Northern Ireland
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Rosewater
Satirist Jon Stewart's directorial debut tells the remarkable story of one journalist's interrogation at the hands of the Iranian government after appearing on The Daily Show
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My English Tongue, My Irish Heart
Martin Lynch tells a contemporary cross-border love story set against the backdrop of departure and based on the book The Literature of the Irish in Britain
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Look Out Machines!
Duke Special goes electro on captivating new studio album, his most personal to date, propelled by synths and marked by a romantic, optimistic lyricism
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The Survivalist
Stephen Fingleton’s tense, hypnotic and masterful debut, shot in and around Ballymoney, is a mesmerising dystopian tale
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Lally the Scut
Abbie Spallen creates a local Hell for local people in this powerful, hilarious, gruelling satire on post-conflict Northern Ireland currently running in The MAC
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Cobain: Montage of Heck
Brett Morgen's artful documentary uses home movie footage and Kurt Cobain's extensive journals to reveal the man behind the music
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The Good Son
Belfast author Paul McVeigh’s debut novel may be set during the Troubles but is a charming coming-of-age story with a refreshingly complex young narrator at its heart
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Disquiet
Therapy? release 'a sequel of sorts' to 1994's seminal Troublegum, a fearsome album that deals with addiction, ageing and expectation with typical vigour
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One Sandwich Short of a Genius
Pending nuptials provide the perfect backdrop for Big Telly's chaotic farce featuring a cast of fine comic actors and an hilarious script by Zoë Seaton and Shelley Atkinson
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Robot Overlords
Carrickfergus and Donaghadee provide the backdrop for this bland sci-fi that could yet find an audience as an inadvertent cult comedy
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The Pillowman
Martin McDonagh pits the lowly writer against a totalitarian system suspicious of creativity in his finest play to date, currently running in the Lyric Theatre in Belfast
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The Belonging Project
Photographer Laurence Gibson's staged portraits of migrants living in Northern Ireland are full of humanity but frustratingly inaccessible to anyone without a smartphone
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Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival
Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, featuring trumpeter Linley Hamilton, get into the swing of things at the Crescent Arts Centre – find out what else is happening over the coming days
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Cinderella
Director Kenneth Branagh's straight adaptation of the familiar fairy tale is a witty visual spectacle that will charm well beyond the stroke of midnight
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Arrivals2
Months of workshops and interviews with ethnic minorities inform five short plays revealing how intercultural Northern Ireland is changing for the better and the worse
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Duets: Re-working the Catalogue
Van Morrison celebrates his 70th birthday with a committed, joyous collection of vocal collaborations featuring Michael Buble, Bobby Womack and a whole lot of soul
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Alternate State / Alternative States
Poets Colin Dardis and Geraldine O'Kane interpret the work of artist Brian Kielt in an exciting and refreshingly challenging exhibition at the Duncairn Centre
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Run All Night
Liam Neeson's latest action flick is an unexpectedly engaging take on the Irish-American mafia narrative in which he cements his position as this generation's Charles Bronson
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The Gift
Cahoots NI work with visually impaired children to create a tantalising sensory journey with the help of playwright Charles Way and composer Garth McConaghie
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Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival
Trevor Hodgett attends three gigs at the Empire and Holiday Inn as Cara Dillon, Foy Vance, Ken Haddock and others share stages with America's finest
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Still Alice
When her mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Parkinson's disease, our critic's life was turned upside down – she reviews the low-budget, Oscar-winning film that reflects her real world experience
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It Follows
Fright fans, remember the name – David Robert Mitchell channels his inner John Carpenter in a gripping feature stalked by an unseen, unknown spectre
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The Killer Instinct
Featuring former members of legendary rock group Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders produce a hard rock album that is derivative but essential listening for any fan of the genre
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Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Group show in Derry's Centre for Contemporary Art, named after the 1994 Pavement album, features a range of works inspired by nature and marked by lush weirdness
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The Imp
Having trained in Paris, physical performer Jude Quinn applies a European sensibility to his latest work confronting the events of January 7, 2015 and the Charlie Hebdo massacre
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Voicebox
New comedy club in Belfast's Loft – artist's studio by day, platform for new comedy talent by night – is much more than a cheap and cheerful night out
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Quartet for Fifteen Chairs
The kids love Maiden Voyage Dance's Chaplin-esque piece, marked by slapstick humour, enchanting choreography and a joyous score by Brian Irvine
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Zombie Science
Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse? Zombiologist Dr Ken Howe joins forces with the NI Science Festival to equip Northern Ireland for the inevitable
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Belfast Music Society Festival
Philip Hammond takes in two concerts at the Great Hall at Queen's University, featuring new work by Derry composer Kevin O'Connell and a performance by Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov
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Oils
Stephen Sexton is inspired by classic works of art in a captivating poetry collection that leaves the reader to 'create their own metaphorical trail of breadcrumbs'
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Stitched Up
When an NHS surgeon leaves a pair of scissors inside a patient, his moral compass spins out of control in Rosemary Jenkinson's excellent play at the Lyric Theatre
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John Gledhill and Samuel Irwin
Painter and poet collaborate on multimedia exhibition at Strule Arts Centre revealing a shared concern for natural history and conservation and fascination with City life
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A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing
Annie Ryan's harrowing, enlightening and deeply satisfying adaptation of Eimear McBride's Joycean novel is a must-see at The MAC in Belfast
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Birdman
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's satire on life for the 21st century artist is a complex, concentrated work that just might earn Michael Keaton a first Academy Award for Best Actor
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Selma
Northern Ireland's own Bloody Sunday is foreshadowed in Ava DuVernay’s civil rights drama featuring an Oscar-worthy central performance by British actor David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr
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Death of a Comedian
Owen McCafferty's Faustian play comments on the commercial corruption of art by focussing on one man's journey from gags to riches
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God of Carnage
Prime Cut Productions' adaptation of the Yasmina Reza play is a breath of fresh air at The MAC in Belfast
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Soak and Duke Special at McGrory's
Young starlet from Derry supports established artist from Belfast as guitar meets piano in a battle of the solo performers
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The Fureys
Celtic roots music aristocracy attract tourists from across Europe to Belfast's Waterfront Hall for a rousing evening of laments and reels
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Night Music
Moving on Music and the Belfast Music Society prove there is a demand for unfamiliar, challenging classical music in Northern Ireland
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Inherent Vice
Queen's Film Theatre screen Paul Thomas Anderson's trippy noir starring Joaquin Phoenix
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A Most Violent Year
Passed up in every major category at the Academy Awards, JC Chandor's period drama is a powerful, complex picture
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Goons
The remnants of Fighting With Fire and LaFaro incorporate synths in new supergroup but ultimately stay true to their alt-rock roots
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Miniatures and Modulations
Philip Hammond's reimagining of ancient Irish songs originally transcribed by Edward Bunting are wonderfully entertaining
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Myths, Memories and Mentiras
Lisa Gingles uses collage and pencil to explore issues of beauty with a fantastical exhibition at the Waterfront Hall
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Whiplash
JK Simmons is the drum tutor from Hell in Damien Chazelle's scorching jazz opus
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Metropolis
Dmytro Morykit performs an empathetic modern score to Fritz Lang's classic silent movie in the Waterside Theatre
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The Art of Superstition
A range of Illustrators approach the brief with Python-esque wit, skill and vision at Ards Art Centre
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Coppélia
Russian State Ballet of Siberia perform Léo Delibes's fantastical, folksy story during a tiring run at the Grand Opera House
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Martina Devlin
Out To Lunch festival goers come out in force to hear the story of Ireland's final conviction for witchcraft
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