Feast of festive films at Cork's Triskel

The festive season is here, and Triskel Cinema has lined up a feast of festive films to suit all types of fans.

The programme runs from December 13 to December 22, featuring ten festive favourites.

Head of Cinema at Triskel, Chris O’Neill, says that the season has become a tradition.

“I cannot believe that 2025 will see Triskel Arts Centre hosting its 14th Christmas film season. It has become an annual tradition for us, and it’s a perfect excuse to screen a wide range of classic festive-themed movies.”

Among the ten films in the programme are two that have become synonymous with Christmas at Triskel, as O’Neill explains.

“ It’s A Wonderful Life and The Muppet Christmas Carol have been with us right from the beginning, and these have to be two of the essential Christmas films.

“It is amazing to think that It’s A Wonderful Life was considered a box office failure back in 1946 and is now, almost 80 years later, considered a classic.”

Frank Capra’s film remains the definitive Christmas classic, a black and white gem that still tugs at the heart. Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey, a good man cornered by financial despair, contemplates ending it all until he’s interrupted by Clarence (Henry Travers), an enigmatic figure who knows George’s life inside out.

When George wishes he had never been born, Clarence grants the vision, revealing a world stripped of his quiet heroism. What George discovers is both haunting and hopeful, but is it enough to pull him back from the brink?

O’Neill says 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol is more than just a family favourite.

“It has always been considered a great film and rightly so - it might be a family film, but Michael Caine really brings gravitas in his role as Ebenezer Scrooge.”

The film delivers a whimsical spin on Dickens’ timeless tale. Caine anchors the film as a wonderfully flinty Ebenezer Scrooge, while Kermit the Frog brings heart to Bob Cratchit and Miss Piggy adds spirited flair as Mrs Cratchit. The ever-grumpy Statler and Waldorf steal scenes as the ghostly Marley brothers in this festive, family-friendly classic.

There are two more steadfast Christmas classics that O’Neill is looking forward to sharing with audiences, including the much-debated Die Hard.

“Two other films that have become festive staples for us in recent years are Die Hard and Home Alone, both very different, but you can see similarities in the plots.

“ Die Hard, is it a Christmas movie, or isn’t it? I don’t think that debate will ever go away, it’s one of the great ’80s action movies, but remember folks, the film is strictly over 16s only.”

Released in 1988, it redefined the modern action movie thanks to Bruce Willis’s sharp-witted turn as off-duty NYPD detective John McClane. Arriving in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to patch things up with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), he walks into a corporate holiday party hijacked by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).

With $600 million on the line and hostages trapped, McClane becomes a one-man guerrilla force, crawling through vents, setting traps, and outsmarting Gruber’s crew in an explosively entertaining holiday thriller.

O’Neill has a fondness for Home Alone, a family favourite. “It is always on in my house around Christmas time but seeing it in a cinema with an audience is special, it’s such a great family movie.”

Released in 1990, Home Alone reshaped expectations for family films, proving that child-friendly storytelling could blend slapstick chaos with action film energy.

When the McCallisters rush off for the holidays, eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind and revels in his new-found freedom until bumbling burglars Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) target the house. Kevin’s inventive defences become the stuff of movie legend, cementing the film as a beloved 1990s classic.

O’Neill has added three new classics to his season, ensuring there is something to suit all tastes.

“This year, we’ve added a few extra movies to the mix: we’re screening the wholesome 1994 remake of Miracle On 34th Street, the black and white Alastair Sim version of Scrooge, and the technicolour song and dance marvel that is White Christmas.”

The 1994 Miracle on 34th Street lovingly refreshes the 1947 original, preserving its nostalgic magic while adding a polished warmth of its own. Richard Attenborough brings gentle authority to Kris Kringle, while young Mara Wilson delivers a standout turn as sceptical Susan. Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott round out the cast, anchoring this remake as a heartfelt modern holiday classic.

Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and released in 1951, the British adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge, remains one of the most faithful adaptations of the Dickens classic. Sim delivers a masterful turn as Scrooge, confronted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Their chilling revelations force him to reckon with his life, leading to a profound transformation.

White Christmas is a holiday classic featuring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as entertainers, Wallace and Davis. They team up with a sister act, The Haynes, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, for a festive show in Vermont, but there are surprises in store, including affairs of the heart. With Irving Berlin’s iconic songs and dazzling choreography, the 1954 musical blends old-Hollywood charm, romance, and seasonal spectacle into an enduring Christmas classic.

Christmas Movies at Triskel runs from December 13 to 22. See Triskelartscentre.ie