Best of The Fest: Special Events

If it's special you want, it's special you shall get. This year's Belfast Film Festival boasts a multitude of one-off events that elevate the humble film screening into unmissable film experiences. Below, we've picked out a mere handful of these singular film fancies for your delectation.

Labyrinth 30th Anniversary screening (with live puppeteering by Paul Currie): Thursday, 13 April, 06:00pm, The Strand,  £6/5

Hoggle, Ludo, Jareth, the Bog of Eternal Stench and a teddy bear called Lancelot. Yes, it's Labyrinth. Now in its 30th year, this much cherished film brought together a wonderfully diverse array of talent. It was directed by Jim Henson - his last feature - whose workshop produced the memorable creatures that populate the film. Exec-producer was one George Lucas and the first-draft script was written by Terry 'Monty Python' Jones. Onscreen, Jennifer Connolly, in her breakthrough role, played Sarah. And then there was David Bowie. Yes, he was great in The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), but of all his film roles it's as Jareth, The Goblin King - steely of stare and tight of trousers - that he'll be most fondly remembered. As if that all weren't enough, this screening will feature the anarchic, live-puppeteering skills of Paul Currie.

The Conversation: Saturday, 16 April, 07:00pm, SARC, £7

Sound is an integral feature of The Conversation (1974), Francis Ford Coppola's classic psychological thriller. Where better to watch it then than the Sonic Arts Research Centre? It's a rhetorical question. Gene Hackman plays Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who thinks he may have recorded two people discussing a murder plot. The film plays with the use of sound - splicing and distorting Harry's audio recordings - to heighten the tension and sense of uncertainty. Walter Zurch, sound designer extraordinaire, was the man entrusted by the exacting Coppola with ensuring that the film's sound elements helped drive the narrative. He didn't fail. Zurch's work on The Conversation earned him an Oscar nomination. The film will be introduced by Brian Henry Martin.

Donnie Darko Live Soundtrack: Thursday, 21 April, 08:00pm, The Black Box, £8

In this sound and vision special, French sound artists RadioMentale get their talented mitts on Richard Kelly's, Donnie Darko (2001). Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is one troubled teen. He sees things, things like Frank, a disturbing figure in a monstous rabbit outfit. And it's not simply that Frank looks terrifying, he's also giving off some bad vibes, end-of-the-world type vibes. Blending outrageous fantasy with the nostalic tone of your classic teen movie, Donnie Darko is rightfully considered a cult classic. In this special performance, a live soundtrack will be provided by RadioMentale, an electronic duo who specialise in cinemix - the art of creating, or reimagining soundtracks for silent, classic experimental and modern films.