Festivals & Distribution /

Irish Festivals

Belfast Film Festival
Month:  April
Genre:  All

Belfast Film Festival has been in existance for ten years and has grown exponentially from being a small element within a bigger community festival, to becoming one of the key cultural events in Northern Ireland.  Upwards of 16,000 people attend its events each year.

Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival
Month:  May (Dublin) and November (Belfast)
Genre:  Children's Films

About the Festival
Cinemagic is a Belfast based award winning festival that embraces the magic of film, television and digital technologies to educate, motivate and inspire young people through the medium of film screenings, workshops and industry led masterclasses.  It is currently the largest film event for young people (aged 4 - 25) in the UK and Ireland, attracting over 20,000 people annually.

Clones Film Festival
Month: October
Genre:  All

About the Festival
Established in 2001, this County Monaghan festival takes place over the October Bank Holiday weekend.  With international film, shorts, exhibitions and music, it aims to educate, inform and most importantly, entertain.   

Corona Cork Film Festival
Month: November
Genre: All

About the Festival
Established in 1956, the Corona Cork Film Festival programme presents a wide-ranging and eclectic mix of big budget pictures, world cinema, innovative independent films, documentaries and short films from all over the globe. The festival also presents Irish film production and is internationally renowned for showcasing world class short films.

The Festivals gives out the a number of awards including the Best Irish Short Film Award; Best International Short Film; Audience Award for Best Irish Short Film; Audience Award for Best International Short Film; The Claire Lynch Award for Best First Irish Short Film; The Gradam Gael Linn for Best Irish Language Short; The Irish Examiner Made in Cork Award, The Award of the Festival and The Youth Jury Award for Best International Short.

Darklight Festival
Month:  October TBC
Location:  Dublin
Genre: Digital/New Media

About the Festival
Since its inception in 1999, Darklight Festival has brought new and exciting work to Irish audiences through cinema, exhibition and performance and to an international audience via the Internet and Touring Programme initiated in 2002.

Darklight is Ireland's premier festival for filmmakers, animators and artists whose work explores the convergence of art, film and technology.

Digital filmmaking techniques have become increasingly universal, they have revolutionised contemporary filmmaking practice and contributed hugely to the liberation of animation.  In response to this the Darklight programme has become focused on work that challenges; concepts, visual aesthetic, narrative, access, methods of production and dialogue through these contemporary filmmaking techniques.

Darklight exhibits work that pushes these boundaries and displays creative excellence.  Our mission is to nurture new talent and to create new possibilities for the imagination.

Dingle Film Festival
Month: March
Location: Dingle, Kerry
Genre: All

About the Festival
Dingle Film Festival is driven by the desire and passion to present new and archive film from Ireland and around the world to an audience, both local and international, in Dingle. A major role of the festival is to present a workshop programme with leading experts from the film industry.  The aim is to engage with the audience by involving them in screenings, workshops, discussions and seminars of the highest standards, allowing them to see, talk about, enjoy and celebrate film.

The festival also hosts the annual Gregory Peck Award: For Excellence in the Art of Film

Dublin International Film Festival
Month: February
Genre: All

About the Festival
The Dublin International Film Festival takes place annuall in Febraury and is Ireland's premiere feature film festival.  Each year the nation's capital celebrates cinema in a citywide event that takes place over eleven days.  The festival presents a diverse programme of approximately 130 screenings, a range of special events including post screening Q&A sessions and panel discussions as well as hosting the cream of filmmaking talent.

Each year, Dublin audiences casts their vote for the ever popular Audience Award, winners of which have included Once, Waveriders, Anvil! The Story of Anvil and His & Hers.  The festival's career achievements awards, The Voltas, are presented to a number of individuals for their outstanding contribution to the world of film.  The latest recipients include Ciaran Hinds, Patricia Clarkson and Kristin Scott-Thomas.  The festival accepts submissions for feature films between July and September.

Foyle Film Festival
Month: November
Location: Derry, Northern Ireland
Genre: All


About the Festival
The Foyle Film Festival takes place in multiple venues in Derry each November to bring the best of international cinema and industry professionals to the city.  The festival brings together all the expertise and talent of the Nerve Centre - film, music, animation, digital technologies, education - in a unique celebration of local, national and international cinematic excellence. 

It is one of a small number of festivals which winners of the short film competition qualify for the Oscars.  The festival comprises of premieres and screenings of the latest productions in all the city's cinema venues, workshops and masterclasses with industry professionals, education programmes, outreach screenings, special events and competitions.

Galway Film Fleadh
Month: July
Genre: All

About the Festival
The Galway Film Fleadh, a six day international film event held every July, with a special emphasis on showcasing Irish feature films and documentaries. The Fleadh also host the Film Fair and industry film seminar The Real Deal which is funded by the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. The Fair offers producers in the process of developing new projects an opportunity to meet with international film financiers.


The Fleadh has a number of awards including Best First Irish Short, Best Irish Short, Best Irish Short Documentary, Best First Irish Short Animation, Best Irish short animation, Best Feature Documentary and Best First Feature.

Guth Gafa
Month: June
Location: Gortahort, Co. Donegal
Genre: Documentary

About the Festival
Guth Gafa (Captive Voice) Documentary Film Festival launched in 2006. The unique festival screens more than 20 Irish and International films over the three day event, with in-depth post-screening discussions from visiting directors/producers.

Sponsors include the IFB, TG4, The Arts Council and Udaras na Gaeltachta, MEDIA, RTE and Ealain na Gaeltachta.

Mid-Ulster Film Festival
Month:  May
Location:  The Ulster History Park, Gortin Road, Omagh 
Genre: Independent Cinema

About the Festival

Launched in 2004, the Mid-Ulster Film Festival is a yearly tribute to cinema, showcasing a diverse program of features, documentaries, shorts, animation, workshops and seminars. It takes place at The Ulster History Park, in the Gortin Glens, located halfway between Omagh and Gortin (County Tyrone, N.Ireland) at the foothills of the picturesque Sperrin Mountains.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the website.         

Kerry Film Festival
Month: Oct/Nov
Location: Kerry
Genre: Short Films

About the Festival
This week-long festival recognises film as an important art medium and provides a diverse range of quality films, focusing on young filmmakers seeking exposure for their work.

Screenings take place in various towns throughout Kerry including Tralee, Listowel, Killarney and Caherciveen.

Stranger than Fiction
Month: April
Location: Dublin
Genre: Documentary

About the Festival
This annual event is Ireland largest dedicated non-fiction film event. The festival screens 30 of the best documentaries made in the last year from countries all over the world, the 10 best Irish-made films, and runs a competition for Best Short Documentary.

Running alongside this is a Documentary Film Market, where Irish film-makers meet financiers, producers, commissioning editors and broadcasters from all over the globe to talk through their future projects. The Stranger than Fiction market is funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board.

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