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THE TEAM
Gráinne Humphreys
Executive Festival Director
Gráinne has worked in film programming for over 20 years; she started her career working with young audiences with the Junior Dublin Film Festival in 1994. In 1995 she joined the IFI as Education Officer and expanded her role to include programming seasons on Andy Warhol, Agnès Varda and Harold Pinter. She became Assistant Director in 2001 and programmed both the Stranger Than Fiction Documentary Festival and the Dublin French Film Festival from 2002 to 2007. Among other projects, she co-edited Ireland into Film, a series of publications on a number of key Irish films.
She has served as a jury member on several international film festivals and has coordinated numerous Irish film seasons at international events. She is a Board Member of the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and has been Festival Director of the Dublin International Film Festival since 2007.
Grainne was named Creative Businesswoman of the Year at the IMAGE PWC Businesswomen of the Year Awards 2024, and was welcomed as a member to the prestigious European Film Academy.
Genevieve Halbert
Marketing Manager​
Genevieve looks after the Festival's marketing, communication, and audience development activities.
Genevieve has ten years of experience in marketing and communications roles across the arts and non-profit sectors. She has previously worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Ireland, and with Penguin Random House and Condé Nast in the UK.
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A lover of film, she is passionate about the power of cinema to connect people and create shared experiences. She is particularly motivated by finding new ways to welcome audiences in, breaking down barriers to access and ensuring that as many people as possible can engage with and feel part of the festival.
Peggy Mac Hale
Programmer
Peggy started with the Dublin International Film Festival in 2023 as a Junior Programmer, moving to Events Coordinator in 2024 and Programmer in 2025. She works alongside Gráinne to select DIFF’s film and event line-up, communicating with filmmakers and overseeing outreach in and out of the Festival.
She graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2023 with a degree in Film Studies & English Literature as a scholar of the college, and in 2025 with a Masters in Contemporary English Literature.
She has an extensive background in student and amateur film production and has worked in production with Festival Republic at Electric Picnic.
Imogen Kavanagh
Head of Commercial and Marketing
Imogen leads the festival's commercial partnerships, marketing strategy, audience development, and brand growth. Drawing on a career at some of the world's leading cultural and arts institutions, Imogen brings extensive experience in building high-value partnerships and connecting audiences with exceptional cultural experiences.
Prior to joining DIFF, Imogen held roles at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and Sotheby's UK and Ireland, where she worked at the intersection of cultural philanthropy, audience engagement, and art sales and client development. Her experience across the visual arts and international art market has shaped a collaborative and strategic approach to cultivating stakeholder relationships and delivering meaningful value for partners and audiences alike.
Combining commercial expertise with a deep commitment to the arts, Imogen works to strengthen DIFF's position as a leading international film festival, fostering partnerships and audience connections that support the festival's continued growth and cultural impact.
Carole Lakes
Accounts Officer
Carole is a Chartered Accountant who worked for many years in the Retail Sector including at Switzers and Brown Thomas. She started working in the Arts Sector several years ago, joining the Dublin Fringe Festival in May 2019 and the Dublin International Film Festival in December 2019.