The Dublin International Film Festival Awards once again marked a standout moment of the 2026 programme, celebrating excellence in storytelling, craft and performance, while reflecting the breadth and diversity of this year’s selection. Volta Award A defining highlight of the closing weekend saw the Festival present its highest honour, the Career Achievement Volta Award, to BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Ellen Mirojnick, and SAG Award nominee Paul Rudd. ICCL Human Rig

The latest film from visionary Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi whose previous films include Hukkle (2002) , Taxidermia (2006) and His Master’s Voice (2018) , Hen follows the life of an ostracised chicken who escapes from the poultry farm and ventures into unfamiliar territory.  We witness the nameless hen’s perilous journey into the world we know while she fights to survive, combating the elements and her own personal quest for motherhood. The chicken struggles to take con

At a time when Irish cinema faces challenges in reaching audiences abroad, the International Distribution Event offered a timely and inspiring exploration into the realities of getting local stories seen on the global stage. Hosted by Laura McNicholas (producer of “Spilt Milk”), the discussion brought together international distributors, sales agents, and festival programmers such as Mihai Chirilov, artistic director of the Transylvania International Film Festival, and Alen M

Orphan, original title: “Àrva” (2025, László Nemes) Budapest, 1957. Since the end of World War II, Hungary has been under a Communist regime, the Hungarian People’s Republic, subordinate to the USSR. In the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, those who took part in the rebellion against the regime in Budapest are now being persecuted. Andor Hirsch is a twelve-year-old boy. He spent the first years of his life in an orphanage while his father was sent to a concentration

Cinema is special for many reasons. It offers a shelter from the outside world, our everyday lives. Every film can feel like an escape. But only a special few films make us feel, fall and find freedom. Maspalomas is one of those films.     On Sunday, the 22nd of February, I hosted a Q&A at the Dublin International Film Festival, where I spoke to director duo Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi Galdos about their heartbreaking queer film, Maspalomas.      Goenaga and Galdos a

Emerging filmmaker Max Walker-Silverman follows up his acclaimed feature film debut A Love Song (2022) with his poignant and life-affirming second film in Rebuilding. Set in the aftermath of a catastrophic wildfire that consumes his 200-acre ranch and all his possessions, Dusty (Josh O’Conner) is forced to relocate with what he has left to a community support camp in a refurbished mobile home. Dusty must confront his relationships with those around him including his ex-wife,

At the end of his tenure Mariano De Santis, an imaginary President of Italy, confronts the moral and political legacy of his career. A meticulous man of law, Mariano must decide whether to finally sign a law that has been a decades-long controversy: the law of euthanasia.      La Grazia (“Grace”) premiered at 2025 Venice Film Festival. It’s Paolo Sorrentino’s 11th feature film and 7th collaboration with actor Tony Servillo who was awarded the Coppa Volpi at Venice for this r

Marianne Faithfull was a singer, songwriter, grammy nominee, actress and a teacher at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Was she a woman of exceptional talents or did she assume the roles naturally afforded someone who dated a Rolling Stone during the height of their fame? One thing for sure is she lived an extraordinary life; and this is no ordinary documentary. Or is it a biopic? An interview? A live performance? It evades labels, shapeshifting between forms as

As part of DIFF 2026, our Education Partner IADT hosted a screenwriters panel bringing together some of Ireland’s most distinctive writing voices. Aisling Corristine, Ciarán Creagh, David Gleeson, Glenn McQuaid and Mark O’Halloran joined moderator Jean Rice (IADT) for a wide-ranging conversation on craft, process, and the realities of writing for the screen.

When you first think of Don Bluth, your mind often goes to the vibrant colours and imaginative stories that defined childhood for many millennials growing up. But most people probably never think about Don Bluth the person. Who exactly was he? What were his thoughts and opinions on the animation industry at the time? And where is he now? Well these very questions are finally answered through the 2025 documentary “Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There”, directed by David LaMattina an

The sun is beating down on the concrete of an unnamed city. Its glaring heat condemns all life to a nocturnal rhythm that sets the scene for Jaqueline Zünd’s contemplative feature debut, Don’t Let The Sun (2025). Its narrative casts a lingering glance at the social cost of the climate crisis and dives into a world where people have withdrawn from their environment and from each other. While words have become sparse, ambient sound is a constant companion that guides us throug

The name of the movie “Gavagai” comes from a well-known thought experiment from philosopher W.V.O. Quine about the inability to translate a certain sentence and word perfectly. A correct point of entry into the newest movie by Ulrich Kohler, which focuses on the fields between languages, cultures, and intentions. In this co-production between Germany and France, Kohler turns a film-within-a-film into a tale of cross-cultural romance and much more.  The plot is set in two diff

Overview of documentary film Landmarks (dir. Lucrecia Martel), featured at DIFF 2026.

At the Dublin International Film Festival, we believe that cinema doesn’t exist in isolation; it thrives through conversation, criticism, and curiosity. That’s why we’re excited to launch of the DIFF Media Hub, a new initiative supported by The Arts Council, designed to nurture and amplify a broad range of voices in Irish film journalism. Launching as part of DIFF 2026 , the Media Hub brings together an exciting mix of eighteen emerging critics, established writers, podcaster

At the heart of Dublin International Film Festival is the belief that cinema thrives when people come together to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and imagine the future. Alongside our public screenings, DIFF 2026 presents the Festival's most ambitious Industry Programme to date , bringing filmmakers, producers, students, creatives, and decision-makers into the same rooms for eleven days of insight and inspiration. If you're interested in attending a number of these events

As we approach St Brigid’s Day weekend, Dublin International Film Festival is proud to celebrate women working across every corner of contemporary cinema, from internationally acclaimed filmmakers and performers to emerging voices shaping what comes next. At DIFF 2026 , we’re honoured to welcome an exceptional group of artists whose work spans genres, forms and generations, and whose contributions continue to expand what cinema can be. Among our international guests is Oscar

The DIFF 2026 programme launch  took place on Tuesday 27 January , and the energy could not have been higher. With heavy rain, flooding, and travel disruption across the city, we weren’t sure what to expect. What we got instead was an unbelievable turnout , a buzzing room, and a reminder of just how much audiences, filmmakers, and industry partners love coming together to celebrate cinema. Thank you to everyone who braved the weather to join us. The vibe in the room said it

Following last year’s sell-out screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel, DIFF and The Merrion have collaborated once again to bring you...

Presented in partnership with Living Canvas at IMMA For Culture Night 2025, we were very excited to partner with IMMA to present a...

This exclusive webinar brought together the three largest film festivals in Ireland to discuss their key film programmes, their selection...