Celebrating women in film at DIFF 2026

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-nominated costume designer Ellen Mirojnick, whose iconic work — from Fatal Attraction to Oppenheimer to Bridgerton — has helped define the visual language of modern film. She will join French director Alice Winocour (Proxima, Revoir Paris, Couture) as part of our Conversations series, The Irish Times presents the DIFF Film Club, offering audiences insight into craft, collaboration and creative process.

Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick

Director Alice Winocour

We’re also delighted to welcome actors Maisie Williams, star of 500 Miles, whose career has evolved far beyond her breakout screen roles, and Alice Krige, an actor of extraordinary range whose performances have left a lasting imprint on international cinema, and who stars in the queer horror-comedy The Restoration at Grayson Manor. Dutch director Nanouk Leopold, known for her formally precise and emotionally resonant films, also joins the festival, premiering her new film Whitetail. Director Polly Findlay brings Midwinter Break to the festival, a work marked by emotional clarity and formal restraint, and reflective of her background in theatre and screen storytelling.

Actor Alice Krige at the DIFF 2026 Launch at the Irish Embassy in London

DIFF 2026 will further showcase new work from filmmakers including Mascha Schilinski (Sound of Falling), Tina Romero (Queens of the Dead), and Jacqueline Zünd (Don’t Let The Sun) — films that move fluidly between intimacy, genre and experimentation, and highlight the breadth of women’s voices in contemporary cinema.

Sound of Falling

Queens of the Dead

Don't Let the Sun

Alongside these established voices, DIFF remains committed to championing emerging talent. This year, 70% of our Discovery nominees are women, a powerful reflection of a new generation stepping confidently into the medium.

Our female Discovery nominees for 2026 are:

• Grace Odumosu — Minding

• Shannon Welby — Minding

• Anna Carney — Power Ballad

• Niamh Bryson — Newtown Boys

• Olivia McLaughlin — Parting

• Táine King — Molly & The Robot

• Ruby Jean Lennon — Samanta Nobody

From celebrated international figures to emerging filmmakers making their first major mark, this year’s programme reflects a cinematic landscape that is curious, inclusive and full of possibility.