Navigating the Global Stage: Lessons from the International Distribution Event at DIFF 2026

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 Munitic, founder of the Mediterranean Film Festival Split.

The conversations illuminated the complex journey of Irish films seeking life beyond domestic release. A particular focus was placed on "Spilt Milk," a film that found unexpected paths to success in distribution abroad thanks to inventive strategies. Alen Munitic, representing the Mediterranean Film Festival Split, had helped secure its screenings in Croatia, extending its reach long after its initial run. Meanwhile, Mihai Chirilov spoke of acquiring Christy for the Transylvania International Film Festival, drawn to its quiet warmth and emotional honesty. Together, their experiences revealed that a film’s journey doesn’t end with festival selection - it begins there.

There was something strikingly human in the way Chirilov spoke about film circulation in places with few arthouse cinemas. In those regions, he explained, one doesn’t distribute a film so much as carry it - literally touring it from city to city, creating communities where audiences gather not out of convenience but curiosity. It reminded me that in cinema, infrastructure doesn’t always mean screens; sometimes, it’s the people willing to share a story.

Panelists also acknowledged the competitive nature of global sales. Without a premiere at one of the “big three” - Berlin, Cannes, or Venice - it becomes considerably more difficult for a film to secure a sales agent or attract widespread attention. Yet, success stories like Christy offered hope. Described by Chirilov as “not flashy, but warm and getting under your skin,” the film’s inclusion in Transylvania’s lineup reinforced how authenticity and emotional truth still resonate within the festival circuit.

The event also touched on audience development, especially the challenge of reaching those between 18 and 25. The Transylvania festival’s response was to invite them in directly - to let teenagers form a festival jury, to trust them as viewers rather than as consumers. In an age when algorithms decide what rises to visibility, such gestures feel almost radical. Even the festival’s own streaming platform, seemed less about competition and more about preservation - a digital echo of communal watching and a way of extending the life of a film.

At the end, during the Q&A, Chirilov offered something of a thesis: “In arthouse, nothing comes automatically.” There was no cynicism in his tone, only conviction. Behind every screening, every small success, there lies a quiet persistence, a belief that connection - not just hard data - is what ultimately moves cinema across borders.