“The short film format has always been a vital part of the festival, acting as both a showcase for future talent and as an exciting and dynamic art form. Help us celebrate the wealth and diversity on offer,” - Grainne Humphreys. 

The DIFF Shorts Programme is here! Featuring short films from well-known names like Clare Dunne, Mia Mullarkey, Emma Martin & Hugh O’Conor, the 2023 Dublin International Film Festival will showcase an impressive line-up of 25 shorts from Ireland and across the world. 

Throughout the festival there will be five presentations of shorts, including a selection from Screen Ireland’s funding scheme recipients and the return of the Glasgow Film Festival highlights, joining three DIFF presentations, offering numerous opportunities to celebrate this unique artform. 

Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann is again delighted to support Irish shorts this year with a curated programme from Screen Ireland's Focus, Framework and Short Stories funding schemes. “Throughout this diverse and exciting mix of stories, the filmmakers take us on journeys of grief, love, terror and redemption… and ask us to decide on the guilt of a seemingly innocent rabbit,” said Emma Scott, Head of Distribution and Short Film Production.  

The three DIFF shorts presentations feature a diverse and powerful selection of shorts from Ireland and around the world. Selected from over 750 submissions by programmers Aisha Bolaji and Mohamed Tarek, the programme exhibits some of the best of Irish film as well as internationally with works from China, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Lebanon, Norway, Iran and more. 

The Irish highlights of the DIFF programme includes stellar directorial debuts with Conor Bradley’s student short Sons of Roisin, Derek Ugochukwu You're Not Home and Tania Notaro’s Glitterbug. In addition, the programme includes Irish language film Bean Feasa Winner of 'Best Irish Short Film' at Foyle Film Festival 2022 and the Irish premiere of award-winning directing duo Nathan Fagan and Luke Daly’s Mud Queen starring Clare Dunne, as well as Dunne’s own short One Good Conversation. 

Among the international highlights of the programme are the Chinese film Will You Look At Me by Shuli Huang winner of Queer Palm Award at Semaine de la Critique Cannes 2022, the Iranian film Deer by Hadi Babaeifar winner of Best Short Film at GENERATION — KPLUS at Berlinale 2022, and Warsha by Dania Bdeir winner of Best International Short Film: Fiction at Sundance Film Festival 2022. 

Speaking about the selections, Bolaji and Tarek said: “Through fiction, documentary, animation and experimental works we are brought to an array of experiences that delve into the fantastical with films showcasing folktales and mythology as well as a look into contemporary issues concerning gender, the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights and more. We explore themes such as coming-of-age, alienation, grief, family and acceptance through genres such as comedy, horror, drama and fantasy.” 

Book Your Tickets Here

DIFF Shorts 1

Dolorosa – Emma Martin/Hugh O’Conor, Ireland

Will You Look At Me? – Shuli Huang, China

Baths – Nell Hensey, Ireland

Deer – Hadi Babaeifar, Iran

The Small Makings of a Storm – Avery Angle, Ireland

Everything At Once – Henrik Dyb Zwart, Norway

Bean Feasa – Daniel Butler, Ireland

One Good Conversation – Clare Dunne, Ireland

Wednesday's Child – Laura O’Shea, Ireland

Sons of the Crezent – Brendan Canty, New Zealand

DIFF Shorts 2

Mud Queen – Nathan Fagan/Luke Daly, Ireland

You're Not Home – Derek Ugochukwu, Ireland

On Xerxex's Throne – Evi Kalogiropoulou, Greece

My Girlfriend – Kawthar Younis, Egypt

Cracks Will Come – Daniel Mateo Vallejo, Colombia

Sons of Roisin – Conor Bradley, Ireland

Blind Spot – Lotfi Achour, Tunisia

People of the Plaza – Paul Gleeson, Ireland

DIFF Shorts 3

Rosemay A.D. (After Dad) – Ethan Barrett, USA

Warsha – Dania Bdeir, France/Lebanon

Full Moon – Alexander Wilson-Flynn, Ireland

Tsutsué – Amartei Armar, France/Ghana

Glitterbug – Tania Notaro, Ireland

La Tumba – Natasha Waugh, Ireland

Far Calls – Olwen Fouere/Tristan Heanue, Ireland

Screen Ireland Shorts

Safe as Houses – Mia Mullarkey, Ireland

Regular Rabbit – Eoin Duffy, Ireland

Shadow – Janna Kemperman, Ireland

Bad Boy Buck – James Fitzgerald, Ireland

Red Rabbit – Rory Kerr, Ireland

Hermit – Sarah Benson, Ireland

Lamb – Sinéad O’Loughlin, Ireland