On 20 December 1909 an enterprising young writer named James Joyce opened the Volta Picture Theatre, Ireland’s first dedicated cinema, on Mary Street in Dublin.

In honour of that landmark event, Dublin International Film Festival created the Volta Award in 2007 to celebrate the careers of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of film. Specially commissioned from Sligo-based artist Bettina Seitz, the Volta has quickly established itself as one of the highest accolades in Irish film, and its recipients include many of the most accomplished actors, writers and directors of our time, including Al Pacino, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kristin Scott Thomas, Martin Sheen, Paolo Sorrentino, Julie Andrews and Thierry Frémaux.

Volta Award Recipients

2021

Colin Firth (Actor)

2020

Trine Dyrholm (Actor/Singer)

Charlie Kaufman (Writer)

2019

Ralph Fiennes (Actor/Director)

Sean Bailey (Producer/Studio Head)

2018

Paul Schrader (Writer/Director)

2016

Dame Angela Lansbury (Actor)

Claudia Cardinale (Actor)

Andrew Stanton (Director/Animator)

2015

Sir Kenneth Branagh (Actor/Director)

Dame Julie Andrews (Actor)

Laurent Cantet (Director)

2014

Stanley Tucci (Actor)

Peter Morgan (Screenwriter)

Terry Gilliam (Actor/Writer/Director)

Richard Dreyfuss (Actor)

2013

Danny DeVito (Actor/Director)

Joss Whedon (Writer/Director)

Tim Roth (Actor)

Costa-Gavras (Director)

Ennio Morricone (Composer)

2012

Al Pacino (Actor)

Stellan Skarsgård (Actor)

Marin Karmitz (Producer)

2011

Martin Sheen (Actor)

Kevin Brownlow (Film Historian)

François Ozon (Director)

2010

Kristin Scott Thomas (Actor)

Ciarán Hinds (Actor)

Patricia Clarkson (Actor)

2009

Thierry Frémaux (Artistic Director, Cannes Film Festival)

Paolo Sorrentino (Director)

George Morrison (Documentary Maker)

2008

Daniel Day-Lewis (Actor)

Brendan Gleeson (Actor)

Leo Ward (Exhibitor)

2007

Gabriel Byrne (Actor)

Jeremy Thomas (Producer)

Consolata Boyle (Costume Designer)

Brendan Mc Caul (Distributor)

Michael Dwyer (Film Critic)