DIFF 2025 OFFICIAL BROCHURE

WORLD-CLASS IRISH AND INTERNATIONAL CINEMA

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

20 FEB – 02 MAR 2025

PRESENTS JESSICA LANGE WITH ED HARRIS AND FIONA SHAW

FEATURING TWIGGY CRITIC DIRECTORS JUSTIN CHANGELIA SULEIMAN AND SADIE FROST WITH BEN FOSTER AND RALPH FIENNES

WELCOME TO DIFF 2025

The Arts Council proudly supports film festivals to bring the art of film to you.

Your front-row seat to world-class Irish and international cinema.

For eleven extraordinary days this February, the Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) transforms the city into a global stage, bringing together over 20,000 film fans to celebrate the very best in cinema. From red-carpet premieres to groundbreaking shorts, from legendary filmmakers to rising stars, DIFF is where the magic of storytelling comes alive.

This year, our programme is bigger and more vibrant than ever. Look out for:

• Volta Award Recipients: Join us in honouring two cinematic icons. Ed Harris (Pollock, Apollo 13, Westworld) and Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Sweet Dreams, Blue Sky) will receive the prestigious lifetime achievement Volta Awards for their remarkable contributions to cinema. (pg 66)

• Our Opening Night Gala: Kick off the festival with The Return, a gripping new drama starring Ralph Fiennes, who will be our special guest for this dazzling premiere. (pg 18)

• The Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club: This year’s series of in-depth conversations features Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Justin Chang and the iconic super model Twiggy. (pg 98)

• The Inaugural World Cinema Award: Supported by our new Global Partner Avolon, this exciting new award celebrates filmmakers who transcend borders and bring global stories to life. The shortlist features standout titles from Germany, Austria, India, Italy, France, Portugal, and the UK. (pg 94)

• Irish Legend Fiona Shaw: Celebrated for her unforgettable roles (Killing Eve, Harry Potter), Fiona Shaw joins us to present Park Avenue, a poignant and powerful new feature. (pg 24)

• Visionary Palestinian Filmmaker Elia Suleiman: Renowned for masterful works like Divine Intervention and It Must Be Heaven, Elia Suleiman joins us for a special retrospective and Q&A. (pg 78)

Our largest industry programme yet takes place at the Smithfield venue, The Complex. Don’t miss…

• Masterclasses: Be inspired by Swiss director Alexandre O. Philippe, and the Oscar-winning documentary maker Melanie Miller (pg 114)

• International Festival Programmers Panel: Gain insights from curators behind the world’s leading film festivals. (pg 117)

• Filmmakers in Advertising: Explore the crossover between cinema and TV commercials in a unique session hosted by Irish production company Antidote. (pg 116)

As we celebrate 23 years of cinematic excellence, DIFF remains committed to showcasing the power of storytelling on the big screen. Whether you’re a lifelong cinephile or discovering the festival for the first time, we invite you to join us for an unforgettable journey through the world of film.

DIFF.IE

The Swallow

Trumpets

Latina, Latina

Trish Long Chairperson

For the last 22 years, we have been lucky enough to enjoy the cinematic feast aka Dublin International Film Festival. While Cinema with a large C is central to our festival, I’ve realised that without some other fine words beginning with c we could not exist.

Festivals create the environment and rationale to celebrate: the art form, the industry, achievements, careers and of course the stories. Ever so skilfully curated and programmed, DIFF elevates that cinematic celebration year on year. But in order to be able to mount this important festival and to celebrate all things film in Dublin each spring, we are utterly dependent on collaborations.

I witness the very definition of collaboration in action daily, in the work of the DIFF teams. I and the board count ourselves very lucky indeed and extend our thanks to all of you and especially to your inspired and inspiring leader Grainne Humphreys.

The collaboration of our storytellers, filmmakers and industry partners is at the heart and soul of all we do, so a huge go raibh mile math agaibh to you. And also to our fine band of patrons, friends and supporters without whom the festival would be much poorer – in all meanings of that word.

Our festival and corporate partners are all acknowledged within this programme, but I would like to give a special shout out to our Premium Partner, Tanqueray, with whom we are excited to collaborate for a second year. And a big welcome to our new Global partner Avolon. Our thanks as always goes to our innovative industry partner Screen Ireland. However, on behalf of the executive team, and the board, I wish to express our especial gratitude to our principal funding partner – The Arts Council, who has been a staunch supporter of DIFF for many many years and whose support has enabled DIFF to develop and grow into a vibrant all year round independent Festival.

I would like to thank the incredibly hardworking and passionate board of DIFF for all that you do and continue to do. My personal thanks to all of you, and especially to our invaluable Deputy Chair, Elaine Gill, who helps keep us all rooted. And finally, to you our audiences, goes our deepest appreciation. For your unwavering support, custom, trust and passion for cinema and especially for our festival. I look forward to seeing many of you over the next 11 days. To infinity and beyond!

Trish Long Chairperson

WELCOME

DIRECTOR’S INTRO

FESTIVAL

Gráinne Humphreys

Executive Director

Cinema is the best medium in the world.Steve McQueen (Volta recipient 2024).

I believe that this year’s festival lineup represents a superb selection of the best of what world cinema can offer. We kick off with one of our favourite guests, Ralph Fiennes (Volta recipient 2019) for our Opening Night film The Return and eleven days later we close with award-winning Irish comedy Four Mothers

As Irish Cinema continues to flourish this year, we celebrate several brilliant debut features, a wonderful array of new documentaries and an expanded short film selection. We will recognize the enormous contribution which Cartoon Saloon has made to Irish culture, and founders Nora Twomey, Paul Young and Tomm Moore have chosen the films which have influenced them.

With our partner Avolon, we have launched our World Cinema competition which will introduce audiences to emerging film talent from around the world and building on the success of our African season last year – we present a special focus on Moroccan Cinema.

We are expanding our Silent Cinema offering to three film presentations with musical accompaniment and a talk. Continuing the musical theme, Playback x DIFF: A Celebration of Irish Music Video will celebrate the best of Irish music videos and the directors behind them.

We have some fantastic guests joining us this year – the witty Palestinian filmmaker Elia Sulieman is the focus of our festival retrospective; iconic actors Jessica Lange and Ed Harris will receive our prestigious Volta Awards. Our industry programme will connect Irish filmmakers with their international peers, sales agents and film programmers. All this, and a special tribute to the 25th anniversary of the Gilmore Girls

Throughout the year we work with a wide range of programmers, curators and film critics who make an essential contribution to our work. An event like DIFF cannot exist without the incredible team who delivers this, and a special word of thanks to the dynamic duo of my executive colleagues, Karen English and Sam Javid.

A special shout out to our board of directors who work so hard to support the event throughout the year, especially our Chair, Trish Long and Deputy Chair, Elaine Gill. A big thank you to our core funder the Arts Council, our industry partner Screen Ireland and all our sponsors, partners and embassies.

I would especially like to thank all the patrons who have supported us for the past number of years and given us independence and nurtured our authenticity. I hope that our many DIFF fans find something in this year’s festival to entice and entertain.

Grainne Humphreys Executive Director

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

PRINCIPAL FUNDER INDUSTRY PARTNER

PREMIUM PARTNER GLOBAL PARTNER

HOTEL

MEDIA PARTNERS

POST-PRODUCTION PARTNER

DIFF: BRINGING CINEMA TO EVERYONE

Our commitment to cinema extends beyond THE annual festival.

We work year-round to upskill young people, improve representation in the cinema, and increase access to the film and screen industries. Our outreach programmes are designed to inspire, connect, and make a lasting impact on Ireland’s diverse communities.

We rely on a network of committed partners and patrons to make these projects possible, as well as one-off support and donations from cinema audiences and supporters. You can support our work by adding a donation when you buy a ticket, or visiting www.diff.ie to donate directly. Take a look at some of our ongoing projects.

DIFF’s Irish Film Curators Finding The Next Generation Of Film Programmers

With the support of Screen Ireland, this trail-blazing training programme opens doors for young and emerging curators from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Led by industry experts, participants build new skills in cinema programming, rights negotiation, promotion, presentation, and evaluation. Designed to enrich the curatorial landscape of film exhibition, this initiative not only diversifies the industry but also kickstarts exciting new careers.

DIFF’s Film Pioneers Digital Skills For The Future

With the support of Rethink Ireland through their TikTok Digital Future Fund, this transformative program will equip 15–24-year-olds with the skills and inspiration to explore opportunities in the screen, cinema, and filmmaking sectors. By focusing on

underserved communities, DIFF’s Film Pioneers addresses gaps in representation, ensuring a more inclusive future for the industry.

Next Gen Female Filmmakers

A World-Class Industry Opportunity

This brand new initiative, made possible by the ESB Energy for Generations Fund, supports young women as they step into the exciting world of filmmaking. This project will bring participants to the heart of DIFF’s 11-day festival and provide them with access to exclusive workshops, masterclasses, sessions with top cinematographers, editors, and directors.

Welcome for All Removing Barriers To Access

At DIFF, inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do. Film Director and DIFF Patrons Adam McKay agrees! That’s why 5% of our tickets are reserved for free

distribution to marginalised and underrepresented communities, as well as young people and film students for whom cost is a barrier. We partner with a range of organisations youth groups, charities and film societies to distribute these tickets. If you would like to know more please get in touch at hello@diff.ie

DIFF Picturehouse

Bringing the Big Screen to Care Settings

Throughout the year, DIFF’s Picturehouse initiative takes the magic of cinema to residential homes and care settings, ensuring that those who may not otherwise have access can enjoy a world-class film experience. Championed by Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker (Home Alone, My Left Foot), this initiative delivers joy and connection through the universal language of film.

Patrons have long been an essential thread in the fabric of the artistic and cultural process. Their support has often been crucial in ensuring the completion of creative work and, especially, in bringing that work to audiences. I believe these creative unions and partnerships are more vital now than ever before.

When the festival needed support, we turned to our trusted patrons and friends.

Now, as we enter our third year as an independent festival, the impact DIFF has on the lives of diverse audiences and filmmakers is more significant than ever. In addition to our annual festival, Dublin International Film Festival is proud to deliver transformative programmes that provide talented artists and storytellers with new skills. These initiatives also help some of the most under-represented communities find their place in the industry – whether as makers, producers, writers, directors, or passionate supporters.

Our patrons’ support allows us to engage, listen to, and collaborate with socially and culturally under-represented communities. Together, we are building more accessible pathways into cinema and the film industry, ensuring that the voices of all are heard and celebrated.

This invaluable support also helps us achieve even greater success in our mission to empower, educate, and enrich our society through screen and cinema. Our patrons and friends do more than make a financial contribution — essential as that is. They also invest in the future of filmmaking, cultural and creative diversity, and the power of storytelling.

As we celebrate our 23rd year, we are excited to expand and develop our inaugural patrons scheme. Patrons enjoy a range of privileges, including priority booking, gala invitations, exclusive access to private screenings, and much more.

We invite you to join us and help safeguard Ireland’s premier film festival. Your support is not only appreciated, it is essential in sustaining the vibrant and independent spirit of Dublin International Film Festival.

To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blain in Casablanca - ‘this could be the start of a beautiful friendship’…

Trish Long Chair of Dublin International Film Festival

PATRONS

ADAM MCKAY

KENNETH BRANAGH, IN MEMORY OF JOHN SESSIONS

PICTURES

ROBERT BYRNE

TRISH LONG

Screening

Times shown are film durations. All Q&As will run for 20 additional minutes unless otherwise specified.

20m CARTOON SALOON + LIVE MUSIC Light House Cinema Screen 2

15:45 Don Hertzfeldt 2hr 10m CARTOON SALOON Light House Cinema Screen 2

16:00 Screen Ireland Shorts 2 + Q&A 1h 3m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:00 Aontas + Q&A 1hr 31m Light House Cinema Screen 1 18:30 Happyend 1hr 53m Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:30 Ready or Not + Q&A 1h 23m Light House Cinema Screen 1 21:00 Bob Trevino Likes It 1hr 42m Light House Cinema Screen 2

SUNDAY 23 FEB

11:00 Eight Postcards from Utopia 1hr 10m Light House Cinema Screen 1 12:00 Dying 3hr Light House Cinema Screen 2

13:30 Silent Shorts: Mighty Like a Moose 1hr 1m (22m), One Week (21m), Big Business (18m) SILENT GALA + LIVE MUSIC Light House Cinema Screen 1

15:30 The Marching Band 1hr 43m Light House Cinema Screen 1

15:45 My Sweet Land + Q&A 1hr 26m Light House Cinema Screen 2

17:45 Vermiglio + Q&A 1hr 59m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:00 Seeking Mavis Beacon + Q&A 1hr 42m Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:45 Spilt Milk + Q&A 1hr 31m Light House Cinema Screen 1

21:00 Never Stop the Action 1hr 10m Light House Cinema Screen 2

18:30 Amanda + Q&A 1hr 15m IFI Screen 1

19:00 Maestra + Q&A (30m) 1hr 28m RIAM WRH

20:00 Chain Reaction + Q&A 1hr 43m Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:30 Double Bill: Seaweed Stories + 2hr 6m Our Blue World + Q&A SUSTAINABILITY GALA Light House Cinema Screen 1

MONDAY 24 FEB

15:00 DIFF Shorts 1 + Q&A 1hr 40m Light House Cinema Screen 2

15:30 The Summer Book 1hr 30m Light House Cinema Screen 1

17:45 The Courageous + Q&A 1hr 20m Light House Cinema Screen 2

18:00 Twiggy + Q&A 1hr 37m Light House Cinema Screen 1

TUESDAY 25 FEB

13:15 Life’s a Bitch 1hr 28m Light House Cinema Screen 2

15:15 DIFF Shorts 2 + Q&A 1hr 41m Light House Cinema Screen 2

15:30 Riefenstahl 1hr 55m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:00 Santosh 2hr 7m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:00 Afternoons of Solitude + Q&A 2hr 5m Light House Cinema Screen 2

18:30 Latina, Latina + Q&A 1hr 24m IFI Screen 1

20:00 I Do Not Come By Chance 1hr 45m Pavillion Dun Laoghaire

20:40 Sharp Corner + Q&A 1hr 50m Light House Cinema Screen 1

21:00 Good One 1hr 29m Light House Cinema Screen 2

13:30 DIFF Shorts 3 + Q&A 1hr 46m Light House Cinema Screen 2 15:30 The Sparrow in the Chimney

57m Light House Cinema Screen 1 16:00 Backstage + Q&A 1hr 41m MOROCCO

House Cinema Screen 2

18:10 Beat the Lotto + Q&A

House Cinema Screen 1 18:30 Where the Road Meets the Sky + Q&A

House Cinema Screen 2

Four Letters of Love + Q&A

5m LORD MAYOR’S GALA

House Cinema Screen 1 20:30 On Falling + Q&A

44m Light House Cinema Screen 2 THURSDAY 27 FEB 13:00 The Absent + Q&A

18:00 Long Day’s Journey Into Night + Q&A 1h 49m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:15 Animalla + Q&A 1h 30m MOROCCO Light House Cinema Screen 2

18:30 E.1027—Eileen Gray and 1h 29m the House by the Sea IFI Screen 1

20:30 Silent Trees + Q&A 1h 25m Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:45 The Surfer + Q&A 1h 39m Light House Cinema Screen 1

FRIDAY 28 FEB

13:15 Dreams 1h 50m Light House Cinema Screen 2

13:30 Fresh Shorts + Q&A 1h 22m Light House Cinema Screen 1

15:30 Gazer 1h 54m Light House Cinema Screen 2 15:45 Pavements 2h 8m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:00 Peacock + Q&A 1h 42m Light House Cinema Screen 2

18:15 Testimony + Q&A 1h 40m Light House Cinema Screen 1

20:30 I Do Not Come To 1h 45m You By Chance + Q&A Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:30 Born That Way + Q&A 1h 30m IFI Screen 1

21:00 The Extraordinary 1h 13m Miss Flower + Q&A Light House Cinema Screen 1

1 MAR 11:00 Pierce 1h 49m Light House Cinema Screen 1

13:30 Meet the Barbarians 1h 41m Light House Cinema Screen 1

14:00 Divine Intervention + Q&A 1h 33m IFI Screen 1

14:30 Chemi Bebia LIVE MUSIC 1h 15m Light House Cinema Screen 2

15:45 A Want In Her + Q&A 1h 23m Light House Cinema Screen 1

16:00 When Autumn Falls 1h 42m Light House Cinema Screen 2

16:45 It Must Be Heaven 1h 42m IFI Screen 1

18:00 Fran the Man + Q&A 1h 30m Light House Cinema Screen 1

18:30 Obedience + Q&A 1h 11m Light House Cinema Screen 2

20:30 Harvest + Q&A 2h 11m Light House Cinema Screen 1

20:45 Went Up The Hill 1h 40m Light House Cinema Screen 2

SUNDAY 2 MAR

10:30 The Way We Talk + Q&A 2h 21m Light House Cinema Screen 1

13:00 Maldoror 2h 35m Light House Cinema Screen 2

13:30 Gilmore Girls (2 Episodes + Panel) 3h Light House Cinema Screen 1 16:30 From Hilde With Love 2h 5m Light House Cinema Screen 2 17:15 Surprise Film GALA Light House Cinema Screen 1

20:00 Four Mothers + Q&A 1h 29m CLOSING NIGHT GALA Light House Cinema Screen 1

20:00 Four Mothers 1h 29m Light House Cinema Screen 2

Times shown are film durations. All Q&As will run for 20 additional minutes unless otherwise specified.

20 FEBRUARY – 2 MARCH 2025

TICKETS

Experience world-class cinema your way! From single tickets to all-access passes.

Book online at www.diff.ie for the quickest and easiest way to secure your spot. Prefer to chat? Call us at 01 687 7974.

SINGLE TICKETS

Evenings & Weekends: €14 / €12 (concession)

Weekday (before 5 pm): €10.50

TICKET BUNDLES

Perfect as gifts or for film lovers looking to explore more of the festival lineup. A Ticket Bundle allows you to purchase multiple Single tickets at a discounted rate. Once you’ve purchased a bundle, you can either book all your tickets in one go, or choose films from the programme at your convenience throughout the festival.

6-Ticket Bundle:

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

All films are rated 18+ unless otherwise specified.

By purchasing a ticket, you automatically become a member of Dublin International Film Festival 2025 for the duration of the event, as required under Irish law for the temporary importation of films. The cost of membership is included in the ticket price.

All ticket sales are final, and refunds or exchanges are not permitted unless an event is cancelled. Programme content and schedules are correct at time of printing. Latecomers may only be admitted at the discretion of festival or venue staff.

Personal data collected during the ticketing process is processed in line with our Privacy Policy, which you can find along with full Terms and Conditions at www.diff.ie

12-Ticket Bundle:

FESTIVAL PASSES

€67 (Save 20%)

€126 (Save 25%)

Your all-access key to DIFF 2025! Enjoy Irish and international films, special events, and unique cinematic experiences across the festival. The Festival Pass can be used to secure tickets across the full programme. A Pass includes priority booking and a ticket to one Gala*

Full Festival Pass:

€250 / €225 Weekend Festival Pass: €200 / €180

CONCESSIONS

We’re committed to making DIFF accessible to all. Concession pricing is available to: Under 24s, Seniors (65+), Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and those receiving Job Seekers Allowance or Benefit. Please bring valid ID to avail of concessions.

If have any queries about booking visit www.diff.ie or contact us at boxoffice@diff.ie

ACCESS AT DIFF 2025

We are committed to ensuring that the 2025 Dublin International Film Festival is an accessible and inclusive experience for all of our attendees. Whether you are joining us for a screening, event or Special Presentation we strive to accommodate a wide range of needs.

• Accessible Venues: All of our venues are fully accessible, with dedicated seating for wheelchair users and other mobility aids available upon request.

• Subtitles & Captions: Non-English (foreign) language films will be subtitled.

• We work with filmmakers and distributors to offer SDH (Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing) where we can. These films will be clearly marked in the brochure and on the website.

• Volunteers & Support: Our volunteers are trained to assist with hidden disabilities, often denoted by the wearing of sunflower lanyard. Volunteers are available throughout the festival to offer guidance and support, ensuring you feel comfortable and supported

• Access Needs: If you have specific accessibility needs or require assistance with booking, please contact us in advance. We will do our best to ensure that your experience at DIFF is smooth and enjoyable.

For detailed information on accessibility at our venues or for any special requirements, please visit contact us at 01687 7974 or email boxoffice@diff.ie.

AVOLON ACCESS

As our new Global Partner, Avolon are helping us to celebrate the rich diversity of World Cinema presented across the 2025 programme.

The Avolon Access tickets initiative is designed to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent individuals and community groups from experiencing global storytelling on the big screen, in particular the World Cinema programme.

Through a simple registration process, those interested can sign up at www.diff.ie/avolonaccess providing very basic details about the barriers they face in attending the festival. Once registered, individuals and organisations will be contacted directly to receive free or subsidised tickets for selected screenings.

OPENING GALA: THE RETURN

Director: Uberto Pasolini

Writers: John Collee, Edward Bond, Uberto Pasolini

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer

It has been more than 20 years since Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) left his kingdom to fight in the Trojan War and, in all that time, his wife and queen Penelope (Juliette Binoche) has waited. Uberto Pasolini’s slow-burn adaptation of Homer’s second epic is grounded in a classical style that captures the steeliness of its Greek source. Focus is shifted away from mythological conflicts onto more human and psychological concerns. Fiennes and Binoche are terrific as the heroes of this ancient drama. On the shores of Ithaca, gazes are locked tight, and every breath and word is measured, as the man of many turns, returns.

Ralph Fiennes will be in attendance at our Opening Night Gala.

The 21:00 screening of The Return will include Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY

NTA

SHORTS

SHORTS

14:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 47 min + Q&A (20 min)

Ireland

Hosted by the Dublin International Film Festival, this special event presents the world premiere of live-action and animation works produced under the First Credit Short Film Scheme and the NTA Short Film Fund. These programmes are proudly presented by the National Talent Academy for Film & Television Drama (NTAFT), the National Talent Academy for Animation (NTAA), and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.

These films will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

LITTLE CAESAR

Director: Amy Tierney

A young lamb journeys towards acceptance and belonging in a world that values appearances over true character.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME

Director: Sophie Meehan

A teenage girl caring for her seriously ill father attempts to contact the spirit of Phil Lynott, to prove to her dad that there’s life beyond death.

I BELONG

Director: Fatoumata Gandega Laliya navigates her cultural identity and belonging, reconciling Somali heritage with suburban life in Ireland while facing isolation and misunderstanding.

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

AN LÁR

Director: Liam Weir

Four Dubliners head for home.

STRAY

Director: Kim Bartley

When her foster placement breaks down, a teenage girl reluctantly embarks on a road trip with her social care worker.

WOULD YOU RATHER

Director: Sophie O’Donovan

A young woman shows up uninvited to a friend’s gathering, where a game of ‘Would You Rather?’ makes things interesting.

OVER THE MOON

Director: Rory Fitzpatrick

On a journey to see the stars, Jay, a young trans man confronts his childhood in the Burren.

UNANIMATED STRANGERS

Director: Róisin Sinai Kelly

A young woman takes the daily commuters on a journey through her memories of a past relationship.

ROMANCE IS DAD

Director: Dave Moran

It’s Mikey and Drew’s first weekend away alone since the birth of their kids. Will they be able to reignite that romantic spark?

SPOOKY

Director: Adeola Lawal

A young child feels disconnected at home until an unexpected guest shakes up their routine.

THE OTHER WAY AROUND

COMEDY, DRAMA

15:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 54 min

Director: Jonás Trueba

Writers: Jonás Trueba, Itsaso Arana, Vito Sanz

Cast: Vito Sanz, Itsaso Arana, Fernando Trueba

Spain, France

After 15 years together, Ale (Itsaso Arana) and Alex (Vito Sanz) have come up with the crazy idea of throwing a party to celebrate their recent break up - like a wedding but the other way around. While their loved ones are sceptical, they seem to be sure of their decision. Or are they? Receiving its world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight (where it was awarded the Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film), Trueba’s light and airy Madrid-set reverse romcom is meta-cinematic in all the best ways. It captures the poetry of everyday and leaves you with a fuzzy feeling in your heart.

BRÓN

Director: Cat Mangan Williams

By a riverside, a man battling personal demons finds unexpected companionship in a curious fox.

Virgin Media Ad

VIRGIN MEDIA DISCOVERS

17:15 – Light House 1 1hr 3min + Q&A (30min) Ireland

TRASNA NA LÍNE

Director: Niamh Bryson Emma has just landed a job at a Dublin Gaelscoil. The twist? She doesn’t have a word of Irish! Niamh Bryson’s comedic mockumentary tells the story of how Emma, with the help of two trusty teachers, gets across the line (or not).

NO TIME WASTERS

Director: Tara O’Callaghan

A student on the brink of homelessness seeks refuge with a seemingly kind couple, only to be confronted with an impossible proposition that threatens her safety and dignity.

Virgin Media Discovers is a competition that helps new and established filmmakers and content creators get their stories heard. This prestigious annual presentation at DIFF showcases the winners and their work before it hits TV screens later in the year.

NIGHT DRIVER

Director: Michael Carolan

A taxi driver struggling to support her children in Dublin city begins extorting one of her passengers when she witnesses them being unfaithful in her taxi.

THE KNIFE

Director: Joy Nesbitt

In Joy Nesbitt’s dark surrealist comedy, a young black woman goes for her first pregnancy scan and discovers that her child is brandishing a knife inside her womb.

SHORTS

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

18:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 50 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Karan Kandhari

Writer: Karan Kandhari

Cast: Radhika Apte, Ashok

Pathak, Smita Tambe

United Kingdom, India

Gopal (Ashok Pathak) and Uma (Radhika Apte) have just been arranged married. Gopal is soft-spoken and utterly shy, and Uma can neither cook nor manage a domestic budget. In short, both are misplaced in this set-up. Their relationship spirals into darkness as Uma discovers a strange and feral psychosis within herself in this debut Cannes feature. Karan Kandhari’s Mumbai marriage movie is a carefully calculated comedy about patriarchal values and gender roles in working-class India. It is as bold and bawdy as its protagonist but still manages to evoke great sympathy for its flawed characters.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

PARK AVENUE

19:15 – Light House

Director: Gaby Dellal

Writers: Tina Alexis Allen, Gaby Dellal

Cast: Fiona Shaw, Katherine Waterston, Chaske Spencer

With multiple locks on its front door and artistic paraphernalia in every corner, a Park Avenue apartment brings together a daughter, Charlotte (Katherine Waterston), who has left behind her controlling husband and her ranch, and a mother, Kit (Fiona Shaw), who is daring, deluxe, and hiding an inconveniently timed secret. One is a terrible liar and the other, a great one. Over a fraught six weeks, they explore shared history and unshared truths, and learn to face both love and loss. This is Gaby Dellal’s love letter to New York, masterfully decorated by production designer Katie Fleming and beautifully tailored by costume designer Thomas Shuster. Fiona Shaw will be in attendance.

THE KINGDOM

20:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 48 min

Director: Julien Colonna

Writers: Julien Colonna, Jeanne Herry

Cast: Ghjuvanna Benedetti, Saveriu Santucci, Anthony Morganti

In the Corsican summer of 1995, teenager Lesia (Ghjuvanna Benedetti) is whisked away to an isolated villa where her mafioso father (Saveriu Santucci) is hiding with his clan. And thus begins the tumultuous bullet-holed journey of a daughter and her father on the run, learning to understand and love each other. In his first feature, Julien Colonna, a Corsican himself, paints a personal and de-glamourised picture of the gangster lifestyle. With powerful performances from both leads, this Cannes film is like a gunshot: clean, precise and deadly.

SPERMAGEDDON

22:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 20 min

Director: Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Tommy Wirkola

Writers: Geir Vegar Hoel, Jesper Sundnes, Tommy Wirkola

Cast: Aksel Hennie, Mathilde Thomine Storm, Christian Fredrik Mikkelsen, Nasrin Khusrawi

Norway

This is a tale so basic and universal, it’s a wonder no one has told it before! We’re talking about the race, the origin of all races as it were, between millions of sperm cells, all frantically trying to fertilise a single egg. In one plotline, teenagers Jens (Christian Mikkelsen) and Lisa (Nasrin Khusrawi) are having sex for the first time, in the other, Simon the Semen (Aksel Hennie) is on a quest to reach the golden goal: the Egg. Rasmus A. Sivertsen and Tommy Wirkola’s musical animation is as irreverent as Sausage Party and as epic as The Lord of the Rings.

THRILLER

ANIMATION, COMEDY

COMEDY, DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

Q&A WITH

CINEMATIC INFLUENCES: CARTOON SALOON

11:00 - Light House 1 - 1 hr 36 min

Having celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, acclaimed Irish animation company Cartoon Saloon have collaborated with DIFF to screen films which have influenced them and their work over the years. Cartoon Saloon’s Kilkenny-based animation studio has received multiple Acadamy-Award nominations for its animated features and shorts, with The Secret of Kells and The Breadwinner having featured at DIFF 2009 and DIFF 2018.

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

COMEDY

Director: Sylvain Chomet.

Writer: Sylvain Chomet

Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Monica Viegas, Michele Robin France, Belgium, Canada

When Madame Souza’s cyclist grandson, Champion, is kidnapped during the Tour de France and taken to the US, she embarks on a transatlantic journey with her paunchy pooch Bruno and teams up with the Belleville sisters – an aged song and dance team from the 30s – to rescue him. Chomet’s 2003 feature is a darling of a film, existing somewhere between sophistication and silliness. Its vintage postcard-style animation lovingly enhances the idiosyncrasies and whimsy of its plot and characters, and the film becomes a warm, comforting hug that is simultaneously new and familiar.

LOCI

FANTASY

Director: Adrien Merigeau.

Writer: Adrien Merigeau, Nicolas Pleskof.

Cast: Nadia Moussa, Georgia Cusack, Jina Djemba.

France

The city is dynamic, continuous and metamorphic, and Reine is searching for both the answer and its question. Inspired by artists in Kilkenny, director Adrien Merigeau crafted this abstract short, winning awards at Annecy, Berlin, Glas and more. With a rich, eclectic aesthetic bursting with shapes and colours, this 16-minute film invites viewers into its vibrant, superabundant world.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED

ANIMATION, FANTASY, LIVE MUSIC

With live music accompaniment by Conor Linehan

14:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 21 min

Director: Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch

Writer: Lotte Reiniger

Germany

DON HERTZFELDT ANIMATION RETROSPECTIVE

Premiering in Germany in 1926, this is the world’s oldest surviving feature-length animated film. After three years, 96,000 frames, 250,000 images, and several meticulously cut characters and backgrounds, a marvel of fantasy and cinematic movement was born. Reiniger, who was only 23 at the time, used a silhouette animation technique to bring life to a set of stories, including ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Ebony Horse’, from One Thousand and One Nights. This was also one of the first films to portray queer love with an openly gay couple. This is a film that shines in its animating excellence and delights in its artistic creativity.

Conor Linehan is a pianist, composer and teacher based in Dublin with a doctorate in Music Performance.

15:45 – Light House 2 2 hrs 10 min

Director: Don Hertzfeldt

Writer: Don Hertzfeldt

United States

Don Hertzfeldt is a two-time Academy Award nominee whose animations are as influential as they are unique. In 2020, GQ described his work as ‘simultaneously tragic and hilarious and philosophical and crude and deeply sad and fatalist and yet stubbornly, resolutely hopeful.’ He is also the only filmmaker to have won the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Short Film twice. This special retrospective programme collects the three short films from his stellar World of Tomorrow modern science fiction series, Hertzfeldt’s latest project ME, and a few surprises.

DUBLIN ON SCREEN

12:30 – Light House 2

35 min + Q&A (20 min)

Ireland

THE ERASE

Director: Kyle Hogan Bennett

In his uncle’s care, a young boy in north inner-city Dublin becomes a means to an end at the hands of drug-dealers.

REFLECTION

Director: James O’Flaherty

A young man must confront his social fears while being analysed.

As part of the Festival’s commitment to celebrating the work of community filmmakers across the city, we are delighted to present a series of shorts from young Dublin filmmakers, with thanks to Shireen Shortt.

OPEN UP

Director: Niamh Dunne

Aby is having a hard time since losing her ma and her coping mechanisms aren’t working for her anymore.

TROUBLERISER

Director: Lacey O’Neill Sabrina and Romi find themselves in a heated argument. When Romi’s friends join in, fuel is added to the fire.

ME AND THIS

Director: Evan Casey Adam struggles with dyspraxia and faces daily challenges that he must overcome.

SCREEN IRELAND SHORTS 1

The Screen Ireland Shorts showcase a diverse collection of innovative and compelling short films, highlighting emerging talent and unique storytelling. These films offer a fresh perspective on contemporary issues, showcasing the creativity and passion driving Irish cinema.

ONE MORE ROUND

Director: Barry O’Connor Amy is desperate for a baby. Darren has a literal pain in his balls from trying. Sick of attending others’ baby showers and pricy IVF treatments, the two are finally pushed over the edge.

13:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 17 min + Q&A (20 min)

Ireland SHORTS

CAT & MOUSE

Director: Michael-David McKernan Cat is at work in the local diner, being accosted by passive aggressive texts from her mother and slightly more aggressive attempts from her boss to make her do work, when a man in a mouse costume walks through the doors.

MERO

Director: Jack Phelan Mero makes her way into the city by train. She ducks into her favourite café where a mug of coffee and an encounter with a kindred spirit put her at ease.

SCREEN IRELAND SHORTS 2

OGHAM

Director: Alan Hopkins

Eoin lives in a mountainside cave, sleeping alone in the place he once shared with his wife and child. After getting injured on a failed hunt, his continued survival comes into question. 16:00

I CAN’T GO ON

Director: Laoisa Sexton

Trapped inside polyester fur, dizzy and sweating to death, a party entertainer’s day goes from bad to worse and as events spiral out of control, a tense battle for survival ensues.

TADHANA

Director: Deither Kirby Jay, Jessie Lopez II

Ready to leave her parents’ home, Camille wanders in the midst of feelings and memories from the past and prepares for the future.

NAKED LIGHTS

Director: Jeda De Brí

In the dead of night, in the middle of nowhere, in a run-down petrol station, Emma begins her nightshift. What will she do when a balaclava-clad man shows up threatening to set the station on fire?

PEAT

Director: Paudie Baggott

On the advice of her witchy neighbour, a widow builds a Golem to help her work the bog. Things go swimmingly until her useless manchild son starts feeling jealous.

GAEL FORCE

Director: Tara Hegarty

In 1999, Irish national broadcaster RTÉ announced that its weather forecasters would be replaced by attractive young television presenters. But the people of Ireland had something to say about that.

COME BACK

Director: Helen O’Reilly

Eleven-year-old Jenny idolises her 13-year-old sister Lisa and wants to rekindle their once close relationship. Things take a sinister turn when she accompanies Lisa and her friends to a derelict building.

REROOTED

Directors: Christian Spurling, Delphine Coudray

A bored warehouse worker’s quest for an enduring legacy as an animator takes a darkly comedic turn when she signs up for an ecofriendly burial.

TURNAROUND

Director: Aisling Byrne

Following a sudden, tragic bereavement, a West Cork cleaner must decide if she will uphold a tightly hidden secret. Aisling Byrne’s short is beautifully written and even more beautifully acted.

RETIREMENT PLAN

Director: John Kelly

In this cheekily funny yet poignant animation, Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time”.

HAPPYEND

18:30 – Light House 2 1 hr 53 min

Director: Neo Sora

Writer: Neo Sora

Cast: Hayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Makiko Watanabe

Japan

As Yuta (Hayato Kurihara) and Kou (Yukito Hidaka), best friends since childhood, prepare to graduate, a prank they play at school leads to the introduction of an AI apparatus that monitors students 24/7. The boys react to the draconian system of surveillance differently and their friendship is tested by touchscreens and tracking devices. Neo Sora’s Venice debut feature (after the 2023 acclaimed documentary on his father, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus) is cool, compelling and controlled. Set in futuristic Tokyo, Happyend is about growing up in a technopolitical dystopia. Perhaps this future is closer than we think.

AONTAS

18:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 31 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Damian McCann

Writer: Damian McCann, Sarah Gordon

Cast: Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan, Eva-Jane Gaffney

Ireland

Three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish Credit Union. Opening in the tragic aftermath of the heist gone wrong, McCann’s film moves forward into the past to unravel the events that led to this point. What starts as a poorly executed robbery becomes a portrait of a wilful woman frozen in her own past. Aontas is about the moments we get trapped in and the memories that make prisoners of us. But more than anything, it is about the choices that can change destinies.

READY OR NOT

20:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 20 min + Q&A (20min)

Director: Claire Frances Byrne

Writer: Lynn Ruane

Cast: Ruby Conway-Dunne, Alex Grendon

Ireland

Dublin, 1998. Teenagers are all attitude, high ponies and low-waist jeans. Everyone is talking about sex, but no one is talking about consent. What Katie (Ruby Dunne) thinks will be a summer of hanging out in the estate, blaring her favourite tunes and playing football with her best mate Steo (Alex Grendon), becomes a summer of expectations, of crossing lines she didn’t know existed. Byrne’s debut feature is a bursting coming-of-age story with a twist, revealing the grey areas we create to make sense of the world.

DRAMA

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

21:00 – Light House 2

Director: Tracie Laymon

Writer: Tracie Laymon

Cast: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo

States

While desperately searching for her father, twentysomething Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) finds a man (John Leguizamo) with the same name as him on Facebook. When she messages this other Bob Trevino on an impulse, the two quickly connect, forming an unlikely yet genuine bond. With its sparkling SXSW premiere (where it won both the Grand Jury and Audience awards in the Narrative Feature category), Tracie Laymon’s debut feature has something in it for everyone. More than anything else, the film is a gesture of kindness that we all need in these pressing times.

SUNDAY

23 FEBRUARY

EIGHT POSTCARDS FROM UTOPIA

DOCUMENTARY

11:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 10 min

Directors: Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz

Writers: Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz

Romania

Romanian New Wave master Radu Jude teams up with philosopher Christian Ferencz-Flatz to make another hilarious and unforgiving take down of meta capitalist mythology. A Locarno premiere, Eight Postcards from Utopia is a found-footage documentary weaving post-socialist Romanian ads into a narrative of love, death, the human body, the natural and supernatural, and socialism and capitalism. Divided into eight thematic segments, this is a film found in between outdated encyclopedias and trash art, rising from the debris of the country’s long transition period.

DYING

12:00 – Light House 2 3 hrs

Director: Matthias Glasner

Writer: Matthias Glasner

Cast: Lars Eidinger, Corinna Harfouch, Lilith Stangenberg

Germany

The Lunies family haven’t been a family for a long time. Lissy (Corinna Harfouch) is quietly happy about her demented husband Gerd (Hans-Uwe Bauer) slowly wasting away in a home, but she doesn’t have much time left herself. A conductor in his early 40s, son Tom (Lars Eidinger) is being made the surrogate father of his ex-girlfriend’s child, and Tom’s sister Ellen starts an affair with a married man, with whom she shares a love for alcohol. As Death turns up on the doorstep, these estranged family members meet again. Glasner’s Berlin film walks the tightrope between the meaning of life and the beginning of death. Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, it is tragically poignant and utterly hilarious.

DRAMA

This show will offer three newly restored masterpieces of slapstick comedy, by three (or let’s say four) of the most famous comedians of the silent years: Buster Keaton, Charley Chase and Laurel and Hardy. Not only are these films hilarious for the whole family, but they are also surrealistically funny. With live piano accompaniment and Serge Bromberg presenting and playing, the show will be one of these unique experiences of classic silent cinema. Bromberg is a French film restorer and accompanist. He has previously visited the festival in 2016 and 2020.

MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE

Director: Leo McCarey

Writer: H.M. Walker, Charley Chase

Cast: Charley Chase, Vivien Oakland, Ann Howe

United States

ONE WEEK

BIG BUSINESS

Mr. and Mrs Moose (Charley Chase and Vivien Oakland) decide have plastic surgery to surprise the other on the occasion of their wedding anniversary. But when they both leave the clinic, they meet – again – in the elevator, do not recognize each other… and fall in love!

Directors: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton

Writer: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton

Cast: Buster Keaton, Sybil

Seely, Joe Roberts

United States

A newlywed couple (Buster Keaton and Sybil Seely) attempt to build a prefabricated house, unaware that a rival has sabotaged the numbering of the kit’s parts. This 1920 two-reel silent comedy was the legendary Keaton’s first released film.

Directors: James W. Horne, Leo McCarey

Writer: H.M. Walker, Stan

Laurel, Leo McCarey

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

United States

Ollie (Oliver Hardy) and Stanley (Stan Laurel) are two Christmas tree sales reps who will not take no for an answer. Their goading and determination end up irritating a customer, who ruins their tree with a pair of hedge-clippers. And thus begins a full-scale war between the two parties.

THE MARCHING

BAND

COMEDY, DRAMA

15:30 – Light House 1

1 hr 43 min

Director: Emmanuel Courcol

Writer: Oriane Bonduel, Emmanuel Courcol, Irène Muscari, Marianne Tomersy, Khaled Amara

Cast: Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Lottin

France

In search of a bone marrow donor, acclaimed conductor Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe) learns that he was adopted and has an older brother, Jimmy (Pierre Lottin), who works in a school canteen and plays trombone in a brass band in northern France. Everything separates Thibaut and Jimmy, except their love of music. The reunion of the brothers sparks a fraternal, melodious journey amidst a local factory closure and ends up as a luminous tale of generosity and inspiration. Emmanuel Courcol’s Cannes film picks up a familiar premise but executes it with exceptional sensitivity and technical finesse. There are tears but there is also laughter and love.

MY SWEET LAND

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DOCUMENTARY

15:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 26 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Sareen Hairabedian

Writer: Sareen Hairabedian United States, France,

Ireland, Jordan

Hairabedian’s first feature is a coming-of-age documentary set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus Mountains. 11-year-old Vrej dreams of becoming a dentist in his picture-postcard village of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), with its roaming ducks and golden bees. His life takes a sudden turn when war erupts and he is forced into exile with his family. Upon his return, he confronts changed power dynamics and an education that prepares children for near-future battles. Vrej must learn the rules of war, but can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders? This film is a testament to the people of Artsakh, for whom hope and trauma have shaped resilience across generations.

VERMIGLIO

17:45 – Light House 1

1 hr 59 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Maura Delpero

Writer: Maura Delpero

Cast: Giuseppe De Domenico, Martina Scrinzi, Tommaso Ragno

Italy, France, Belgium

Italy, 1944. In Vermiglio, a mountain village high up in the Alps, war looms as a distant but constant threat. The arrival of Pietro (Giuseppe De Domenico), a deserted soldier, disrupts the local dynamics, changing them forever. Over the four seasons marking the end of World War II, Pietro and Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), the eldest daughter of a teacher, are instantly drawn to each other leading to an unexpected restructuring of familial and social relationships. Delpero’s second feature is a momentous and remarkable piece of cinema, not relying on pretentions or pastry but going straight for the jugular of family secrets. With its premiere in Venice, the film was awarded the Grand Jury Prize.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

SEEKING

MAVIS BEACON

18:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 42 mins + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Jazmin Jones

Writer: Jazmin Jones

United States

The 1980s software ‘Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing’ taught millions globally, but its Haitian-born cover model, Renée L’Esperance, vanished decades ago. DIY detectives Jazmin (Director) and Olivia (Associate Producer) set out on a search for L’Esperance and investigate the creation of her online persona. This spellbinding cyberspace adventure explores ethical representations of queerness and racialisation, AI and glitch art. Jones’ directorial debut is a scrapbook of footage, interviews and desktop cinema, trying to answer one of the most important questions of our time: what is selfdom in a tech-driven world?

20:45 – Light House 1

1 hr 31 min + Q&A (20 mins)

Director: Brian Durnin

Writer: Cara Loftus

Cast: Cillian Sullivan, Laurence O’Fuarain, Danielle Galligan

Ireland

It is the 80s and 11-year-old Bobby O’Brien (Cillian Sullivan) dreams of becoming a great detective like his TV hero Kojak. Bobby sets up a private investigation enterprise with his best friend Nell (Naoise Kelly), who is the Dr. Watson to his Sherlock. When Bobby’s older brother Oisín (Lewis Brophy) disappears, the young detectives get their first case. Durnin’s debut feature is set in an ugly Dublin of uncertainty, economic crisis and gangs, and yet it is a film with a lot of heart. Unapologetic in both its direction and script (by Cara Loftus), it premiered at ‘Just Films’, Youth and Children’s Film Festival (part of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival).

The cast of Spilt Milk will also be partaking in a Meet the Cast event in the Complex at 14:00 on Mon 24 Feb.

NEVER STOP THE ACTION

21:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 10 min

Director: Paul Rowley

Writer: Paul Rowley

Cast: Ricki Lynée, Stephen Quinn

A supernova in a single New York City subway carriage, this is a kaleidoscopic and often hilarious journey through time and space. It begins in The Bronx, catching a 5am D train with Teshi (Ricki Lynée) and Casey (Stephen Quinn), two friends recently reunited at an all-night dance party. On their long subway ride through the awakening metropolis, these two merry pilgrims share stories, fragments, moments out of time: going from the mountains of Spain to Japan to AI generated universes. Rowley borrows big cosmic ideas and New Wave cinema aesthetics to create a truly hybrid film, which is equal parts travelogue and science fiction.

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

MONDAY 24 FEB

DIFF SHORTS 1THE DEADLIEST OF ALL THINGS

SHORTS

15:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 40 min + Q&A (20 min)

This programme delves into the intensity of love as well as the fine line where it spirals into obsession. It explores the consuming, destructive, and sometimes irrational nature of desire.

Programmed by Aisha Bolaji & Mohammed Tarek

FOREVER YOURS

Director: Elliott Louis McKee Germany

After a tragic accident leaves Sebastian paralysed, Valeria becomes his caretaker, but her devotion slowly gives way to a disturbing obsession.

WE BEG TO DIFFER

Director: Ruairi Bradly Ireland, United Kingdom

In the underground world of diffing, a subculture of car enthusiasts in Northern Ireland finds an outlet for their personal struggles amidst a mental health crisis.

A BODY CALLED LIFE

Director: Spencer MacDonald

United States

A self-isolated young human known as “James” delves into the hidden world of microscopic organisms, forging a tender connection with these nearly invisible creatures.

DRAMA Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

PALESTINE ISLANDS

Directors: Nour Ben Salem, Julien Menanteau France, Palestine Maha, a Palestinian refugee, seeks to bring joy to her blind grandfather by convincing him the separation wall has fallen and a return to his homeland is possible.

BUNKER BABY

Director: Conor McCormick Ireland

Set against the backdrop of the Irish housing crisis, a young couple discover that they are expecting their first child — while living in Lauren’s childhood bedroom.

I WISH YOU LOVE

Director: Tsz-ching Lau Hong Kong

A Hong Kong journalist and Chinese officer form an unexpected bond in North Korea. Years later, they reunite in Hong Kong to confront their past feelings.

THE NICEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Director: Andrés I. Estrada Canada

To prove who is the nicer person, two men embark on a competition to outdo each other in displays of thoughtfulness and politeness towards the other.

THE SUMMER BOOK

15:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 30 min

Director: Charlie McDowell

Writer: Tove Jansson, Robert Jones

Cast: Glenn Close, Anders Danielsen Lie, Emily Matthews Finland

Nine-year-old Sophia (Emily Matthews), with her father (Anders Danielsen Lie) and grandmother (Glenn Close), spends her summers at their home on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. But there is a glaring vacuum in the family, the absence of Sophia’s mother. The trio talk about life, nature and everything else but their feelings about losing her. McDowell’s unassuming and calm adaptation of Moomin creator Tove Jansson’s beloved novel is made lustrous by Close’s admirable subtlety and Danielsen Lie’s vital and welcomed taciturnity.

THE COURAGEOUS

WITH FILMMAKERS

17:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 20 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Jasmin Gordon

Writers: Julien Bouissoux, Jasmin Gordon

Cast: Ophélia Kolb, Jasmine Kalisz Saurer, Paul Besnier

Switzerland

In a small town in the Valais region of Switzerland, the eccentric and delinquent 40-year-old Jule (Ophelia Kolb) has had enough of the rules. Crushed by her mistakes and by a society that doesn’t give a damn – or a second chance – to people like her, she’ll do anything to prove to her three children, and to herself, that she is still a good person. There are no simple and straightforward solutions in Gordan’s debut feature. There is a lot that the film chooses not to tell, focusing on the relationship between the mother and her children instead. It compels its viewer to not judge but understand and empathise.

DRAMA

DRAMA

Q&A

18:00 – Light House 1

hr 37 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Sadie Frost

Kingdom

Frost’s sophomore documentary focuses on the life of the greatest ‘IT’ girl of all time. Shot over the last two years, it is an intimate, glittering dive into the birth of a star, and everything that followed. Featuring contributions from Dustin Hoffman, Brooke Shields, Paul McCartney, Charlotte Tilbury, Joanna Lumley and many more, TWIGGY explores the eponymous model’s upbringing, career, relationships and everything else that has made her the woman she is today.

Twiggy and Sadie Frost will feature in the award-winning Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club on Tues 25 Feb, 17:00, The Complex.

AMANDA

18:30 – IFI 1

1 hr 15 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: José Miguel

Jiménez

Co-creator: Amanda Cullen

Amanda has painted in isolation for years, using art as both expression and refuge. Institutionalised and labelled, she reclaims her narrative through her canvas. As she prepares for her first retrospective, her story reaches national newspapers, and she navigates the vulnerability of sharing her art and her truth. Will this confrontation lead to healing or a reopening of old wounds? Through immersive explorations of her luminous works, Jiménez’s documentary captures Amanda’s transformation of silence into radiance.

This film is a part of the Reel Art scheme.

MAESTRA

Q&A WITH

19:00 – Royal Irish Academy of Music, Westland Row 1 hr 28 mins + Q&A (30 min)

Director: Maggie Contreras

United States, Poland, France

Five incredible women from around the globe, boldly breaking glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of orchestral conducting, take centre stage in Contreras’ directorial debut. They gather in Paris for ‘La Maestra’, the only competition in the world for female conductors. Mothers, daughters, rebels, leaders – they all compete with and support each other, and personal stories of perseverance are woven together with drama and excitement. When one of the participants, after a rejection, is told to smile more, it becomes clear that the Lydia Társ of the real world have a long road ahead of them.

CHAIN REACTIONS

Q&A WITH

20:00 – Light House 2 1 hr 43 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe

Writer: Alexandre O. Philippe

United States

Chain Reactions charts the profound impact and lasting influence of Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on five great artists – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama. By crafting a dynamic dialogue between contemporary footage and never-before-seen outtakes, and delving into personal impressions triggered by distinct audiovisual formats, Alexandre O. Philippe’s film goes to the heart of how a scruffy, no-budget independent horror wormed its way into our collective nightmares and permanently altered the zeitgeist. Chain Reactions won the 2024 Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema.

Alexandre O. Philippe will also be partaking in a directing Masterclass on Tue 25 Feb at 11:30 in the Complex.

SUSTAINABILITY GALA

This year’s Sustainability Gala explores the transformative potential of nature and the innovative efforts of individuals and communities around the globe to address urgent environmental challenges.

The Sustainability Gala is supported by DIFF’s long-term collaborator - Volvo. As part of their commitment to the planet, Volvo provide an all-electric fleet of cars for the annual festival - helping us reduce our carbon footprint. Globally, they support projects focused on empowering people, restoring and preserving the environment, and protecting ocean health.

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY

OUR BLUE WORLD: A WATER ODYSSEY

Director: Ruán Magan

Writer: Ruán Magan, Paul O’Callaghan

Canada

SEAWEED STORIES

Director: Jake Sumner

Writer: Gabriel Nussbaum, Jake Sumner United States

Magan’s documentary, narrated by Liam Neeson, paints portraits of some extraordinary individuals who are harnessing natural flows and creating a new, modern consciousness of water, based on ancestral wisdom.

It includes the likes of Li An Phoa, who has walked 15,000 km of the world’s rivers, Kongjian Yu, the radical architect behind the revolutionary ‘Sponge City’ concept, and Vered Engelhard, who is rediscovering ancient water techniques of the Andes. Sequel to the 2020 Brave Blue World, this is a film of hope, showing how each one of us has the power to transform the planet for good.

The Sustainability Gala will open with a screening of Seaweed Stories.

Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this is a vibrant and global look at the wonders of seaweed, and some of the extraordinary stories and characters whose lives have been entangled by this often overlooked marine organism.

LIFE’S A BITCH

COMEDY

13:15 – Light House 2 1 hr 28 min

Director: Xavier Seron

Writer: Xavier Seron

Cast: Ninon Borsei, Arieh

Worthalter, Louise Manteau

Belgium

Three intertwined destinies, three stories of humans and their canine companions. To please Cecile, Tom agrees to adopt her dead neighbour’s Chihuahua, the creature that seemingly pushed its former owner to suicide. Famous actress Greta is crushed. Her dog and assistant are dead. When she meets Charlotte in a drycleaning shop, she asks her to replace her assistant… unless she meant her dog?

For Franck and Lola, it was love at first sight. But Lola doesn’t like dogs. And so, Franck must choose between his new love and the very best dog that ever was. Seron’s second feature is a tender episodic film about man’s best friend.

DIFF SHORTS 2 - IN TRANSIT

A celebration of movement, this programme reflects journeys of transformation and transition. Through literal travel and metaphorical growth, it examines the beauty and challenges of change.

Programmed by Aisha Bolaji & Mohammed Tarek

ÉIST LIOM

Directors: Zoe Ní Riordáin, Maud Lee. Ireland

This is Carmen’s story, told countless times worldwide.

She betrays her partner, Don José. He loves her, but she doesn’t feel the same.

WE DIDN’T KNOW WHY

Director: Evan Henderson

United States

Two women from different backgrounds are brought together by death, life and rebirth. Both women experience an ancestral connection through a revival of lost languages.

15:15 – Light House 2 1hr 42 min + Q&A (20 min)

DOLLAR BABY’S

Directors: Remi Alfallah, Megan Haly Ireland

Struggling to make ends meet, a queer couple living in Los Angeles are drawn into the alluring, yet complex world of online sex work.

2004 WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO

Director: Clare Hoey

United Kingdom

Ali returns to her Australian hometown for a visa photo. While giving advice to a bullied teenager, she realises how little she’s grown in two decades.

NAY DAY

Director: Derek Ugochukwu Ireland

A teenage TikToker narrates the story of her hectic life and aspirations while walking her dog through a menacing industrial landscape.

SHADOWS

Director: Rand Beiruty France, Jordon

At a crowded airport, 15-yearold Ahlam, a young mother fleeing Baghdad, confronts her past while reclaiming her life after years of mistreatment.

BEATHA

Director: Macy-Jayne Monique Stewart, Hannah Winifred McCallum Ireland

Beatha (the sanctity of being, of all living things) explores themes of grief, forbidden love, loneliness and resilience whilst showing the evolving identity of Ireland.

EVERY OTHER WEEKEND

Director: James Naughton Ireland

Told through the eyes of his children, a recently divorced father takes them on a camping trip in the West of Ireland.

INSIDE, THE VALLEY SINGS

Director: Nathan Fagan

Ireland

Trapped in the horror of prolonged solitary confinement, three individuals in prisons across the United States seek comfort in the boundless vistas of their own imaginations.

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT

Director: Nebojša Slijepčević Croatia, France, Bulgaria, Slovenia

In 1993, during the Bosnian War, a passenger train is stopped for an ethnic cleansing operation. One man among 500 passengers becomes a lone voice of defiance.

15:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 55 min

Director: Andres Veiel

Writer: Andres Veiel Germany

Leni Riefenstahl is one of the most controversial personalities in history. She was an innovative and creative aesthete of the 20th century as well as a Nazi propagandist who claimed to not know about the Holocaust. Riefenstahl directed Triumph of the Will and Olympia, two of the most effective pieces of propaganda to be created under Hitler’s regime. Veiel’s documentary uncovers fragments of her biography, using documents from her estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters. How could Riefenstahl become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker and keep denying any closer ties to Hitler and Goebbels?

SANTOSH

18:00 – Light House 1 2 hrs 7 min

Director: Sandhya Suri

Writer: Sandhya Suri

Cast: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Nawal Shukla

United Kingdom, India, Germany, France

A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh (Shahana Goswami) inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. After the murder of a low-caste girl, Santosh is taken under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Geeta Sharma (Sunita Rajwar) and the pair challenges the patriarchal and casteist attitudes underlining the investigation. Shot over a mere 45 days, Suri’s narrative feature debut is dark and detailed, and acted with admirable subtlety. After premiering in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, Santosh went on to win Best Screenplay at the British Independent Film Awards.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DOCUMENTARY

18:00 – Light House 2 2 hr 5 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Albert Serra

Writer: Albert Serra

Spain, France, Portugal

Andrés Roca Rey, clad in glittering gold brocade, is the high priest of bullfighting. In this documentary, Albert Serra, with his frequent collaborator, DOP Artur Tort, follows this Peruvian bullfighter for 3 years and 14 corridas. The juxtaposition of pageantry with gore is simultaneously satisfying and jarring, as Tort’s camera closes in to capture the bull and its fighter as if they were dancers. Serra is interested in the solitude of both the human and the animal, the almost sacred sublimity of the violence involved, and the ecocritical morality of the sport. This film premiered at San Sebastián and won the Golden Shell.

LATINA, LATINA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DOCUMENTARY, EXPERIMENTAL

18:30 – IFI 1 1 hr 24 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Adrian Duncan

Writer: Adrian Duncan

Ireland

An Irish geologist teaching in Italy gets a call from a Berlin hospital: her estranged father, whom she hasn’t seen for over 30 years, is unconscious after a fall. As his next of kin, she is asked to come to Berlin. Over the course of a night in her father’s Berlin apartment she learns from his diaries about a trip he took with a friend to Italy in the early 2000s to research fascist-era buildings and sculptures. It is a trip that ended in tragedy. Latina, Latina is a timely and moving hybrid-documentary that looks at a political ideology through the objects and buildings it left behind.

This film is a part of the Reel Art scheme.

20:40 – Light House 1

1 hr 50 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Jason Buxton

Writers: Jason Buxton, Russell Wangersky

Cast: Ben Foster, Cobie

Smulders, Gita Miller

Canada

Josh McCall (Ben Foster) has it all: a loving wife (Cobie Smulders), a cute son (Will Kosovic), a job that pays well and his dream home. However, when he discovers a dangerous stretch of road near his new house, he becomes obsessed with saving the lives of car accident victims, an obsession that could cost him everything. Buxton’s film of a family man’s curious descent into madness is unmissable for both its technical excellence (production designer Jennifer Stewart, DOP Guy Godfree, composer Stephen McKeown) and Foster’s deeply unsettling performance. This is a story that revels in its ambiguities.

GOOD ONE

21:00 – Light House 2

1 hr 30 mins

Director: India Donaldson

Writer: India Donaldson

Cast: Lilly Collias, James Le

Gros, Danny McCarthy

United States

In this nuanced coming-of-age story, 17-year-old Sam (Lilly Collias) contends with the egos of her father and his oldest friend during a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills. The only female in the excursion party and wise beyond her years, Sam is expected to take on the role of the nurturer and caregiver, as the two men quickly settle into a gently quarrelsome brotherly dynamic, airing longheld grievances. When lines are crossed, Sam must navigate the universal moment when the parental bond is tested. Donaldson’s debut feature premiered at Sundance and was awarded Best Directorial Debut of 2024 by the National Board of Review, USA.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

Together, artists can inspire change

At ESB, we believe the arts play a significant role in documenting and harnessing social change and in creating a brighter future for all.

Through our Energy for Generations Fund, we’re supporting Dublin International Film Festival’s Next Gen Female Filmmakers initiative, giving emerging talent the opportunity to develop the skills needed to thrive in film and production industries.

Find out more at esb.ie

WEDNESDAY 26 FEB

DIFF SHORTS 3SHUT YOUR EYES & SEE

COMPOST

Directors: Augusto Sinay, Matías Sinay

This programme navigates the deep emotional landscapes of loss and realisation. Confronting death with rawness and vulnerability, it reflects on grief as a pathway to understanding.

Programmed by Aisha Bolaji & Mohammed Tarek

FARMERS!?

Director: Freddie Leyden

United Kingdom, Ireland

A farmer’s attempt to bond with a young man leads to rejection, setting off a chain of emotional turmoil.

Argentina

After a fatal accident, a greenhouse owner uses her husband’s corpse to fertilize a plant for an upcoming competition.

BLANCHE

Director: Joanne Rakotoarisoa France

An elderly woman’s death brings the village together for her funeral, where bi-racial teenager Zaza forms an unexpected bond with a young cousin.

IN WAKE OF JOHN DOYLE

Directors: Niall McCloskey, Thomas Bennett United Kingdom

An excommunicated priest returns to his remote island community in a long-lost documentary, now recovered from the depths of time.

UPPER CURRENT

Director: Greg O’Reilly

Ireland

A hit-and-run spirals into a nightmarish struggle against fate when a man attempts to cover up his crime.

I DON’T CARE IF THE WORLD COLLAPSES

Director: Karim Shaaban Morsy

Egypt

A line producer faces a dilemma during a troubled commercial shoot, forced to choose between professional duties and her own sense of humanity.

THE WILDE SISTERS

Director: Táine King

Ireland

In 1871, a party ends in tragedy when two fiery figures fall into the snow. In the present, two sisters face a Death Officer in a civil service office.

THE SPARROW IN THE CHIMNEY

15:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 57 min

Director: Ramon Zürcher

Writer: Ramon Zürcher

Cast: Maren Eggert, Andreas Döhler, Paula Schindler, Britta Hammelstein

Switzerland

BACKSTAGE

Karen (Maren Eggert) and Markus stay with their children in Bern, where Karen grew up. Jule (Britta Hammelstein), Karen’s sister, and her family come to celebrate a birthday. Memories of their late mother stir Jule’s desire to resist Karen’s control and secrets set alight a fire, blazing and renewing. The final instalment in the Swiss twin brothers Ramon and Silvan’s (producer) ‘animal trilogy’ is both a fairytale and a horror story. This Locarno-debuting film frees itself from the dictates of society and personal pasts, and plunges into the wild and abysmal cosmos of family.

MIDWEEK

GALA: BEAT THE LOTTO

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

18:10 – Light House 1

1 hr 20 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Ross Whitaker

Writer: Ross Whitaker

Ireland

16:00 – Light House 2

1 hr 41 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Afef Ben

Mahmoud, Khalil Benkirane

Writer: Afef Ben Mahmoud

Cast: Afef Ben Mahmoud, Saleh Bakri, Abdallah Badis, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Morocco

Aida (Afef Ben Mahmoud) is a member of the contemporary dance troupe ‘Without Borders’ touring Morocco. During a performance in a small Middle Atlas town, she is injured by her stage partner Hedi (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui). And thus begins an exodus of dramatic events through a long night across the woods, on the way to the doctor in the next village. The forest floor becomes a stage for the troupe as group dynamics are explored and exposed through movement and performance. A vibrant and original work of cinema.

This screening is proudly supported by the Embassy of Morocco.

Almost everyone has played the Lottery and everyone would like to win it. When the National Lottery was launched in Ireland in 1986, a type of mania ensued with the public taking the game to their hearts. In a depressed and dysfunctional era, the technologically advanced National Lottery was one of the country’s few trusted institutions, running like clockwork and dispersing funds to good causes. Whitaker’s documentary tells the story of Stefan, the man who tried to beat the Lotto system by attempting to fix the draw, an act that divided a whole nation.

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

Director: Filip Hammar,

Wikingsson

Writers: Filip Hammar,

After 40 years as a French teacher, 80-year-old Lars Hammar retires and becomes passive and apathetic to the dismay of his family. Looking to rekindle the spark in his life, his son Filip and his best friend Fredrik load Lars into a car and head to France on a road trip. This third feature film by the Swedish journalist duo is a heartwarming and, at the same time, heartbreaking story of accepting the inevitable, and became the highest-grossing documentary in Sweden. 18:30

WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SKY

Director: John Connors

Writer: John Connors, Tiernan

John Connors invites his grandmother Chrissy Donohue Ward into the frame to share the myths and oral traditions that shaped her and inspired him as a filmmaker. A lifelong Mincéir activist and poet, Chrissy blends enchanting fairytales with raw truths, celebrating the Irish Traveller community’s resilience. A powerful exploration of storytelling’s enduring magic, this documentary invites audiences to embrace the overlooked beauty of Mincéir culture and its rich legacy of connection and belonging.

ON FALLING

20:30 – Light House 2 1 hr 44 min + Q&A (20 mins)

Director: Laura Carreira

Writer: Laura Carreira

Cast: Joana Santos, Inês Vaz, Piotr Sikora

United Kingdom, Portugal

Set against a landscape dominated by an algorithm-driven gig economy, Laura Carreira’s directorial debut explores the silent, vital struggle to find meaning. Aurora (Joana Santos), a Portuguese migrant working in a warehouse in Edinburgh, is trapped between the confines of a vast distribution centre and the solitude of her own bedroom. She seeks connection in a world designed to keep people apart, and a better life for herself. Carreira’s extremely important and enveloping film won the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature in London and the Silver Shell in San Sebastian.

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH). Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

Push Boundaries

LORD MAYOR’S GALA: FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE

20:15 – Light House 1 2 hrs 5 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Polly Steele

Writer: Niall Williams

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne, Fionn O’Shea Ireland, United Kingdom

Nicholas (Fionn O’Shea) and Isabel (Ann Skelly) are made for each other but the path to true love is not always easy. As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of love bring them together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart. In Polly Steele’s West-coast film, two Irish people embark on journeys of heartache. With a cast consisting of powerhouses like Helena Bonham Carter and Pierce Brosnan, this adaptation of Niall Williams’ novel is an epic fable of romance and destiny. It is a reminder that the meeting of two lovers is no less than a miracle.

THURSDAY

27 FEBRUARY

THE ABSENT

13:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 30 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Dan Lu

Writer: Dan Lu

Cast: Nadier Fatihe, Refati Kalimufu, Yi Wang

China

This is the chronicle of a hometown, a chronicle of seeking and returning. When Ivan, an introverted Russian photographer comes back to his hometown of Tacheng in Xinjiang, he checks into an old-fashioned hotel and meets the owner, Refati, a Tatar accordionist and Xiaoyu, the lodger next door. These brief and unexpected companions get stuck together during a blizzard and become vessels of wisdom to each other. Lu’s film is a very personal work, based on her own experiences, and in more ways than one, is her own vessel of wisdom. In a white landscape of freezing cold, arcs of growth intertwine and people melt into their truest and most vulnerable selves.

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

14:00 – Light House 2

1 hr 59 min

Director: Dag Johan Haugerud

Writer: Dag Johan Haugerud

Cast: Andrea Bræin Hovig,

Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen

Norway

Marianne (Andrea Bræin Hovig), a pragmatic doctor, and Tor (Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen), a compassionate nurse, are both avoiding conventional relationships. One evening, after a blind date, Marianne meets Tor on the ferry, and wonders if his philosophy of spontaneous and casual intimacy might be an option for her. The second instalment in celebrated Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex Love Dreams trilogy, this is a delightful and honest look at modern relationships. The charming loquacity of the dialogue is complemented by Cecilie Semec’s candid camerawork, making this ode to love a perfect watch for fans of The Worst Person in the World

EVERYBODY LOVES TOUDA

15:45 – Light house 1 1 hr 42 min

Director: Nabil Ayouch

Writer: Nabil Ayouch, Maryam Touzani

Cast: Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Tlemsi

Morocco

Touda (Nisrin Erradi) only dreams of two things: being a Sheikha, a traditional Moroccan performer singing songs passed down from generation to generation, and creating a better life for herself and her deaf son. And it is in the lights of Casablanca that she sees both these dreams coming true. But things are far from easy in a world where desires can be exacerbated to the point of abuse.

Written by director Ayouch and Maryam Touzani, and scored by Danish composer Flemming Nordkrog, this melodrama of music and motherhood is carried by the brilliant performance of Erradi as the resilient and hopeful woman at its centre.

This screening is proudly supported by the Embassy of Morocco.

MIND YOUR HEAD

16:30 – Light House 2 47 min + Q&A (40 min)

Director: Saga Torkelson, James Quinn McDonagh

United Kingdom

As an ethnic group, Irish Travellers are seven times more likely to take their own lives. Filmed over three years, McDonagh and Torkelson’s documentary follows the challenges faced by Irish Traveller Andy Spoore on his journey to recovery. It considers the impacts of trauma generated through needless repetition of lived experience, the consequences of being made to feel ashamed and the barriers that prevent access to proper support. McDonagh and Torkelson seek to articulate solutions and assess societal reforms through the lens of criminal justice, medicine and community. As McDonagh says, “The goal of the film is to save one life, saving two would be priceless.”

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

DRAMA, ROMANCE

DRAMA

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

VOLTA AWARDS

Date: 26 & 27 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: The Complex

Our Volta Awards honour outstanding contributions to the art of filmmaking. Named after Ireland’s first dedicated cinema, the Volta Picture Theatre, founded by James Joyce, this prestigious accolade celebrates those whose work has captivated audiences and left a lasting legacy in the global film industry. Previous recipients include Danny DeVito, Steve McQueen, Julie Andrews and Kenneth Branagh.

This year’s Volta Awards will be presented to Jessica Lange and Ed Harris. Both Volta presentations will be public events and include career retrospective and conversation with the recipients. Don’t miss Long Day’s Journey into Night, which stars both of this year’s award recipients - Thurs 27 Feb, 18:00, Light House Cinema.

Date: Wed 26 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Jessica Lange

Date: Thurs 27 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: The Complex

Acclaimed as one of the greatest actresses of her generation, Jessica Lange has dazzled the screen with over 30 credits to her name. Lange has won a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Emmys, five Golden Globes, and one SAG Award.

Ed Harris is a celebrated actor and filmmaker with a career spanning five decades. A four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner, Harris is renowned for standout performances in The Hours (2002), The Truman Show (1998), Apollo 13 (1995), Pollock (2000), and HBO’s Game Change and Empire Falls. Harris has worked with acclaimed directors, including James Cameron (The Abyss), Oliver Stone (Nixon), Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), and Darren Aronofsky (Mother!). Recent highlights include Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter (2021). As a director, Harris earned critical acclaim with Pollock and Appaloosa (2008). He will next direct The Ploughmen, a neonoir crime thriller based on Kim Zupan’s novel, starring Nick Nolte and Bill Murray. Upcoming projects include Ben Stiller’s comedy The Dink, and the A24 thriller Huntington

Throughout her longstanding career, Jessica has continued to take on diverse roles in many acclaimed film, television and theatre projects. She received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her challenging performance in Frances (1982) and took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Sydney Pollack’s memorable comedy Tootsie (1982). She won her second Oscar in 1994 for Best Actress in Blue Sky (1994). Lange has also starred in legendary films such as Sweet Dreams (1985), Music Box (1989), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Country (1984), Rob Roy (1995), and Cape Fear (1991).

Venue: The Complex

Lange starred in the television series Grey Gardens, Feud: Bette and Joan and American Horror Story. On Broadway, she received Tony and Drama Desk award nominations starring in Mother Play. She received Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards for her performance as Mary Tyrone in A Long Day’s Journey into Night, a role she also performed in the West End. She made her Broadway debut in A Streetcar Named Desire and was also seen starring in The Glass Menagerie.

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

On television, Harris captivated audiences as the enigmatic “Man in Black” in HBO’s Westworld, earning him an Emmy nomination. He recently starred in Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway and made his West End debut in Buried Child, earning an Olivier nomination. With his diverse body of work and unparalleled talent, Ed Harris remains a powerful force in cinema and theatre.

18:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 49 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Jonathan Kent

Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire, Eugene O’Neill

Cast: Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Colin Morgan, Ben Foster

United Kingdom, Ireland

Taking place over the course of 24 hours, Kent’s adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play depicts the Tyrones, who, despite attempts at affection and intimacy, are locked in a cycle of conflict and resentment. The youngest son, Edmund (Colin Morgan), returns home from time at sea to find the family breaking down under the weight of addiction and illness. Kent’s cinematic lens on the theatrical text is fearless and unflinching. Coming to Dublin for its world premiere, this foundational American tragedy is ennobled by the lead performances of Jessica Lange and Ed Harris.

Ed Harris

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

ED HARRIS

JESSICA LANGE

ANIMALIA

SCI-FI, THRILLER

18:30 – Light House 2

1 hr 30 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Sofia Alaoui

Writer: Sofia Alaoui, Laurie

Bost, Raphaëlle Desplechin

Cast: Oumaima Barid, Mehdi

Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou

France, Morocco

In her feature directorial debut, based on her short So What If the Goats Die, Alaoui follows Itto (Oumaïma Barid), a pregnant woman who finds emancipation as aliens land in Morocco. Intrigued? You should be. Alaoui’s film engages with big ideas on a not so big budget, managing to create a truly transcendental sci-fi-cumphilosophical human odyssey. As Itto tries to reunite with her husband Amine (Mehdi Dehbi), she grapples with the relationship between human agency and the forces of nature. Alaoui asks many urgent questions, leaving us to write our own answers.

This screening is proudly supported by the Embassy of Morocco.

E.1027 - EILEEN GRAY AND THE HOUSE BY THE SEA

18:30 – IFI 1 1 hr 29 min

Director: Beatrice Minger, Christoph Schaub

Writer: Beatrice Minger

In 1929, when the iconic Irish artist Eileen Gray designed a house for herself on the Riviera, the result was a modernist triumph. This docufiction tells the story of E.1027, a house-cum-work of art, and how it became an obsession for Swiss-French star architect Le Corbusier. Gray’s aesthetics not only drive the narrative but also the look of the film. Overlooking the sun-sparkled infinity of the Mediterranean, this is a woman’s desire to create a home where she is protected but free, a space that comes under threat of becoming a villa of violence and vandalism.

SILENT TREES

20:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 24 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Agnieszka Zwiefka

Writer: Agnieszka Zwiefka

Poland

When her mother dies in the forest on the Polish-Belarusian border, 16-year-old Kurdish girl Runa suddenly becomes much older: she has to take care of her father and 4 younger brothers. Starting anew in Poland, she wants to live like her newfound European friends and become a lawyer. But just as her dream of going back to school comes true, another threat appears – deportation. Runa’s escape from everyday problems is a sketchbook filled with drawings that express what she feels. Gradually, her drawings come to life. Zwiefka’s film is a partially animated bildungsroman set against the backdrop of the global refugee crisis.

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

THE SURFER

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

THRILLER

20:45 – Light House 1 1 hr 39 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Lorcan Finnegan

Writer: Thomas Martin

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nicholas Cassim

Australia, Ireland

In Lorcan Finnegan’s fourth feature, a man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son only to realise that he is not welcome in what used to be his home. He is not even a guest but an intruder. This unnamed man (Nicolas Cage) is humiliated by a group of powerful locals and drawn into a conflict that rises with the punishing heat of the summer. This entertaining sandy Cannes film rides the big wave, engaging with issues of toxic masculinity as its eponymous protagonist slowly unravels on the Australian coast.

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY

DREAMS

13:15 – Light House 2 1 hr 50 min

Director: Dag Johan Haugerud

Writer: Dag Johan Haugerud

Cast: Ella Øverbye, Selome

Emnetu, Ane Dahl Torp

The third and final instalment in Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex Love Dreams trilogy sees three different generations reacting to and re-examining their fantasies and realities. Johanne (Ella Øverbye) falls in love for the first time – with her teacher – and documents her emotions in writing. When her mother and grandmother read her work, they are shocked by its intimate content. As they debate on whether to publish it, all three women confront their differing views on love, sexuality, and self-discovery. Haugerud’s film, wading through messy relationships, both romantic and familial, is a clever Scandi essay on desire.

FRESH FILM HOTHOUSE

Fresh Film is an Irish organisation (now in its 29th year) dedicated to nurturing and promoting the next generation of filmmakers. By offering resources, mentorship, and unique opportunities, Fresh Film empowers young creators to succeed and share their voices on a global stage.

13:30 Light House 1 1 hr 22 min + Q&A (20 min)

MY BATTLE WITH BLUE

Director: Abbi Henderson

My Battle with Blue is the story of Luna, a young woman who has a tantalising addiction to the colour blue. So much so that she hasn’t left her home in months out of fear of the other colours in the real world. That is until her boyfriend Reggie convinces her to go to the place she’s been dreaming of going for so long: the ocean.

The Hothouse Programme, in collaboration with Screen Ireland and RTÉ, is tailored to support advanced and award-winning young filmmakers. Through mentorship and guidance, young filmmakers are invited to pitch for micro-grants and participate in a structured programme that helps them bring their short films to life. This year, Fresh Film is proud to support eight talented young filmmakers as they take the next step in their creative journeys.

STARDOG

Director: Chloe Forde Stella is an astronaut. Stella is also a dog. These things cannot, and should not, go together. When Stella’s ship (which isn’t actually hers) crash lands on an unknown, desolate planet, she makes it out unscathed, as per cartoon logic, but she is left stranded. Journeying across the wastelands, Stella finds another ship and must ‘liberate’ it from its owner to continue her voyage through the stars.

HEARTLESS

Director: Eóin Harrison

A caricature artist is approached by a strange man, who insists that he tell her the story of his dying mother, her family home and a supernatural occurrence. Upon hearing his ghostly tale, she must decide whether or not to do one small favour for him.

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

WEDNESDAY NIGHT TENNIS

Director: Erin Geraghty

After dropping out of her dream college course, budding musician Alice joins a local tennis club to try escape a creative rut.

NORTH STAR

Director: Fiachra Cotter O’Culachain

In this a heartfelt coming-ofage drama, 19-year-old Réaltín must navigate love, loss, and self-discovery. As a young child raised by her grandfather, she learns about the symbolic importance of the North Star as a constant guide. As Réaltín grows up, she must rediscover her inner strength and find guidance in the memory of her grandfather and the North Star to regain hope and purpose.

MY WAY

Director: Olivia Curto

In this modern fairytale, a 9-year-old girl with dyscalculia, desperate for her father’s approval, discovers the secret patterns of math in nature. Her new perspective challenges everything she’s been taught, proving success is about more than numbers –it’s about seeing the world in your own way.

THE GOOD LIST

Director: Mia Donnelly

Fuelled by an unwavering belief in the magic of Christmas, a grown man confronts his office’s Santa Claus actor in an attempt to get himself back onto the good list so that he can receive presents again.

GAZER

THRILLER

15:30 – Light House 2 1 hr 52 min

Director: Ryan J. Sloan

Writer: Ariella Mastroianni, Ryan J. Sloan

Cast: Ariella Mastroianni, Marcia DeBonis, Renee Gagner

United States

Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni), a young mother with dyschronometria, struggles to perceive time. Using cassette tapes for guidance, she takes a risky job from a mysterious woman to support her family, unaware of the dark consequences that await. Self-financed by its electrician-turned-filmmaker director, Gazer is a piece of technical cinematic triumph. From Mastroianni’s phenomenal performance to its pulsating score, everything works perfectly. Written by Ryan J. Sloan and Mastroianni, this smart and stylish noir premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.

PAVEMENTS

AN SPIOTHÓG

Director: William Mulligan

A nonverbal girl is about to start school, and in a desperate last attempt to get her to speak, her parents send her to spend a few days with her grandfather, who only speaks Irish. At first daunted and nervous, Éabha connects with her grandfather and with the natural world around her, and succeeds in finding her true voice.

DOCUMENTARY, EXPERIMENTAL

15:45 – Light House 1 2 hrs 8 min

Director: Alex Ross Perry

Writer: Alex Ross Perry, Stephen Malkmus

Cast: Joe Keery, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Gallagher, Tim Heidecker

United States

An examination of the iconic 90s indie band, Perry’s film appears to be just another music documentary, until it doesn’t. This prismatic, narrative and scripted metatextual hybrid intimately shows the eponymous band preparing for their 2022 sold-out reunion tour. Described as a “a semiotic experiment” Pavements amalgamates a fake movie starring Joe Keery, a jukebox stage play called Slanted Enchanted and a museum with the band’s wardrobe and never-before-seen notebooks. Perry’s project is an ambitious blend of sincerity and sarcasm, featuring an outstandingly riotous performance by Keery.

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

18:00 – Light House

Director: Bernhard Wenger

Writer: Bernhard Wenger

Cast: Albrecht Schuh, Julia

Franz Richter

Germany, Austria

Matthias (Albrecht Schuch) is a master of his profession. Do you need a ‘cultured boyfriend’ to impress your friends? A ‘perfect son’ to influence your clients’ opinion of you? Or maybe just a sparring partner to rehearse an argument? Whatever it is, just rent Matthias! While he excels at pretending to be someone else every day, just being himself is the real challenge. In his first tragicomedy, Wenger is trying to understand who we really are through offbeat humour. This is a film for the lost existentialist and the awkward ontologist. Schuch as Matthias is a pleasure to behold.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

TESTIMONY

18:15 – Light House 1

1 hr 40 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Aoife Kelleher Ireland

This is not The Handmaid’s Tale. This, unfortunately, is very real. Between 1922 and 1996, 10,000+ girls and women were imprisoned in Ireland: unmarried mothers, daughters of unmarried mothers, the ‘promiscuous’, the ‘burdensome’, the sexually abused, and those who had grown up in Catholic or State ‘care’. These Magdalene women and the children of the Mother & Baby homes might have still been shrouded in secrecy and shame, if not for the work of Justice for Magdalenes. This tiny group of women lawyers, academics and volunteers have together waged an extraordinary battle on behalf of the survivors of Irish institutions. This is their story.

BORN THAT WAY

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DOCUMENTARY

20:30 – IFI 1 1 hr 35 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Éamon Little

Ireland

Over Patrick Lydon’s final year, he reflects on a life that took him from rock journalism in the US to driving the radically inclusive Camphill Movement in Ireland, sharing life with people of diverse needs and abilities. Patrick’s lens on the world raises searching questions about ideas of disability and inclusion, and shines a special light on the otherness in our society.

I DO NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE

Q&A WITH

20:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 45 min + Q&A (20min)

Director: Ishaya Bako

Writer: Chika Anadu, Ishaya

Bako

Cast: Paul Nnadiekwe, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Funny

Bone

Nigeria

Kingsley (Paul Nnadiekwe) has the smarts but no prospects for a job after university. Burdened with family responsibilities, he turns to his charismatic uncle, Cash Daddy (Blossom Chukwujekwu), the larger-than-life mastermind of a thousand email scams. As Kingsley reluctantly falls under his mentor’s spell, he discovers his own innate flair for the art of the confidence trick. Based on Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s bestselling book, Ishaya Bako’s seventh feature is a refreshing coming-of-age tale dancing the line between right and wrong, between chance and choice.

I Do Not Come to You By Chance will also screen in the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire on Tuesday, February 25 at 20:00. Tickets available on paviliontheatre.ie.

DRAMA

THE EXTRAORDINARY

MISS FLOWER

21:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 14 min + Q&A (20 min)

Directors: Jane Pollard, Iain Forsyth

Writer: Stuart Evers

Cast: Emiliana Torrini, Caroline Catz, Richard Ayoade United Kingdom

When Geraldine Flower passed away, her family uncovered a secret cache of letters containing declarations of love from suitors around the globe, hinting at the possibility of a life of espionage. Taking inspiration, Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini recorded an album that forms the spine of this part film, part theatre, part fever dream. These songs and images bring the amorous epistolary words and the beguiling Miss Flower thrillingly back to life. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s film also features Richard Ayoade, Siggi Baldursson, Nick Cave, Alice Lowe, Mark Monero, Niall Murphy and Angus Sampson in supporting roles.

SATURDAY 1 MARCH

DRAMA, THRILLER

11:00 – Light House 1 1 hr 44 min

Director: Nelicia Low

Writer: Nelicia Low

Cast: Liu Hsiu-Fu, Ding Ning, Tsao Yu-Ning

Singapore, Taiwan

Zijie (Liu Hsiu-fu), a young fencer, reconnects with his older brother Zihan (Tsao Yu-ning), who returns after seven years in juvenile prison, and believing his innocence, goes behind their mother’s back to help him. But is Zihan really the perfect brother Zijie thinks he is? Nelicia Low’s Taipei-set debut is a drama with sharp characters and pointed encounters, a story of brotherhood enveloped in the metaphors of swords and sport. Winning her Best Director at Karlovy Vary, the film brings together sound designer Tu Duu-chih and cinematographer Michał Dymek in a polished psychological genre piece.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

MEET THE BARBARIANS

13:30 – Light House 1 1 hr 41 min

Director: Julie Delpy

Writer: Julie Delpy, Matthieu

Rumani, Nicolas Slomka

Cast: Julie Delpy, Sandrine

Kiberlain, Laurent Lafitte

France

The little French town of Paimpont is awaiting the arrival of a Ukrainian refugee family. But it turns out that the family allotted to them is not Ukrainian but Syrian. Awkward? Very awkward. Julie Delpy’s TIFF film is a sharp social satire wrapped in smalltown comedy. As the local people of Paimpont come to terms with the unexpected residents, their hypocritical attitudes and double standards are laid bare. Delpy strikes the perfect balance between the funny and the political, commenting on just how difficult life is for Muslim refugees, both within the world of the film and outside of it.

RETROSPECTIVE

This year’s retrospective will focus on esteemed Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman. His career spans over 30 years and a combined 12 short and feature films, as well as multiple awards. Suleiman is best known for the dark humour of his films and his expert wielding of silence within them. We are delighted to be able to celebrate his illustrious career and shine a light on some of his magnificent films. His 2002 modern tragicomedy Divine Intervention - a film focused on living under occupation in Palestine which won the Jury Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival - will play in the IFI on Saturday, March

1 at 14:00 and will be accompanied by a Q&A with the filmmaker. Afterwards, his absurdist travelogue (starring himself) It Must be Heavenwhich was awarded a special mention at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival - will play at 16:45. He will also be joining us for an in-depth public interview about his life and work on the morning of March 1 in the Complex. We hope those of you who are already fans of Mr Suleiman’s work will join us in this celebration, and that those lucky enough to be discovering him for the first time will be inspired to seek out the rest of his incredible back catalogue.

DIVINE INTERVENTION IT MUST BE HEAVEN

14:00 – IFI 1 1 hr 32 min + Q&A (20 min)

France, Morocco, Germany, Palestine 16:45

Elia Suleiman’s Divine Intervention, the acclaimed 2002 comedy that defies conventional filmmaking with its sharp wit, biting satire, and poetic visuals. A Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize winner, this film is a poignant and absurdly humorous exploration of life under occupation, blending the personal with the political in ways both surreal and strikingly human. Set in Nazareth and Ramallah, Divine Intervention offers a poetic and satirical lens on the Palestinian experience, capturing moments of love, tension, and the absurdity of borders—both literal and emotional. With its razor-sharp wit and profound visuals, it has been compared to the comedies of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to engage with the filmmaker himself in a special interview following this screening.

Another step into the whimsical world of visionary Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, It Must Be Heaven (2019) is a semiautobiographical journey across cities of the world in search of a sense of ‘home’. Through absurd encounters and wry observations, Suleiman finds himself in scenarios both familiar and utterly alien to him, capturing a universal quest for meaning in a fractured world. In his signature style of visual storytelling brimming with subtle irony, and a generous helping of deadpan humour, It Must Be Heaven is both a deeply personal and universally resonant exploration of belonging, displacement, and the absurdities of modern life.

CHEMI BEBIA

SILENT, LIVE MUSIC

with live music accompaniment by Meg Morley

14:30 – Light House 2 1 hr 7 min

Director: Kote Mikaberidze

Writer: Kote Mikaberidze, Giorgi Mdivani, Siko Dolidze

Cast: Aleksandre Takaishvili, Bella Chernova, Evgeniy Ovanov

Georgia

In this hilarious no-holds-barred Georgian satire, a hopelessly lazy paper-pusher tries to get his job back to avoid the wrath of his wife, by looking for a ‘grandmother’ – an influential bureaucrat who can provide a recommendation letter. Mikaberidze’s masterpiece exposes the alienation of the modern workspace and is as relevant today as it was in 1929. A gloriously imaginative firework of a film, banned for almost 50 years, this silent was recently restored and screened at the 2024 edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna.

Meg Morley is one of the UK’s pre-eminent silent films accompanists and has been playing alongside silent films since 2016. Chemi Bebia will also be screened with live accompaniment at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork at 19:30 on Sun 2 March.

A WANT IN HER

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS DOCUMENTARY

DOCUMENTARY

15:45 – Light House 1 1 hr 23 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Myrid Carten

Writer: Myrid Carten, David Barker

Ireland

There’s no place like home. When her mother goes missing somewhere in Ireland, artist Myrid Carten returns from London to find her. Her search takes her into a feuding family, a contested house, and a history that threatens to take everyone down, including herself. Carten’s film is an immersive, first-person account of the cost of love, and how difficult it can be to escape from that very love.

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

WHEN AUTUMN FALLS

16:00 – Light House

Director: François Ozon

Writer: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo

Cast: Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasko, Ludivine

Sagnier

In a picturesque village in Burgundy, Michelle (Hélène Vincent) looks forward to spending the summer with her grandson, but his stay is cancelled when Michelle accidentally serves his mother poisonous mushrooms. When her friend Marie-Claude’s (Josiane Balasko) son is released from prison, her purpose is revived and she feels less lonely, until things take an interesting turn. Ozon’s idyllic autumn tale of a kind grandmother is secretly solemn and serious. This is a film made for its lead actress, a veteran of French stage and film.

FRAN THE MAN

18:00 – Light House 1

1 hr 24 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Stephen Bradley

Writer: Richie Conroy

Cast: Darragh Humphreys, Ardal O’Hanlon, Amy

Huberman

Ireland

Competing in the FAI Cup for the first time is a dream come true for Fran Costello and his beloved amateur club St. Peter’s United, but when Fran learns that some of his players have taken a bribe to fix the match, he turns detective in the hope of catching the rats. With the biggest game of his life fast approaching, a slow-burning flirtation with Jackie Charlton - one of his player’s mothers - also takes him by happy surprise. Frantic to solve the match-fixing, Fran is suddenly catapulted headfirst into a world where everyone is a suspect in this hilarious whodunnit.

OBEDIENCE

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

DOCUMENTARY

18:30 – Light House 2 1 hr 11 min + Q&A (20min)

Director: Siu-pong Wong

Hong Kong

Hung Hom, Hong Kong, is a neighbourhood of contrasts. While citizens annually visit its temple of Kwun Yum to seek wealth by praying for a ‘loan’ from the deity’s legendary treasury, locals peddle their secondhand goods at a flea market and elderly people rummage through rubbish on the streets in hopes of finding recyclable materials. Five years in the making, this documentary by Wong reveals how our waste is never truly discarded, but often processed into something of value for others. Its fantastic score (by composer Olivier Cong) brings an unnatural quality to the shocking realities of class imbalance and gentrification. The film premiered at Rotterdam in the ‘Harbour’ section.

HARVEST

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

20:30 – Light House 1 2 hrs 11 min + Q&A (20 min)

Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari

Writer: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Joslyn Barnes, Jim

Crace

Cast: Frank Dillane, Harry Melling, Caleb Landry Jones

United Kingdom

Over seven hallucinatory days, a village with no name, in an undefined time and place, disappears. In Tsangari’s tragicomic take on a Western, townsman-turned-farmer Walter Thirsk (Caleb Landry Jones) and befuddled lord of the manor Charles Kent (Harry Melling) are childhood friends about to face an invasion: the trauma of modernity. This adaptation of Jim Crace’s critically acclaimed novel premiered in Venice and follows in the tradition of the Greek Weird Wave. Tsangari, with fellow writer Joslyn Barnes and cinematographer Sean Price William, has created a world that is medieval, moody and magnetic.

This film will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

DRAMA

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

WENT UP

THE HILL

DRAMA, THRILLER

20:45 – Light House 2 1 hr 40 min

Director: Samuel Van Grinsven

Writer: Jory Anast, Samuel Van Grinsven

Cast: Vicky Krieps, Dacre

Montgomery, Sarah Peirse

New Zealand, Australia

Jack (Dacre Montgomery) goes to New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged mother, Elizabeth. There, he meets her grieving widow, Jill (Vicky Krieps). Far from the playful compounds of nursery rhymes, Samuel Van Grinsven’s Jack and Jill become participants in a sinister nocturnal dance as they are each possessed by Elizabeth’s spirit. More about the living than the dead, this restrained and haunting sophomore film is a visual theatre of cinematic chiaroscuro (shot by cinematographer Tyson Perkins) and has been deemed the ‘dark cousin’ of Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers.

Nominated - World Cinema Award supported by Avolon.

THE WAY WE TALK

10:30 – Light House 1 2 hrs 12 min

Director: Adam Wong Sau-Ping

Writers: Adam Wong Sau-Ping, Hong Ho, SeeKing

Cast: Suet-Ying Chung, Marco

Tsz Ho Ng, Neo Yau, Yee-Man Yuen

Hong Kong

MALDOROR

SUNDAY 2 MARCH

13:00 – Light House 2 2 hrs 33 min

Director: Fabrice du Welz

Writer: Fabrice du Welz, Domenico La Porta

Cast: Anthony Bajon, Alba Gaïa Bellugi, Sergi López

Belgium, France

This is a film about three deaf Hong Kongese twenty-somethings as they discover themselves and their place in the world. Wolf embraces sign language with confidence, his best friend Alan is an advocate for diverse modes of communication between the deaf and hearing communities, and Sophie strives for normalcy through spoken language, despite her ‘deaf accent’. We learn from each of their unique perspectives about the nuances of deaf identity, while also contemplating alternative linguistic identities. Based on longterm research and utilising a collaborative approach, Wong SauPing’s sixth feature is a moving portrait of friendship and belonging.

When two girls go missing, Paul Chartier (Anthony Bajon), a young police recruit, is assigned to ‘Maldoror’, a secret unit set up to monitor a dangerous sex offender. After legal constraints derail the operation, a frustrated and obsessed Chartier embarks on a solitary hunt to bring down the perpetrator. This film, which screened at Venice Film Festival, is a realistic and evocative piece of fiction inspired by the judicial scandal surrounding Belgian serial killer and child molester Marc Dutroux. Through Chartier’s quest for justice, Du Welz explores the dark nature of evil and the powerlessness experienced in the face of institutional dysfunction.

DRAMA

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

THRILLER

FROM HILDE, WITH LOVE

13:30 – Light House 1 3

Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino

Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon of nostalgia, laughter, and heartfelt moments as we celebrate the beloved series Gilmore Girls.

Join us for a special screening of two of the most iconic episodes of this beloved show, where the quirky charm of Stars Hollow comes to life on the big screen. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the world of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, this event promises to transport you back to the charming town that captured our hearts.

It promises to be an afternoon full of love, laughter, and the perfect amount of sass, so come join us for this celebration of everything Gilmore Girls.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this magical event at the Dublin International Film Festival!

Own the complete Gilmore Girls boxset digitally or purchase the DVD today.

16:30 – Light House 2 2 hrs 4 min

Director: Andreas Dresen

Writer: Laila Stieler

Cast: Liv Lisa Fries, Johannes Hegemann, Lisa Wagner

Germany

Berlin, 1942. A young bespectacled Hilde (Liv Lisa Fries) falls in love with Hans (Johannes Hegemann), entering his world of anti-fascist resistance. The couple is soon arrested by the Gestapo with Hilde eight months pregnant. This is the story of the few meagre months that she gets to spend with her baby boy within the grey confines of prison. Based on real events, Andreas Dresen’s Berlinale film is about doing the right thing, no matter what.

Experience the Irish Museum of Modern Art in new ways

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DRAMA

Since its inception in 1985, the Dublin International Film Festival has delighted audiences with its bold programming and unforgettable cinematic moments. Among its most beloved traditions is the Surprise Film, a thrilling event born from a creative twist on a logistical hiccup. Festival founder Michael Dwyer, faced with a last-minute gap in the inaugural lineup, turned the challenge into an enduring highlight—one that has captivated audiences each year.

Now a hallmark of the festival, the Surprise Film offers an unrivalled experience of anticipation and excitement. No one— not even the projectionist—knows the title until the opening frames reveal its identity. Each year, the audience buzzes with speculation, and every viewer becomes part of a shared moment of discovery.

Take your seat and prepare for the unknown — the Surprise Film awaits.

CLOSING GALA: FOUR MOTHERS

Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS

COMEDY, DRAMA

Light House Screen 1 –

20:00 + Q&A (20 min)

Light House Screen 2 –

20:00

1 hr 29 mins

Director: Darren Thornton

Writer: Darren Thornton, Colin Thornton

Cast: James McArdle, Fionnuala Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy Ireland

Edward (James McArdle) is a full-time carer to his octogenarian disabled mother Alma (Fionnula Flanagan) and a part-time writer of adult novels about queer romance. Over one chaotic weekend, he is tasked with looking after three other eccentric older women, along with his mother. Thornton’s sophomore feature is inspired by Gianni Di Gregorio’s 2008 Mid-August Lunch and paints a tender portrait of the motherson relationship. This chatty Dublin-set film is equal parts sentimental and sweet.

AWARDS

DIFF 2025 AWARDS

Date: Saturday 1 March

Time:

Each year, the Festival Awards champion excellence in filmmaking across the programme, including shorts, features, documentaries, and new work from emerging artists and creatives. Previous winners include Colm Bairéad (An Cailín Ciúin), Luke McManus (North Circular), Cara Holmes (Welcome to a Bright White Limbo), and TJ O’Grady-Peyton (Room Taken).

The DIFF Awards offer recognition for every type of film and every kind of filmmaker, at any stage of their career. They include:

• Discovery Awards

• Documentary Award

• ICCL Human Rights Film Award

• Short Film Awards

• World Cinema Award supported by Avolon

Our Awards Ceremony is open to the public, so you too can be part of this prestigious annual event.

As part of the celebration, some of Ireland’s most exciting emerging filmmakers will engage in a live discussion about their work. This highly anticipated Meet the Discovery Award Nominees event is part of the Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club and will be hosted by a very special guest. Sign up to our mailing list at www.diff.ie to get programme announcements as they happen.

Limited tickets available.

This year’s awards are kindly provided by Waterford Crystal.

DISCOVERY AWARDS

AWARDS

The Discovery Awards celebrate the vibrant and ever-evolving Irish film industry, spotlighting the next generation of filmmakers who are making waves both in front of and behind the camera. These prestigious awards recognise emerging talent in various roles, including directors, writers, producers, and performers. The Discovery Awards serve as a platform to champion creativity, innovation, and passion within the Irish film scene, offering winners the recognition and support to propel their careers to new heights.

Each year, a distinguished panel of industry professionals select nominees who demonstrate exceptional skill, vision, and potential. The winner will be announced at our Awards Ceremony on Sat 1 March – there are limited public tickets available!

Nominees

Aisling Byrne Writer/Director, Turnaround

Albert Hooi Cinematographer, Bunker Baby & Nay Day

Nay Day

Bunker Baby

Jury

Paul

Producer and writer, head of Prelude Content

Sarah McCann Lecturer in Creative Arts, Media and Music, DKIT

Sinead O’Riordan Actress and producer, founder of Orion Productions

Cara Loftus Writer, Spilt Milk

Carol Tormey Cinematographer, The Wilde Sisters

Clare Monnelly Writer, Cat & Mouse

Conor McCormick Writer/Director,

Florence Adebambo Actor,

Jack Phelan Director, Mero

Paudie Baggott Writer/Director, Peat

Reuben Harvey Composer, We Beg to Differ

Fitzsimons

The DIFF Documentary Competition recognises excellence in the field of documentary making.

The following films will compete in this year’s Documentary Competition:

• Where the Road Meets the Sky

• Born That Way

• My Sweet Land

• Testimony

• A Want in Her

• Amanda

• Latina Latina

• Beat the Lotto

• Chain Reactions

• Eight Postcards from Utopia

• The Last Journey

• E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea

• Afternoons of Solitude

• Riefenstahl

Jury

Diarmuid O’Dwyer Irish Film Curators Panel

Tom Burke Filmmaker, Chair of MA in Documentary Practice at DCU.

Melanie Miller Academy Award-winning documentary producer

WORLD CINEMA AWARD SUPPORTED BY AVOLON

The inaugural World Cinema Award is supported by DIFF’s new Global Partner, Avolon. The award will celebrate excellence in global filmmaking and underscores the festival’s commitment to promoting international talent.

The shortlisted films are:

• Peacock – Austria / Germany

• On Falling – UK / Portugal

• Sister Midnight – UK / India

• Pierce – Singapore / Taiwan

• Went Up The Hill – Australia / New Zealand

• Vermiglio – Italy / France / Belgium (Oscar © shortlisted)

• Good One – USA

• Santosh – UK / India / Germany / France (Oscar © shortlisted)

The judging panel for the award will include the celebrated Irish actor Liam Cunningham. He will be joined by Ania Trzebiatowska, Programmer, Sundance Film Festival, and Ciara Ruane, Chief People Officer, Avolon.

Cunningham said “The world is in a particularly tricky position at the moment. One of the things that cinema can do is bring the world to our doorstep - we can celebrate the humanity of the world. Anything that brings us closer to each other is worth doing, and that’s the reason I’m involved in judging the World Cinema Award this year.”

Ciara Ruane Chief People Officer, Avolon

Ania Trzebiatowska Programmer, Sundance Film Festival

Liam Cunningham Celebrated Actor

DUBLIN FILM CRITICS’ CIRCLE AWARDS AT DIFF 2025

Proudly supported by

Limelight Communications & Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland

Limelight Communications is at the forefront of film and entertainment PR and promotion in Ireland. With unrivalled expertise in devising innovative, award-winning campaigns, we work across the full spectrum of the film industry.

We're delighted to partner with Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland to support the Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards at DIFF 2025.

Contact Glenn Hogarty

E: glenn.hogarty@limelight.ie

#DFCCAwards25

AUDIENCE AWARDS DFCC AWARDS

Our passionate audience play a key role in celebrating the films that move, inspire, and entertain. This year, we’re excited to introduce a new digital voting system that makes it easier than ever to cast your vote. As part of our annual tradition, you’ll have the opportunity to vote for your favourite Feature and Short films of the festival.

Keep an eye out for the QR codes displayed before and after screenings, which will take you directly to a digital voting card. It’s a simple, seamless way to share your thoughts and help decide which titles will be honoured with the coveted Audience Awards.

• 2024 Short: Baby Steps

• 2024 Feature: Don’t Forget to Remember

Established in 2006, the Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) is comprised of Dublin’s leading professional film critics, who bring a wealth of expertise and passion for cinema to their annual awards. These accolades celebrate exceptional storytelling, artistry, and talent in filmmaking.

From 2025 programme, the DFCC will present their awards across categories including:

• Best Film

• Best Director

• Best Irish Film

Date: Sun 2 March

Time: 12:00

Venue: Light House Cinema

• Best Documentary

CLUB

DIFF presents the latest in an unmissable series of public conversations as part of the award-winning Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club.

As part of an ongoing creative collaboration with our Premium Partner, Tanqueray 0.0%, we are continuing to elevate the film festival experience by creating platform for unique, inspiring and one-of-a-kind conversations.

As part of the 2025 programme, DIFF will present four Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club events, introducing audiences to Pulitzer Prize-winning critics, Golden Globe-winning actors, trail-blazing directors, and the nominees of DIFF’s emerging talent prize, the Discovery Award.

Sign up to the Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club at www.diff.ie now for early access, exclusive invites, and priority tickets. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary celebration of film and conversation.

TANQUERAY 0.0% FILM CLUB WITH JUSTIN CHANG

Date: Sat 22 Feb

Time: 14:00 – 15:00

Venue: The Complex

The Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club welcomes Justin Chang, one of the most respected voices in contemporary film criticism. Chang, a Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for the Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, and a regular contributor to NPR’s Fresh Air, brings his sharp insights and deep passion for cinema to DIFF.

The conversion will be led by Screen International’s executive editor Fionnuala Halligan. Bringing a unique perspective on screen and cinema, Halligan is one of the top-rated critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a member of the London Film Critics’ Circle, BAFTA, and the European Film Academy.

TANQUERAY 0.0% FILM CLUB WITH TWIGGY AND SADIE FROST

Date: Tues 25 Feb

Time: 17:00 – 18:00

Venue: The Complex

A rare and unforgettable chance to hear from two iconic figures of film, fashion and contemporary culture: Twiggy, the Golden Globewinning actress and original supermodel, and Sadie Frost, acclaimed actress and director. Together, they’ll share the story behind Twiggy, Frost’s new documentary offering an intimate, glittering dive into the birth of a star, and everything that followed.

From revolutionising fashion to earning international acclaim as an actress, Twiggy remains a cultural icon whose influence transcends generations. With Frost bringing bold vision as a director to the screen, Twiggy explores eponymous model’s upbringing, career, relationships and everything else that has made her the woman she is today.

This unmissable event is hosted by actress, writer, and Tanqueray Brand Ambassador Amy Huberman. Don’t miss the Irish première of Twiggy—Mon 24 Feb, 18:00 at Light House Cinema.

TANQUERAY 0.0% FILM CLUB: MEET THE DISCOVERY AWARD NOMINEES

Date: Sat 1 March

Time: 12:00 – 13:30

Venue: The Complex

The DIFF Awards offer recognition for every type of film and every kind of filmmaker, at any stage of their career. The ceremony is open to the public, so you too can be part of this prestigious annual event.

As part of the celebration, some of Ireland’s most exciting emerging filmmakers will engage in a live discussion about their work. This highly anticipated Meet the Discovery Award Nominees event is part of the Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club and will be hosted by a very special guest.

Our final Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club event will be announced to club members first! Sign up to the Tanqueray 0.0% Film Club at www.diff.ie now for early access, exclusive invites, and priority tickets

PUBLIC & EVENT PROGRAMME

Our world-class programme goes beyond the films! Our public and events programme is another chance to explore, and engage with the world of cinema in all its forms.

Our events have something for any level of interest, whether you’re a film enthusiast, a budding creator, or someone looking for a unique cultural experience. From panel discussions with industry experts to special screenings and exclusive events, there’s no shortage of exciting opportunities to dive deeper into the world of cinema.

Become part of the festival’s vibrant community and join us for these unforgettable experiences!

This exhibition celebrates DIFF’s 2025 programme with inventive and dynamic film posters created by second year illustration students from the National College of Art and Design. From national to international titles, this unique collaboration brings an exciting mix of styles and approaches to the art of the film poster, serving a fresh and compelling snapshot of the festival line-up.

Poster by Coco Stack.

PLAYBACK X DIFF: A CELEBRATION OF IRISH MUSIC VIDEO

Date: Sat 1 March

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Venue: The Complex

The first ever music video played on MTV Europe was directed by an Irish person. Most of the Irish filmmakers breaking through now on the world stage began their careers in Music Video.

The most watched pieces of entertainment in the world are almost all music videos.

In a programme curated by Michael Donnelly V this special screening will celebrate the best of Irish music video and the directors behind them. Featuring insights from the filmmakers behind the videos, the programme will include work from Sam McGrath (Kojaque’s Town’s Dead), Tara O’Callaghan (Why Axis’ Bloodstain), Kevin Godley (U2’s The Sweetest Thing), Hugh O’Conor (Sinead O’Connor’s 8 Good Reasons), and Bob Gallagher (Lankum’s The Young People).

Come celebrate one of the most exciting and innovative genres of filmmaking, in a unique format filled with surprises!

The screening will be followed by an exclusive afterparty.

SILENT CINEMA: RESTORATION & CELEBRATION

As part of our expanded silent film programme, we are thrilled to be hosting this discussion on silent cinema. From conservation to ongoing screenings to composing and playing live musical accompaniment, we’ll dissect the world of silent cinema and its place on our screens today.

We will be joined by Serge Bromberg and Robert Byrne. Bromberg is a renowned French film restorer and accompanist, as well as a producer, writer and director. Byrne is the President of the Board of the San Francisco Film Preserve and has spent his life in dedication to the restoration and preservation of films.

PLANET PLACEMENT: SUSTAINABILITY & STORYTELLING

The screen industries hold immense potential to influence attitudes and inspire action on climate change. By embedding environmental awareness into on-screen narratives, we can create a powerful shift in climate engagement.

Join our panel as they explore the concept of ‘Planet Placement;’ - the practice of integrating ecoconsciousness into screenwriting and storytelling. Hear from industry leaders who have successfully championed this growing approach, sharing their experiences, insights, and the impact of their work.

Date: Sun 23 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: The Complex

Don’t miss this exhilarating panel or the beautiful silent films with live accompaniment as part of DIFF 2025:

• The Adventures of Prince Achmed (accompanied by Conor Linehan) – Sat 22 Feb 14:00

• Silent Shorts Gala: Big Business, Mighty Like a Moose, & One Week (accompanied by Serge Bromberg)

– Sun 23 Feb, 13:30

• Chemi Bebia (accompanied by Meg Morely) – Sat 1 March, 14:30

Date: Sun 23 Feb

Time: 14:00 – 15:00

Venue: The Complex

SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FESTIVALS: A COLLECTIVE APPROACH

Date: Wed 26 Feb

Time: 18:00 – 19:00

Venue: The Complex

Hosted by Megan Best from Native Events and Julie’s Bicycle Europe, both leaders in mobilising climate action, this panel will focus on how festivals can act as catalysts for improving sustainable practices, bringing together groups of venues to advance sustainable production and operations.

We will explore how festival networks and collectives can support these efforts and help achieve collective sustainability goals, with practical applications for the live event and festival sectors.

At DIFF, we are committed to implementing sustainable practices year-round, especially during the festival and across our partner venues. In this spirit, we invite other festival and live event coordinators to join the conversation and discover new ways to engage with this movement.

Get in touch via hello@diff.ie

MEET THE CAST: SPILT MILK

Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of the casting process with this panel! We will be joined by several cast members including Cillian O’Sullivan, Naoise Kelly, Danielle Galligan, Laurence O’Fuarain, Lewis Brophy, Justin Daniels Anene, as well as their casting director Áine O’Sullivan from Spilt Milk which has its World Premiere in our programme this year.

Date: Mon 24 Feb

Time: 14:00 – 15:00

Venue: The Complex PANEL

The cast will tell us about their experiences of breaking on to the big screen for the first time and shine some light on the realities of being an actor on set.

Be sure to catch this film in the Light House before you come and meet the stars:

• Spilt Milk – Sun 23 Feb, 20:45

NEW NARRATIVES, NEW VOICES

This panel brings together accomplished filmmakers from around the world. Together they will explore the challenges of sharing diverse cultures with a global audience.

Date: Fri 28 Feb

Venue: The Complex PANEL

Discussion will centre around different approaches to navigating language, context, and storytelling whilst maintaining a strong cultural authenticity. This panel aims to explore how cinema helps shape, celebrate, and appreciate storytelling from multiple cultures on the global stage.

Time: 17:30 – 18:30

IFCO LECTURE

Conor Ryan

Born and raised in Dublin, Conor Ryan is a graduate of the National Film School at IADT. That means he can talk as loud as he likes in the cinema and there’s nothing you can do about it. He writes about film and live comedy. His work has been published by HeadStuff, Anfa Collective, and Cambridge University. He hopes one day to become the fifth Beatle but he would also settle for becoming the second Groucho Marx. In his lecture, he explores the censorship of film comedy in Ireland with a particular focus on Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

Date: Mon 24 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: The Complex

Following the success of the 2024 IFCO Centenary lecture series, DIFF is once again partnering with the Irish Film Classification Office to give a public platform to three emerging film and media students and early career researchers.

In 2024, the remaining IFCO records from the censorship period were deposited in the National Archives. These records represent a fascinating insight into cinema exhibition in Ireland and the central role which censorship played in shaping Irish film culture.

For 2025, our participants will give vibrant and exciting presentations on the extent to which the audience ratings awarded to theatrical content has reflected Irish society and evolving community values. The IFCO Collection in the National Archives is a rich information source in this regard. Contributors will present on their findings on the research of their choice:

Vanessa Byrne

Vanessa Byrne is a graduate of Screenwriting - Film Studies (M. Phil) at Trinity College Dublin. She is also a graduate of Drama, Theatre and Performance at the University of Galway and has studied at The School of Drama, The New School, New York. Vanessa has worked as an actor, director, stage manager and dramaturge across Ireland, the UK and the US. She has also worked across multiple festivals through Ireland and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Vanessa’s lecture will seek to analyse and interrogate queer female representation in film over the last two decades and will ask how this representation has evolved over time.

SEANCHOÍCHE AT DIFF 2025

EVENT

Date: Mon 24 Feb

Time: 19:00

Venue: The Complex

Ticket price: €24

Denis Condon

Denis Condon is a lecturer in film at Maynooth University, where his research focuses on early Irish cinema. In this talk, he will be focusing on the operation of the Office of the Film Censor in its first year, following James Montgomery’s appointment in November 1923. Offering examples of how specific films were cut, he’ll be looking at the way the office interpreted the legislation to address the challenges from exhibitors/ distributors, cinema audiences, and lobby groups seeking strictly enforced regulation.

Seanchoíche (pronounced Shanna-Key-Huh) is a storytelling platform founded in Dublin, with nights hosted across the globe in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Australia and America.

Seanchoíche is collaborating with DIFF to give writers, directors, filmmakers, and other cinema creatives opportunities to share their stories. Stories may be personal anecdotes, other people’s experiences, monologues, poetry or anything considered a story.

These storytelling sessions celebrate the rich tradition of oral storytelling while exploring its deep connection to the art of cinema. Join us for an evening where voices and visions intertwine, bringing new dimensions to the stories that shape our world.

YOUNG MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION 2024 SCREENING

Date: Fri 28 Feb

Time: 16:00 – 17:00

Venue: The Complex

YMVC – Youth Music Video Competition is Ireland’s mentorship programme for emerging directors. Each year, ten filmmakers aged 18-25 are selected to make a music video for an up-and-coming Irish act. The programme mirrors the process a professional filmmaker goes through to make a music video. This screening showcases the videos from the 2024 edition.

YMVC is a First Cut Youth Film Festival project in partnership with director Brendan Canty. In addition to Canty, the mentoring team features acclaimed directors Bob Gallagher, Kate Dolan, Tara O’Callaghan and Ellius Grace.

Now in its tenth year, YMVC goes from strength to strength. The number of videos that have become official releases for their track reflects the quality of the work produced and YMVC has been instrumental in launching the careers of several now established directors.

The videos of YMVC 2024 reflect the powerful vision of a new generation of emerging Irish filmmakers. YMVC is supported by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

DUBLIN PORT

In an exciting partnership with Dublin Port, the DIFF presents two special on-site screenings exploring maritime history through cinema.

Taking place over two dates, this unique event will showcase films that examine the impact of maritime life, from the personal to the industrial. Featuring poignant documentaries and beloved cinematic classics, these films invite audiences to reflect on the stories that unfold at the water’s edge and the global impact of ports, trade and the people who shape them.

SPECIAL SCREENING: SEAWEED STORIES

SCREENING, PANEL

Date: Wed 26 Feb

Time: 14:00 – 15:00

Venue: The Pumphouse, Dublin Port

DOUBLE BILL

SCREENING

Date: Sun 2 Mar

Time: 14:00

Venue: The Pumphouse, Dublin Port

Narrated by Forest Whitaker, Seaweed Stories is a vibrant, global look at the wonders of seaweed, and some of the extraordinary stories and characters whose lives have been entangled by this often-overlooked marine organism which may hold answers to some of humanity’s biggest challenges. The screening is followed by a Q&A.

SMELL OF MONEY

Documentary

The Los Angeles Harbor in the early 20th Century was a bustling hub, attracting immigrants from around the world in pursuit of the American dream and economic opportunity. A big part of that history was the fishing and canning industry, an era now celebrated in a new documentary commissioned by the Port of Los Angeles.

ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945)

Musical

Starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, this classic Hollywood musical combines high-energy song-and-dance sequences with the charm of a sailor’s adventures in port. The film follows two Navy men on leave in Los Angeles, where they find themselves entangled in the life of a young woman and her dreams of stardom.

In 2024, Dublin International Film Festival one of a handful national organisations to receive support through Rethink Ireland’s ‘Tik Tok Digital Future Fund.’

Rethink Ireland is a non-profit organisation that supports social innovations and community-driven initiatives across Ireland. It works to address critical social, environmental, and economic challenges by partnering with social enterprises, charities, and other organizations to help them scale and create lasting impact.

The TikTok Digital Future Fund is a three-year initiative established in partnership between TikTok and Rethink Ireland. It aims to empower young people, particularly from underserved communities, with digital and creative skills.

With this support, DIFF created ‘Ireland’s Film Pioneers’ and embarked on an exciting journey to inspire and mentor the next generation of filmmakers. Over the course of six immersive weeks, young people aged 14 – 20 from diverse community groups across Dublin met at Poppintree Youth Project in Ballymun. They met a talented team of industry professionals, gaining hands-on experience and guidance in the art of filmmaking.

The programme was led by an exceptional group of experts, including Director Aisha Bolaji (Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky), Cinematographer Tim Fleming (The Boy That Never Was), Producer Eamon Hughes (Songbird, To All My Darlings), Editor Isuelt Howlett (Birdsong, I Am Immigrant), Actor Darragh Gilhooly, and Sound Mixer Trevor McKenna (Vikings: Valhalla, Kin). These professionals shared their expertise, guiding the participants through every aspect of filmmaking — from conceptualising stories to mastering the technical elements of cinematography, editing, sound design, and performance.

The result? A powerful collection of short films created by the young pioneers, each showcasing their voices and perspectives. Ireland’s Film Pioneers’ isn’t just about filmmaking; it’s about inspiring creativity, empowering young people, and giving them the tools to tell their own stories through the magic of cinema.

We are proud to present these films as part of the programme at the festival, offering the filmmakers a platform to share their work and celebrate their newfound skills with a wider audience.

See them at the Light House Cinema Sat 22 Feb, 12:00 and listen in to a Q&A with participants about their experience of the programme, and putting their new skills into action!

NEXT GENERATION (15 - 19) PROGRAMME ROADSHOW

Networking lunch, Young filmmakers panel

Hosted by the IFI’s Next Generation (15 -19) Programme, this special event is designed for young filmmakers aged 15 – 19 based in and around Dublin.

Network with other young filmmakers and enjoy a discussion with The Future of Irish Film young filmmakers’ network, award-winning young Dublin filmmakers, and special guests.

This is a chance to meet likeminded filmmakers, learn about what is happening in Dublin, and explore how you can take your first steps towards working in film.

Spaces limited, tickets are free, and booking is essential.

The Next Generation (15 – 19) Programme is supported by Screen Ireland.

Date: Sat 22 Feb

Time: 14:00 - 16:00

Venue: The Complex Gallery

INDUSTRY PROGRAMME

DIFF’s Industry Programme is a dynamic platform where creativity, collaboration, and innovation thrive. Thanks to the support of our Industry Partner, Screen Ireland, we bring you an exciting range of events that connect filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals.

In collaboration with leading Irish and international experts, Academy Award-winning Directors, global organisations, Guilds, and collectives, we’ve curated a programme designed to foster knowledge sharing, spark new partnerships, and shape the future of the screen and cinema industries.

Whether you’re looking to network, enhance your skills, or gain insights from industry leaders, our Industry Programme is the place to be for anyone shaping the future of film.

Unsure if the Industry Programme is right for you? Get in touch at hello@diff.ie

FIRST FRAME

University College Cork: Tues 18 Feb

Light House Cinema, Dublin: Wed 19 Feb

The First Frame initiative brings together students from over 50 film courses, universities, and further education institutions from around Ireland to view a curated selection of student films in competition.

Prizes are awarded to the top films in each category and the screenings provide excellent opportunities for course leaders and students to network with their peers as part of an international film event. Additionally, students are invited to participate in industry workshops as part of the experience.

Now in its seventh year, First Frame will showcase two programmes of student films on two fully student-dedicated days: one in Cork in collaboration with UCC, and one in Dublin. DIFF looks forward to working with students in the UCC undergraduate and postgraduate film courses to organise their event. We will also be welcoming Liz Bales from the Industry Trust to give this year’s presentations, discussing creative copyright, product lifecycle/territorial licensing, and impacts of infringement with students.

The winners and runners-up of the First Frames competition receive an invaluable Set Etiquette training course from the National Talent Academy Film & TV Crew East.

Designed to provide participants with the confidence and skills to excel on their first day on a professional set, this is a unique opportunity to get industry expert training and insight into a career in Film & TV production.

This year’s jury includes producer Evan Horan, Monika Abrahamson, Steve Wall and Claire Dunlop.

EVENT

Evan Horan Monika Abrahamson

Steve Wall Claire Dunlop

MASTERCLASS WITH MELANIE MILLER

Date: Sun 23 Feb

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

Venue: The Complex

Oscar-winning Director Melanie Miller will be sharing her knowledge of the world of documentary making. She is best known for producing the documentary Navalny (2022), which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2023, as well as a plethora of other films including Stutz (2022) and Inventing Tomorrow (2018).

DIFF will be screening Miller’s film Maestra at the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Mon 24 Feb at 19:00.

DIRECTING MASTERCLASS WITH ALEXANDRE O. PHILIPPE

Date: Tues 25 Feb

Time: 11:30 – 12:30

Venue: The Complex

DIFF is delighted to welcome acclaimed director, writer, and producer Alexandre O. Philippe for an exclusive masterclass on the art of directing.

Known for his gripping feature documentaries like 78/52 (2017), Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (2019), and You Can Call Me Bill (2023), Philippe is a master at telling compelling cinematic stories.

His latest film, Chain Reactions (2024), which won the prestigious Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema at Venice Film Festival 2024, is part of the DIFF 2025 programme at the Light House Cinema on Monday 24 Feb at 20:00.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from one of cinema’s most visionary storytellers!

IRISH SCREENWRITERS PANEL

Discover the art of modern Irish screenwriting from a selection of the talented writers whose stories are gracing our screens this year. Explore inspiration, idea development, and the journey from multiple drafts to the final script. This unmissable panel is perfect for aspiring screenwriters, film enthusiasts or those passionate about storytelling. The panel will be recorded and distributed through the international Irish Embassies network. Panellists include:

• Cara Loftus, Spilt Milk

• Lynn Ruane, Ready or Not

• Damian McCann, Aontas

Date: Mon 17 Feb

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

Venue: IADT PANEL

• Sarah Gordon, Aontas

• Colin Thornton, Four Mothers

• Richie Conroy, Fran the Man

Available to watch free on www.diff.ie after the festival. With thanks to IADT.

FOCUS ON THE COMPOSER: SCREEN COMPOSERS PANEL & NETWORKING EVENT

Date: Tues 25 Feb

Time: 09:30 – 11:00

Venue: The Complex PANEL

Date: Tuesday, February 25

Time: 13:00 – 16:30

Venue: The Complex EVENT

Presented by one of Ireland’s leading commercial production companies, Antidote, this eye-opening schedule of talks with industry professionals who have successfully worked across both advertising and filmmaking will consist of three panels.

The first panel will focus on why and how creative talent in commercial production transitions into filmmaking. We have a very exciting line-up of industry professionals (to be announced) whose work spans both fields and will give an in-depth look at the crossover between the two.

The second panel will hear from the producers and directors of Antidote discussing the company’s 20 years of making TV commercials and films. Participants will include Andrew Freedman (Founding Partner/Producer), Ken Wardrop (Founding Partner/Director) and Paula Stewart (Antidote Producer).

The final panel will be an in-conversation with a special guest yet to be announced. Sign up to our mailing list at www.diff.ie to get programme announcements as they happen.

We invite all attendees to join us for a round of specialty cocktails as we wrap up and reflect on the day’s conversations.

Presented by the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, join us for an exclusive chat with a selection of composers whose work is being shown at DIFF 2025. This panel will discuss every aspect of what it takes to write music for the big screen and the important role music plays in filmmaking. Make sure to keep an ear out for the new scores debuting in this year’s Festival line-up and come along to meet the minds behind the music.

INTERNATIONAL FILM PROGRAMMERS PANEL

Perfect your festival strategy with DIFF by engaging with top-tier festival programmers from around the globe. This panel offers a comprehensive discussion on festival policies, submission criteria and crucial deadlines, providing essential insights for those preparing international festival strategies and aiming at success.

Guests include:

• Karel Och – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czechia)

• Ania Trzebiatowska – Sundance Film Festival (United States)

• Rachel Rosen – San Francisco International Film Festival (United States)

• Anastasia Lukovnikova – IndieLisboa (Portugal)

Date: Sat 22 Feb

Time: 10:30 – 12:00

Venue: The Complex PANEL

• Giona Nazarro – Giona Nazarro Film Festival (Switzerland)

• Marcello Paolillo - Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland)

• Dominique Green – Dinard Festival of British & Irish Film (France)

The International Film Programmers Panel is supported by Culture Ireland.

INTERNATIONAL SALES AGENTS EVENT

Following our hugely successful Sales Agents events over the last few years, we have invited the top sales agents and film distributors from around the world to meet with Irish filmmakers at DIFF 2025, with an introduction by Orla Clancy from Creative Europe. Join us to learn more about current trends in sales and acquisition.

Some of the agencies represented will include Indie Sales, Neue Visionen Filmverleih, Level K, Charades and ASC Distribution.

For the full list of sales agents and distributors in attendance please contact programme@diff.ie

Date: Wed 26 Feb

Time: 10:00 – 15:30

Venue: The Complex

IRISH PROGRAMMERS NETWORK

Over the summer of 2020, a small group of Irish film programmers came together to share insights and knowledge about filmmakers, audiences, festivals and cinema exhibition and the move to online screening platforms. This group expanded rapidly to include many cinemas and film festivals throughout Ireland and the UK.

Date: Mon 24 Feb

Time: 11:00 – 13:30

Venue: The Complex

The group met on a monthly basis to share resources and updates on their events and were often joined by international colleagues who shared their experiences with the group, including at this annual dedicated event at DIFF. After the success of our in-person event last year we would like to once again welcome our programming colleagues to this event.

This year we will hear from a panel of experts, including Lucy Costelloe, Head of Marketing at Ticketsolve and RTÉ Culture editor Derek O’Connor, about the issues facing film programming in Ireland today such as media, ticketing, representation and new audiences.

Afterwards, we are delighted to be able to offer lunch to our attendees, as well as time for a much needed catch-up and reflection of the day’s discussions.

If you are a cinema programmer or member of a film society please contact boxoffice@diff.ie.

MOROCCAN CINEMA DAY

EVENT

Date: Fri 21 Feb

Time: 10:00 – 16:00

Venue: The Complex

As part of our Country in Focus: A celebration of Moroccan Cinema, this dedicated day will highlight case studies of collaboration between Ireland and Morocco as well as showcasing new opportunities. We have partnered with the Centre Cinematographique Marocain (CCM) who will bring a group of experienced producers to discuss opportunities available for collaboration between Irish and Moroccan productions. The schedule of the day is still being confirmed but it will include:

• Case Study: The Boy Who Never Was:

An in-depth discussion featuring Irish production company Subotica and Moroccan producer Hamid Herraf sharing insights into their TV series filmed in Morocco.

• Introduction to Contemporary Moroccan Cinema: Presented by the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (CCM), providing an overview of modern Moroccan filmmaking.

• Shooting in Morocco: Locations and Services:

A delegation of Moroccan producers will highlight Morocco’s production services, iconic filming locations, and opportunities for Irish-Moroccan collaboration.

• Meetings and One-to-One Networking:

We will facilitate networking between Irish producers both established and emerging with our invited Moroccan producers Moroccan Cinema Day is sponsored by the Moroccan Embassy.

X-POLLINATOR / DIFF: PRODUCERS NETWORKING

NETWORKING

Date: Fri 28 Feb

Time: 11:00 – 15:00

Venue: The Complex

Do you have a project that you’re looking for a producer to work with and unsure of where to start? X-Pollinator aims to help address gender diversity in the Irish screen industry, and create opportunities for female, trans and non-binary directors, writers and producers to network, share ideas and form creative teams.

X-Pollinator will host a Producers Networking session at DIFF 2025, enabling participants to meet with established producers looking for new projects and talent, and to forge future creative partnerships.

Make new contacts, practice your pitching skills and meet producers to establish a working relationship with, and help start the journey of developing your project.

More details to follow. Sign up to our mailing list at www.diff.ie to get programme announcements as they happen.

Photo credit: Freddie Greenall

VOLUNTEERING

Being a volunteer at the Dublin International Film Festival is a unique opportunity to get involved in the inner workings of Ireland’s leading celebration of cinema. It’s an amazing way to meet others who share a passion for film and to network within the arts, festival and filmmaking industries. Volunteers also gain exclusive access to screenings and events, providing a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on the festival.

Each year, we are thrilled to welcome volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, spanning all ages, nationalities and walks of life. Their generosity and commitment are critical to the smooth delivery of our events, and without their energy, enthusiasm and dedication, the festival wouldn’t be possible.

On behalf of the entire festival team, we extend our deepest gratitude to all the incredible individuals who contribute their time and effort. Your warm smiles and engaging presence create unforgettable memories for our audiences, leaving an impact that lasts long after the festival wraps up.

STAFF

Gráinne Humphreys – Festival Director

Karen English – Festival Manager

Samuel Javid – Director of Commercial & Marketing

Maev Moran – Marketing Manager

Sarah Hanna – Festival Marketing Coordinator

Carole Lakes – Accounts Officer

Conor Hogan – Box Office Manager

Jack Quinn – Box Office Assistant

Vanessa Byrne – Box Office Assistant

Sarah Snee – Box Office Assistant

Mary Yeo – Box Office Assistant

Sarah Murphy – Hospitality Manager

Áine Cassidy – Junior Programmer & Admin Assistant

Bryan Pepper – Production Manager

Simeon Costello – Technical Manager

Kate Bowe – Festival Publicist

Jenny Sharif – Festival Publicist

John Byrne – Festival Press & PR Coordinator

Peggy Mac Hale – Events & Programming Coordinator

Aoife McGlynn – Hospitality Coordinator

Daniel Culleton – Volunteer Manager

Khushi Jain – Brochure Editor

Aisha Bolaji and Mohamed Tarek – Shorts Programmers

Lauren McCartney – Researcher

Sophia Mendoza-Rodriguez – Intern

Board

Trish Long – Chairperson

Elaine Gill – Deputy Chair

Board of Directors

Lenny Abrahamson

Ruth Hunter

Ronan Murphy

Neasa Hardiman

Laurence Mackin

Neal Davies

Sian Redmond

Hylda Queally

Mark Byrne

Stan Nangle

Screeners

Ali Ganley

Bébhinn Naughton

Conor Ryan

Keelan Gallagher

Laoise Slattery

Mia Samovich

Mikaela Farrell

Pia Kirby Roycroft

Portia Ameyalli García Cruz

Rachel Wren

Sabine Smith

Sadhbh Lawlor

“THERE'S ALWAYS A BUZZ TO GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE, THE NEXT FILM!”

STEVE McQUEEN

“DIFF IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO OUR COUNTY & OUR COUNTRY”

CLARE DUNNE

“I LOVE THIS FESTIVAL”

STANLEY TUCCI

“BUY FILM TICKETS PEOPLE”

ANDREW SCOTT