Final credits role for beloved film festival

This year will see the final edition of the beloved IndieCork film and music festival following the loss of founding member, Tony Langlois, last year.

The festival’s organising committee confirmed the sad news on social media on Tuesday, describing Mr Langlois as the “heart and soul” of the event which was first established in 2013.

Mr Langlois, who lived in Cork and was a lecturer at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick, died unexpectedly in October 2024.

He founded IndieCork Film Festival in 2013, and it quickly became recognised as Ireland’s premier festival of independent film and the largest festival for short film in the country. He also founded the Jersey International Film Festival in the UK.

The IndieCork committee confirmed that over the past year it had come to the difficult decision not to continue the festival, with Mr Langlois’ tragic death being “the most prominent factor”.

The final IndieCork festival will take place from 5-12 October at the Arc Cinema in Cork city.

A statement from the committee read: “Tony was the spirit of IndieCork. He founded the festival and was its heart and soul. He steered the ship and kept us focused on the good we could do as a collective, always with the aim of shining a light on Cork talent.

“We have missed him enormously, and we dedicate our final 13th edition to his memory.

“Since the festival began, our aim was to become a sustainable festival, and although we are grateful to have received invaluable support over the years, we've not succeeded in securing the level of annual funding that allows us develop, to create jobs, and to plan future festivals,” the statement added.

Mr Langlois spearheaded the formation of IndieCork in 2013 as an entirely voluntary organisation, with directors, committee members, and team members contributing their time and skills for free.

The statement continued: “We cannot continue to rely on this model into the future.

“As a collective, we have long been a motley crew, welcoming divergent personalities and perspectives, always with an open door. However, we held a common vision to create a vibrant, community-focused festival, sharing ownership in a non- hierarchical structure.

“We're proud of what we've achieved over the past 13 years.

“We've had the privilege of helping to elevate Cork talent on screen, and to see these filmmakers thrive year after year,” added the committee.