CIFF looks to the future as it enters eighth decade
More than 200 films, special guests, family screenings, and immersive culinary events are set to bring Cork to life next month as the Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) unveils the full programme for its 71st edition.
Bringing the best of Irish and international cinema to Cork from 12-22 November, CIFF 71 will welcome an outstanding line-up of Irish and international filmmakers, actors, and distinguished guests to Leeside.
Following recent announcements of the festival’s opening and closing gala films, ‘Lucy Lost’ and ‘The Debut’, respectively, and the world premiere of ‘Joe Bonamassa: The Spirit of Rory’, CIFF is now revealing the full programme for its 71st year.
Festival Director and CEO Fiona Clark says this year is all about looking ahead following the festival’s landmark 70th birthday last year.
“This year we look firmly to the future, celebrating the power of cinema to connect audiences, spark ideas, and broaden perspectives. Above all, there will be the boundless pleasure of discovery: meeting the filmmakers, finding a film that stays with you, hearing a new voice, or taking part in the many talks and immersive events inspired by the films. We invite you to explore, be curious, and make Cork your cinematic home in November,” said Fiona.
Celebrating the best of Irish cinema
Irish filmmaking takes centre stage throughout the 2026 programme, including a film called ‘Ancestors’, written and directed by David Turpin, which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the recent Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and stars Éanna Hardwicke, Rupert Everett, and Christina Hendricks.
Also featured is ‘Skintown’, directed by Kieron J Walsh and starring Jack Rowan, Chris Walley, and Jamie Lee O’Donnell. ‘The Body Is Water’, written and directed by Vicky Wight, features Isiah Whitlock in his final on-screen role, alongside Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Aidan Quinn, and Eva Birthistle. Documentary audiences can look forward to ‘Tin Castle’, which follows the O’Reilly family as they navigate life in a rundown trailer surrounded by the fields of rural Ireland. Showcasing 12 films across the Best New Irish Feature competition and Irish Voices strand, the selection reflects the diversity of Irish cinema, from bold contemporary storytelling to intimate portraits of family, community, and everyday life.
Star talent, distinguished guests, and honorary awards
This year CIFF will once again welcome an impressive gathering of talent from Ireland and around the world, including actors Éanna Hardwicke, Rupert Everett, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, and Allen Leech, alongside filmmakers Lizzie Borden and Céline Sciamma, and many more.
At the screening of David Turpin’s ‘Ancestors’ on 20 November, Éanna Hardwicke will be presented with the Honorary Puttnam Award - named in honour of the festival's patron, the Oscar-winning producer and film education luminary, David Puttnam - for his contribution to Irish cinema.
Other awards to be presented during the Festival include the Honorary Disruptor Award, the Best New Irish Feature Award, and the Lookout Award, as well as three Oscar-qualifying Short Awards and the Redbreast UNHIDDEN Short Award.
International must-sees
Highlights from the World Tour strand include a screening of Jordan Firstman’s ‘Club Kid’, a story of a hard-partying New York City club promoter whose lifestyle is upended by the arrival of a 10 year old son he never knew he had. Other key titles include ‘The Accompanist’ starring Susan Sarandon; ‘Cantona: Flower of Evil’ about one of football’s most rebellious talents; ‘The Education of Jane Cumming’, starring Fiona Shaw and Clare Dunne; Clio Barnard’s ‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’ starring Irish talent Anthony Boyle, Lola Petticrew, and Daryl McCormack; ‘Rose with Sandra Hüller’; ‘A Talent for Murder’ with Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich and Mike Leigh’s final film, ‘Tender Loving Care’.
The festival opens on 12 November with a gala screening of ‘Lucy Lost’, directed by Olivier Clert at 7pm in the Curtis Auditorium at MTU Cork School of Music. For booking and a full programme for CIFF 71, visit corkfilmfest.org.