Established in 1956, the festival has enjoyed a steady growth in scale, in numbers of admissions and guests, in reputation and in media coverage. The festival has developed an ever-increasing audience of general public, film lovers and filmmakers.

Cork Film Festival is held in high regard on a local, national and international level. In Cork city and region it is one the most important events in the social and cultural calendar.

The programme is wide-ranging, an eclectic mix of big budget pictures, world cinema, innovative independent films, documentaries and short films from all over the globe. The festival is a major showcase for Irish film production.