CIFF SELECTS CINE CLUB: ROMERÍA
WED 29 APRIL | GATE SCREEN AT THE ARC CINEMA | 18:00
Carla Simón | Spain, Germany | 2025 | 114 mins | Subtitled | Fiction
Marina, 18, orphaned at a young age, must travel to Spain’s Atlantic coast to obtain a signature for a scholarship application from the paternal grandparents she has never met. Guided by her mother’s diary, which she has always kept with her, she navigates a sea of new aunts, uncles, and cousins, uncertain whether she will be embraced or met with resistance.
Screening ahead of its official cinema release date of Friday 8 May, Romería will be introduced on Wednesday 29 April by a CIFF Programmer. Audiences are invited to stay afterwards for a hosted Cine Club discussion.
Forthcoming Screenings:
Wed 29 April, 6pm – Romería
Wed 27 May, 6pm – Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2026 Oscar winner for Best Documentary)
Wed 24 June, 6pm – We Believe You
Grab a season pass and enjoy the last three films for just €30 – the perfect excuse for a few unforgettable nights at the cinema.
SUBMISSIONS
We want to premiere your film. Submit your film to CIFF2026 now before our fast approaching Regular Deadline on Friday 29 May.
CIFF welcomes submissions of features and shorts, and all forms of film production, including fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental. We champion new voices and celebrate excellence in filmmaking throughout our programme. We also recognise filmmakers’ achievements through our 15 Awards, three of which are Academy Award® qualifying.
⏰ Regular Submissions Deadline: Friday 29 May
YOUNG PROGRAMMERS
Cork International Film Festival is delighted to announce the return of our Young Programmers project.
We’re looking for six young cinephiles interested in joining the CIFF2026 team as part of our Young Programmers Project.
Under the tutelage of CIFF’s Programming Team, a panel of six young people will learn about the curatorial process of film festivals, developing a comprehensive understanding of festival programming, from screener to screening, along with marketing, licensing and distribution, event management and networking.
⏰ Application Deadline: Friday 24 April
SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
CIFF is delighted to announce the return of our popular Schools Programme, which will take place Monday 20 – Friday 24 April.
The programme includes six films suitable for Junior Cycle, TY and Senior Cycle students, and a free feature film + talk focused on the theme of climate change as part of our Aeráid Youth Film & Climate Action programme.
Intinn, CIFF’s award-winning free youth film and mental health programme for Transition Year students will also take place 20 – 24 April.
Bookings: schools@corkfilmfest.org or call 021 427 1711.
FILM AT ST. MATTHEW’S
A weekend of cinematic events celebrating the films of legendary film producer and CIFF Patron, David Puttnam and award-winning director Pat Collins, taking place in Baltimore, West Cork from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 April.
The weekend includes a series of talks and a screening introduced by multi-award-winning film producer David Puttnam.
Director and CIFF allumni Pat Collins will also introduce a screening of his 2024 Best Film Award winner at the Irish Film & Television Awards and Dublin International Film Festival, That They May Face the Rising Sun, and host a directing masterclass.
DEASCÉAL
A major new short film funding and development initiative has been launched to support the production of high-quality Irish short films across Munster.
deascéal seeks script applications from filmmakers based in Cork, Cork City, Kerry and Waterford (one film funded per local authority). Production bursary of €14,000.
Spearheaded by Screen Cork in partnership with Screen Kerry and Screen Waterford, deascéal is supported by Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Kerry County Council, Waterford City and County Council, and RTÉ, in association with Cork International Film Festival.
⏰ Applications open: Sunday, 12 April. Applications close: Tuesday, 12 May
LASAIR
LASAIR: Clár Forbartha Gearr Fháisnéis i nGaeilge | Irish Short Documentary Development Programme
Is gorlann forbartha trasteorann thionscadal-dírithe é Lasair faoi choinne gearrscannáin faisnéise ardchaighdeáin i nGaeilge.
Tá iarratais oscailte do scannánóirí atá lonnaithe ar oileán na hÉireann, ar féidir leo oibriú i nGaeilge.
LASAIR is a programme for the development of high quality, story-driven short documentaries in the Irish language.
Applications are open to filmmakers based on the island of Ireland, who can work in Irish.
⏰Applications close: 5pm Friday, 10 April
CIFF WINS VISIT CORK GREEN AWARD
We are delighted to share that Cork International Film Festival has been named a joint winner of the Visit Cork Green Awards 2026. Announced at Keep Cork Meeting in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, we are sincerely grateful for this recognition from Visit Cork.
Sustainability and EDI is embedded in everything we do. As Ireland’s largest and longest-running film festival, it is at the heart of our operations and central to how we programme, shaping everything from our day-to-day practices to the stories we bring to audiences.
Congratulations to our fellow joint winners Ocean Escapes and to all those shortlisted.
