Discoveries from Ireland World Cinema

In rural Ireland, a simple decision pushes two teenage sisters to contemplate their future and their ties to the family farm.

Following veteran campaigner Ailbhe Smyth as she navigates the complexities of convincing a historically conservative electorate to vote for women’s reproductive autonomy, The 8th tells the story of how Ireland overturned one of the world’s most restrictive laws on abortion. This documentary is a vivid exploration of the political and cultural history that charts the transformation of a country

Don wants to reconnect with his estranged family. His partner, Lisa wants to live a life free of his violent rages...

"Hunting the Hare" is a short film created for singer/songwriter Emma Langford. It has been presented in theatres alongside several short vignettes created between 2022 and 2025. What they have in common is taking a poetic approach to animation and exploring the process of drawing in sand as a kind of excavation, a tracing of thought and memory and a means by which to navigate internal landscapes.

"In a kingdom ruled by strict and overbearing parents, a prince and a princess make a shocking and deadly decision. Tired of being controlled and micromanaged, the siblings team up with each other to plan the ultimate act of rebellion: murdering their parents. As they plan and execute their murderous scheme, the prince and princess must confront the consequences of their actions and the true cost of freedom."

Set in 90’s Dublin, two young female DJ’s have their dreams of making it big in London crushed when one of them is diagnosed with HIV.

The story of a moment in the life of an eighteen year old boy, standing on the brink of his life and death.

One year in the life of Albin and his family of shepherds in the North of Transylvania, their day to day routines, and their attempts to adapt to a new world where traditions are gradually replaced by modern values.

Originally conceived as a road movie, Sound from the Valley Floor is at once a film diary and a perverse comedy permeated with a dream logic.

A self-obsessed call centre worker deals with a personal heartbreak while on shift as the world crumbles around him - due to a zombie apocalypse.

A class of students struggle to elect a new class rep as increasingly bizarre candidates put themselves forward for the role.

The Bothy Band, Ireland's foremost traditional music band reunite for a special documentary. The Bothy Band burst into life in late 1974 and although their star radiated for barely five years they released 4 albums to wide critical acclaim.

Something's not quite right with Guy's new roommate...

This documentary explores the tragic impact of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion on the people of Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine.

An irreverent nativity tale in which a woman seeks divine intervention when she thinks she is pregnant but is unsure who the father is.

Undertow looks at the Irish system of asylum seeker accommodation ('direct provision') through the stories of three former refugees. The film attempts to contextualise their years of confinement in the system, within Ireland's own complex history of migration and mass incarceration.

‘entzauberung einer stadt’ (eng. de-magic-ation of a city) is a poetic documentary by a German filmmaker living in Dublin. It is his response to the city's housing crisis, harsh weather conditions, and the humanitarian crisis intertwined within. The title shines a light on the theme of disillusionment, reflecting the filmmaker's feelings as he peels back the layers of romanticized notions to reveal a version of truth underneath.

A prehistoric Irish stone head (1962:11) goes on an odyssey of understanding.

After accidentally killing one of her clients, a recently divorced housewife turned dominatrix must figure out what to do next - all while dealing with her manipulative teenage son.

This doc unpacks the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, one of the worst on record. From Hurricane Beryl, a category 5 storm with 165 mph winds to Hurricane Helene - one of the deadliest since Katrina of 2005 - and Hurricane Milton, the most powerful Category 5 hurricane reaching 180 mph. We reveal how hurricane meteorologists are trying to stay one step ahead with cutting edge weather satellites that patrol the planet, warning of when and where a hurricane will hit land. And we join a team of Hurricane Hunters as they fly into the eye of these fierce storms on rugged aircraft crammed with several tons of scientific kit. We also learn from a scientist at NASA who experimented with hurricane flights which were unmanned, using repurposed military drones called Global Hawks to fly into the world's most deadly storms.

Stressed-out New York cop O’Hara travels to Ireland where he finds his roots and a charming young colleen, Kitty, into the bargain. Together they travel the country enjoying its simple rural charms and sophisticated Dublin nightlife.

Documentary captuing the occasion, fifty years after he was executed for treason, of the remains of Roger Casement being exhumed from a grave in Pentonville Prison and repatriated to Ireland with full military honours.

A man gets out of prison to see his adult daughter. Shame, rejection, trouble with his family and his freedom ensues.

A young man decides to take the day off work for no good reason and must therefore face the very serious consequences.

Early short film by Colm Bairéad. Premise unknown.

Luka has made great connections with audiences in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, the UK and the US throughout his career, so he personally invited his dans to come and experience and intimate gig in a Dublin venue.

This early example of a State Sponsored promotional film was made in 1936 and showcases the sunny south coast of Ireland and everything it has to offer to a first-time visitor to Ireland. Made by the Irish Tourist Association, the film briefly visits Cork City showing that from the busy shopping centre of Patrick’s Street, to the Bell tower of Shandon, Cork is an eclectic, vibrant city. It then lingers at the remote outposts of Mizen Head, Garnish, and Dunquin, as the province of Munster is further explored. The viewer discovers the variety of cultural influences the Spanish Armada had on the south of the country, and learns that only a few miles off the shore of Kinsale, Lusitania – the ocean liner destroyed by a German submarine in World War1 – sank 20 years prior to this film being made.

Documentary featuring Ireland’s most famous wrestling family The Fit Finlays. The Finlays from Carrickfergus have kept traditional wrestling in Ireland alive for three generations. They have been central to both the olympic and professional wrestling scenes. This is true wrestling documentary about real wrestlers. Also features legends such as Rasputin the Mad Monk, the Amazing Kung Fu and the sadly missed Orig Williams. Get ready to rumble!!!!

A man lays an egg while taking a bath. He then takes it with him to a bar where it begins to behave strangely.

A middle aged couple in an open relationship fight over their relationship issues, as their children struggle to tell their parents about their own problems.

Over the course of a chaotic day, Mia searches for something special.

Two recovering drug addicts practice tattooing on each other, and over time they find that they've marked each other in other ways as well.

Up in the clouds, a nervous young raindrop is terrified about his fall to earth as a storm rapidly approaches.

The End of Stories is an animated documentary dome film about our inability to understand the present or imagine the future. The 4th installment in the “Corona Voicemails” series, the film showcases a collage of 37 perspectives from around the world of people coping with the turbulence of pandemic life.

An Entity Birthed By Those Who Have Forsook And Denied Life, Not Only To Those Who Unbeknownst To Them Have Always Been Living, But Also To Themselves Who Have Merely Existed Yet To Truly Accept The Truths That Have Been Presented To Them, Yet To Hear The Lies That They Spew With Cognition Rather Than Condemnation. The Entity Continues To Grow, Contort And Feed, Feed On The Contaminated Psyches Of Those Who Brought It To Fruition To Use Against Those They Cannot Come To Terms With Out Of Fear. The Entity That Quickly Grew In Intelligence And Saw That Burrowing Into The Minds Of It's Creators Was Far More Beneficial Than That Of Who Said Creators Deemed Unworthy.

The controversial and moving tale of a struggling young Cork musician. We are introduced to the world of Cork hip-hop, its bitter rivalries, and the people behind the profanity.

The Irishman Tomás Ó Cuirín (1877-1938), known as Tom Crean, was one of the greatest heroes in the history of Antarctic exploration: he participated in three of the greatest expeditions, shared adventures with Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Henry Shackleton, the great rivals of the time, and survived them both. However, today he is a practically forgotten figure.

Not everyone can move on from their mistakes, especially when they can't be fixed.

The Horgan Brothers’ film records a pilgrimage to St Declan’s Holy Well, Ardmore, 1910

The exchange of handwritten letters between characters, with one writer seeking connection at home and another searching for their own place to call home.

A story of heartbreak…over plants.

Nay BOAM is dead and The Dream Team assemble to fight Autistic Child and Coffeeman.

A Short Film about a nicotine addict's poor mental health.

The making of the next Aaron Aaron Byrne Movie takes a turn for the worst.

Paying homage to her experimental contemporary Jack Smith, Vivienne Dick juxtaposes two quite different London landscapes.

Ian splits his time between working his dead end warehouse job and taking care of his ailing mother. The stresses of everyday life, alongside Anna's illness, have created a rift between the two that is seemingly insurmountable.

The fragility of Earth's future, the uncertainty of life are among the core concepts director Páraic McGloughlin explores in this video for Kompakt duo Weval.

Ardal O'Hanlon looks at what started the showband era in Ireland, the people involved, and how it came to an end in the 1980s.

The chaotic poetry of everyday life is translated into a surreal home drama riffing on the nuclear family in this rich, funny and absurd animation. Kehelly’s short is immensely playful; manipulating textures, sound design, and even accents to create a scattershot portrait of a deeply insecure society in crisis.

1970 short starring Niall Toibin as Behan.

In a perfect Celtic society, a young girl finds herself face-to-face with a dark family secret.

Cut to the chase was a phrase used by Hollywood studio executives, meaning “don't bore us with the dialogue - get to the interesting scenes without unnecessary delay." Cut to the Chase is a film crafted through images captured from a customised telecine apparatus and combines archival found-footage material with newly generated footage.

The popular all female singing group brings its unique Celtic sound to a live concert at Powerscourt in Ireland.

Parents of prisoners share their fears, hopes and hearts as they stand by their sons.

On an empty little rock in an empty black sea lived empty little people with a compulsive thirst for tea...

Paul Connolly travels through Europe to infiltrate the world of traveller conmen, using surveillance techniques to discover how this criminal fraternity earns its money.

A prehistoric Irish stone head (1962:11) goes on an odyssey of understanding.

Ballymun, a suburb of Dublin and home to the largest social regeneration programme in Europe. The 4th Act examines the legacy of this 18-year project, via the dramatically and digitally reconstructed memories of the community its