Capital Irish Film Festival

This nail-biting, darkly comic drama recounts one of the most fractious fallings-outs in the history of sport: the explosive clash between soccer star Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy on the island of Saipan just days before the Irish national football team competed in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Rooted in clashing standards and personalities, their feud transcended the game and gripped the entire nation of Ireland as hopes for glory went into a tailspin that not even the Taoiseach could remedy. Keane’s headline-grabbing eleventh hour departure from Ireland’s squad briefly left a weakened McCarthy to hold together a crumbling situation without his team’s talisman amidst a wealth of negativity from press and fans alike. On the surface it was all about standards, but deep down it was a hugely emotive story of two men whose rivalry and contempt came to surpass the sport they loved. With riveting performances from Coogan and Hardwicke, this gripping true story goes beyond sport to tell a tale of leadership, loyalty and rivalry that captured global attention — and as Ireland are on the cusp of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it is the perfect time to learn about a historic moment for the Boys in Green.

A documentary about Irish national treasure BP Fallon, exploring his influence on global culture through music, art, and counterculture.

A showcase of short films from various genres and creators.

TRAVELLING BACK explores the rich musical heritage of Ireland’s Traveller community, a driving force in Irish music since the 1960s ballad boom. The film features intimate interviews and spellbinding performances from Kathleen Keenan, Sarah Dunne, Sharyn Ward, Niamh Dunne and Steo Wall, among others, alongside original poetry written by Martin Warde. With tributes to legends like Pecker Dunne, Felix and Johnny Doran and Maggie Barry, as well as reflections from artists like Damien Dempsey and Liam Ó Maonlaí, this documentary uncovers a legacy long overlooked but deeply embedded in Irish cultural identity.

In this intimate award-winning film, three Deaf couples share their remarkable love stories through sign language: a 50-year forbidden love affair between a couple from both sides of a religious divide, a same-sex couple traversing the challenges of parenting Deaf and hearing daughters and a Deaf boxer and his hearing partner faced with an impossible decision. This collection of cinematic love letters explores the complexities of Deaf relationships and presents an uplifting portrait of enduring love. With an immersive soundscape that challenges conventional perceptions of sound, A QUIET LOVE is Ireland’s first feature documentary in Irish Sign Language — a minority, indigenous language — and the first Irish feature to be produced by a mixed Deaf and hearing team. This mosaic of Deaf experience is beautifully crafted by award-winning director Garry Keane, whose most recent feature IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT was chosen as Ireland’s entry for the Best International Feature Academy Award in 2024.

When her mother goes missing somewhere in Ireland, visual artist and filmmaker Myrid Carten returns from London to find her. Her search takes her into a feuding family, a contested house and a history that threatens to take everyone down — including herself. Filmed over seven months and interweaving intimate family interactions with visually striking footage and Myrid’s own childhood home movies, this award-winning directorial debut lays bare the effects of alcoholism, depression and unresolved family trauma in a raw, immersive and fearless portrayal of the filmmaker’s complex relationship with her mother.

A documentary by Aoife Kelleher that chronicles the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. It highlights their efforts to hold the Irish government accountable and calls for transparency and legal action.

This year’s Norman Houston Short Film Award winner follows a struggling actor, Ian, who finds work as a professional mourner amidst rural Northern Irish funerals. Inspired by a true story, 'NO ORDINARY HEIST' follows bank employees caught in a massive UK cash heist.

This tender and quietly funny romantic comedy tells the story of a rugby player, Jace, who meets an aspiring filmmaker, Charlie, at a college party on Halloween night. Both attend Trinity College Dublin, but their worlds could not be more different: Charlie is trans, her circle full of queer artists and creatives, while Jace sticks with the more strait-laced camaraderie of his rugby teammates. When the party is suddenly shut down by the police, the two find themselves alone in the streets of nighttime Dublin. As they wander the city, sharing secrets, dreams and fears about life after college, a surprising revelation from their shared past threatens to upend their fragile connection. Jace must confront not only his past but also the social identity he has long taken for granted.

A collection of short films showcasing diverse storytelling and artistic expression.

At AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, Silver Spring, MD.

A tender and intimate portrait, this award-winning documentary chronicles the life and work of one of the most iconic and influential Irish musicians of his generation, Dónal Lunny. A founding member of Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts, Lunny played a central role in reviving and transforming Irish traditional and folk music for new generations. The film reflects his creative process and peerless contribution to Irish music and culture, featuring rare and powerful performances by many of Ireland’s most celebrated musicians — including a moving reunion with music icon Christy Moore. DIR/SCR Nuala O’Connor; PROD Iarfhlaith Ó Domhnaill. Ireland, 2025, b&w, 95 min.

In Trisha Ziff’s unique documentary, filmed over five years, former political leader and Irish Republican activist Gerry Adams tells his story for the first time, reflecting on his working-class childhood in Belfast, through to The Troubles and his role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Illustrated with a wealth of historical imagery and footage, the film offers a very personal insight into Adams’ world — relaxed, informal and uncensored. Imprisoned and shot, Adams was demonized and censored by the establishment media — yet in the end, the British and their allies were forced to recognize his legitimacy and negotiate with him and his party, Sinn Féin, which helped bring about the Good Friday Agreement.

A mystery drama set in rural Ireland, exploring secrets and family dynamics as Detective Frank Ryan investigates a murder linked to a submerged village graveyard.

A comedy drama about estranged siblings reuniting to settle their father's will, facing challenges with their father's ghost.

CELTIC UTOPIA is an exploration of Ireland’s traditional folk music scene, redefined by a new wave of young artists blending punk, hip-hop, and beyond. Featuring performances by The Mary Wallopers, The Deadlians, and more.

A showcase of short films highlighting diverse storytelling and artistic expression.

A documentary exploring the profound knowledge and wisdom contained in Irish landscape and myths, and how they shape our relationship with nature.

This documentary celebrates the life and legacy of Daniel O’Connell, also known as The Liberator and The Emancipator, on the 250th anniversary of his birth. From his origins as a young Catholic living under the oppression of British rule to his rise as a lawyer and global advocate for justice, O’Connell dedicated his life to the struggle of achieving Catholic emancipation. Influenced by the philosophical ideals of liberty and equality from the American founding era, O’Connell pioneered nonviolent mass political mobilization and inspired democratic movements across the world, becoming renowned as a visionary statesman, reformer and champion of human rights. Written and directed by multi-award-winning filmmaker Ruán Magan and narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, the documentary features insights from leading scholars, including Mary McAleese, Declan Kiberd, Jay Roszman, Patrick Geoghegan, Niamh Gallagher and Chanté Mouton Kinyon. Featuring newly uncovered archival material and a beautiful original score by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, the film reveals how O’Connell’s campaigns reshaped Ireland’s political and cultural landscape and positioned O’Connell as a model for later figures, including Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

A documentary film set at the Kuyalnik Sanatorium in Ukraine, exploring the lives of staff and visitors amidst the backdrop of war.

AONTAS is a crime thriller about three unlikely thieves, led by a middle-aged woman on the verge of a breakdown, who rob the local credit union in their town. The film explores the aftermath of a heist-gone-wrong and the impact of their choices.

Seventeen-year-old Christy (in a powerhouse debut by Danny Power) is at a crossroads. Kicked out of his latest suburban foster home, he returns to his old neighborhood to live with his estranged half-brother Shane (Diarmuid Noyes) and his young family, stirring up memories of their difficult childhood for both of them. As far as Shane is concerned, the arrangement is temporary—but Christy begins to find himself and a sense of home on Cork's working-class northside. As he makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his destructive extended family despite Shane’s best efforts to steer him away. After so many years apart, the brothers need to find a way to reconcile their turbulent past while deciding what the future looks like in a powerful story of brotherhood, belonging, second chances and finding your place in the world. The debut feature from accomplished music video director Brendan Canty (Hozier’s "Take Me to Church") mines humor and heart for a crowd-pleasing drama that resists typical social realist pitfalls.