CORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 AWARDS

For 71 years, Cork International Film Festival has celebrated excellence in filmmaking, championing new, emerging and established filmmakers and voices, through its prestigious awards.

HONORARY AWARDS

In honour of our patron the Oscar® winning producer and film education luminary, David Puttnam, the Honorary Puttnam Award will be presented to actor and filmmaker Éanna Hardwicke for his contribution to Irish cinema. This award will be presented at the Irish Premiere of Ancestors, Friday 20 November, at The Everyman.

Our 2026 Honorary ‘Disruptor’ Award will be awarded to filmmaker Lizzie Borden. Pat Murphy will present the award after a screening of Borden’s Born In Flames on Saturday 14 November, 20:15 at Triskel Art Centre.

Three of our Shorts awards – the Grand Prix Irish Short, the Grand Prix International Short and the Grand Prix Documentary Short – are Academy Award®-qualifying, ensuring that the winners in Cork will be automatically long-listed for the Oscars® .

Our awards are designed and created by

FEATURES AWARDS

BEST NEW IRISH FEATURE

The Best New Irish Feature Award, proudly supported by the Irish Examiner. Films in this category are:

Ancestors, directed by David Turpin
Julián, directed by Louise Begnall
The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias, directed by Sophie Fiennes
Skintown, directed by Kieron J. Walsh
Tin Castle, directed by Alexander Murphy
Whiddy, directed by Adrian McCarthy

Proudly supported by

Jurors:

Wendy Mitchell,Podcaster, Programmer and Contributing Editor at Screen International
Karel Och, Artistic Director, Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Olivier Père, Managing Director, ARTE France Cinéma

SPIORAD NA FÉILE : BEST FILM (SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD)

The films in the Spiorad Na Féile/Spirit of the Festival Award for Best Film & Best Screenplay this year are:

Camouflage, directed by Mykyta Gibalenko
A Common Story (Una Storia), directed by Anna Foglietta
A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra (Mia Mera Sti Zoi Tis Tzo: Kefalaio Faidra), directed by Jacqueline Lentzou
First Zone, directed by Thom Lunshof
Flesh & Fuel (Du Fioul Dans Les Artères), directed by Pierre Le Gall
La Gradiva, directed by Marine Atlan
Sick, directed by Agata Trzebuchowska
Stand Up, directed by Mari Sanders

Jurors:

Antonio Miguel Arenas, Programmer, Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival and Co-director, Granada Film Festival
Aoife Barry, Freelance Arts/Culture Writer, Broadcaster & Live Events Moderator
Eve Gabereau Director of Distribution,Vue Lumiere

GRADAM NA FÉILE DO SCANNÁIN FAISNÉISE : AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Gradam Na Féile Do Scannáin Faisnéise/Award for Best Documentary

Jurors:

Pat Collins, Filmmaker
Monika Lostakova, Executive Director, International Film Festival Febiofest Bratislava
Thom Lunshof, Filmmaker

LOOKOUT AWARD

The Lookout Award, proudly supported by The Arc Cinema

Proudly supported by

Chosen by our youth jury comprising students from UCC, MTU and St. Johns Central College.

AUDIENCE AWARD (FEATURES)

Chosen by you, the audience, by voting online. All Festival features that have their Irish premiere in cinema are eligible for the award. Winners announced on Monday 23 November.

SHORTS AWARDS

This year, all short film awards will be decided by the Short Film Jury:

Sam Ahern, Festival Director, GAZE Film Festival
Brian Deane, Filmmaker and Producer
Rui Mendes, Programmer Head of International Shorts, Indie Lisboa

Grand Prix Irish Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.

Grand Prix International Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.

Grand Prix Documentary Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.

Redbreast Unhidden Short Award, An award to championing emerging Irish and international filmmaking talent, in partnership with our Whiskey Partner, Redbreast Single Pot Irish Whiskey.

Best Director: Irish Short, Supported by Screen Directors Guild Ireland.

Best Cork Short Award, Cork International Film Festival is the official Irish representative for: Short Film Candidate for The European Film Awards 2026.

Short Awards presentation will take place on Thursday 19 November.

Audience Awards (Shorts), Chosen by you, the audience. Vote online for your favourite short. The winner will be announced on Monday 23 November.

Academy Award®-Qualifying Categories:

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