Cork International Film Festival is Ireland’s largest and longest-running film festival – marking its milestone 70th anniversary in 2025. As part of our bite-sized CIFF European Film Weekend, running Friday 24th – Sunday 26th January, we are delighted to partner with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland and The Arc Cinema Cork to present FREE films shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award 2025.
The LUX Audience Award aims to strengthen ties between politics and the people by inviting European audiences to become active protagonists and rate their favourite films.
Celebrating the latest and best European features and shorts, and as Ireland’s official representative at the European Film Academy Short Film Award, the screenings will be complemented by two programmes of short films selected from the European Film Academy network.
An integral part of these screenings is voting for your favourite film in the largest audience award in the world.
We invite you to rate the LUX Audience Award films you have watched: five stars ‘excellent’ to one star ‘poor’. Rate by April 2025 and don’t miss the chance to win a range of exciting prizes, including a trip to the European Parliament to attend the LUX Award Ceremony in April 2025 and meet the directors and film crews of the nominees.
LUX Audience Award Programme at CIFF, 24th – 26th January 2025
Dahomey
24 JAN | 18:30 | ARC CINEMA
Directed by Mati Diop
France, Senegal, Benin | 2024 | 67 min | Documentary
November 2021. 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey are about to leave Paris to return to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin. Along with thousands of others, these artefacts were plundered by French colonial troops in 1892. But what attitude to adopt to these ancestors’ homecoming in a country that had to forge ahead in their absence? The debate rages among students at the University of Abomey-Calavi.
Intercepted
25 JAN | 15:30 | ARC CINEMA
Directed by Oksana Karpovych
Canada, France, Ukraine | 2024 | 95 min | Documentary
Sound and image stare each other in the face as Intercepted contrasts quiet compositions of everyday life of Ukrainians since the full-scale invasion with intercepted phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families.
Intercepted has received 10 nominations and 6 wins at major film festivals around the world.
Julie Keeps Quiet
25 JAN | 18:00 | ARC CINEMA
Directed by Leonardo van Dijl
Belgium, Sweden | 2024 | 100 min | Drama
As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club’s players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet…
The revelation from Belgium in CIFF 2024’s Spirit of the Festival competition.
Animal
26 JAN | 18:00 | ARC CINEMA
Directed by Sofia Exarchou
Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria | 2023 | 116 min | Drama
Under the hot Greek sun, the animateurs at an all-inclusive island resort prepare for the busy tourist season. Kalia is the leader of the pack. Paper decors, glossy costumes and dance shows fill the stage. As summer intensifies and the work pressure builds up, their nights become violent and Kalia’s struggle is revealed in the darkness. But when the spotlights turn on again, the show must go on.
Winner of the CIFF2023 Spirit of the Festival competition and Locarno Film Festival Silver Leopard for Best Actress.
An integral part of these screenings is rating your favourite film. When you have watched the film at the cinema, you will automatically receive an email asking you to rate the LUX Audience Award films you have watched: five stars ‘excellent’ to one star ‘poor’.
LUX – The European Audience Film Award was introduced in 2020 and is presented every year by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. The long list of films in contention is drawn from all the Fiction and Documentary nominations put forward to the EFA Awards. Five of those films were selected at the EFA Awards, and are shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award 2025. For more information on the LUX Audience Award visit here.
European Film Award Shorts at CIFF, 24th – 26th January 2025
EFA Shorts Programme 1
25 JAN | 12:00 | ARC CINEMA
THE DEATH OF A HERO (EN HJÄLTES DÖD)
Karin Franz Körlof | Sweden | Fiction | 15 mins
A young man is engaged to balance on his head on top of a church tower for a large amount of money.
DILDOTECTONICS (DILDOTECTÓNICA)
Tomás Paula Marques | Portugal | Documentary, Fiction | 16 mins
In this day and age, Rebeca attempts to create a collection of non-phallic ceramic dildos. During the Inquisition, Josefa finds a dildo that is used in their forbidden love relationship with Maria. Although in different timelines, the paths of Rebeca and Josefa end up crossing each other.
A KIND OF TESTAMENT
Stephen Vuillemin | France | Animation | 15 mins
A young woman comes across animations on the Internet that have clearly been created from her private selfies. An unknown female with the same name confesses to identity theft. But death is quicker than the answer to the question: “Why?”
A STUDY OF EMPATHY (EN UNDERSØGELSE AF EMPATI)
Hilke Rönnfeldt | Denmark, Germany | Fiction | 15 mins
Dana welcomes art student Penelope to her home to participate in her performance. The meeting between the two women takes an unexpected turn for Dana and leaves her disturbed. To find out what actually has happened between them, Dana musters up the courage to meet Penelope at the opening of her graduation show.
ON THE WAY (RRUGËS)
Samir Karahoda | Kosovo | Fiction | 15 mins
A father and a son’s airport trip turns into a journey through Kosovo’s struggles and their future.
IF THE SUN DROWNED INTO AN OCEAN OF CLOUDS (ET SI LE SOLEIL PLONGEAIT DANS L’OCEAN DES NUES)
Wissam Charaf | France, Lebanon | Fiction | 20 mins
Beirut, Lebanon. On the waterfront’s construction site, security agent Raed must prevent passing-by walkers from accessing the seaside. Yet as the horizon becomes each day more stifled by the construction, Raed makes peculiar encounters – mere dreams, or symbols of his desires?
EFA Shorts Programme 2
26 JAN | 15:30 | ARC CINEMA
2720
Basil de Cunha | Portugal/Switzerland | Fiction | 24 mins
After a violent police raid in a poor clandestine neighbourhood in Lisbon, a 7-year-old girl seeks to find her missing older brother. At the same time, a young newly released ex-convict tries to start anew, free from a life of crime. The fate of these two will cross in the worst way.
CLAMOUR
Samolé De Souza | France | Fiction | 25 mins
Johannes and Gabin are young, cousins and in love with each other: their story takes place in Southern France.
THE EXPLODING GIRL
Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel | France | Animation | 19 mins
For the past three months, Candice has been exploding every day. Sometimes even 2 or 3 times a day. Her record is seven times. She currently has 192 explosions.
THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT
Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia, France, Bulgaria, Slovenia | Fiction | 19 mins
A passenger train from Belgrade to Bar is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them.
WANDER TO WONDER
Nina Gantz | The Netherlands, France, Belgium, United Kingdom | Animation | 13 mins
Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are three miniature actors who star in a kids’ TV series. After their creator dies, they are left alone in the studio. With their slowly decaying costumes and growing hunger, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans.
Proudly presented by Cork International Film Festival in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland.
