Bringing to you the best of new European cinema with our Spirit of the Festival strand. These filmmakers wowed us with their first or second feature film and will compete for the Best Film and Best Screenplay awards.
We have highlighted four of these brilliant stories below and there are plenty more to discover in our full Spirit of the Festival Programme here.
All Festival tickets and passes are on sale now at corkfilmfest.org and the myCIFF app.
RABIA
Rabia by Mareike Engelhardt:
Jessica, a 19-year-old French girl, leaves her a country for Syria, thinking that the humiliations of cheap labour will give way to a life of leisure in the villa showed off by her friend’s future husband, an ISIS fighter.
But in lieu of the handsome groom in the pictures, what they find in Raqqa is a locked house full of other young women from around the world. Rabia tells the incredible, yet sadly true, story of what happened to too many young girls, lured by Isis propaganda, after they ran away from their home country. (8.30pm, Wed 13th Nov, Arc Cinema + 6.15pm, Sun 17th Nov, Arc Cinema)
Explore our full Spirit of the Festival Programme here.
JULIE KEEPS QUIET
Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo van Dijl:
Julie is the star player at an elite tennis academy. 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. Why does she and how long can she sustain it? (5.30pm, Wed 13th Nov, Arc Cinema + 4pm, Sun 17th Nov, Arc Cinema)
This film has been selected by our Young Programmers for the Lookout Award.
This film is shortlisted for the 2025 LUX Audience Award.
Explore our full Spirit of the Festival Programme here.
THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE +Q&A
The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe:
In a windswept Somali fishing village, Mamargade, a single father, works odd jobs to provide a better life for his son, Cigaal. Araweelo, his sister, comes back to live with them after her divorce. Each pursues their own ambitions in a country wrecked by civil war, natural disasters and the deadly threat posed by the U.S. drones constantly buzzing overhead. (7.45pm, Thu 14th Nov, Arc Cinema)
Director Mo Harawe will attend the screening and participate in a post-screening Q&A hosted by Aurélie Godet, Director of Programming.
Explore our full Spirit of the Festival Programme here.
PROGRAMMER’S PICK: LESSONS LEARNED
Today’s pick is from our Director of Programming, Aurélie Godet:
Lessons Learned by Bálint Szimler (5.30pm, Tue 12th Nov, Arc Cinema + 6.30pm, Sun 17th Nov, Arc Cinema)
“Lesson Learned is a hit in Hungary, its home country, not only because of how universal it is – if you have strong school-relate memories, you’re going to connect – but because people are responding to its implied commentary on a broken system. They are expressing an opinion by showing up. Also, it’s just brilliant filmmaking. And its wonderful 16mm cinematography is by the DP of HBO’s ‘Euphoria’, Marcell Rév.”
This film has been selected by our Young Programmers for the Lookout Award.
Explore our full Spirit of the Festival Programme here.
