DAVID PUTTNAM, PATRON

The Cork International Film Festival was born in 1956 – five years before the launch of RTÉ television, 20 years before the launch of the VHS machine, and 51 years before Steve Jobs presented the iPhone to the world. It has been witness to almost as much change as I have myself, and it would be easy to question its relevance in our current world of algorithmic entertainment.

In fact, festivals like this matter today more than ever: CIFF offers a place for us to come together and experience collective joy – or anguish, or hope, or empathy, or laughter. It gives us a chance to reflect upon ourselves in a truly authentic way. It is a place – like Cork itself – for everyone; where the everyday community can gather and be celebrated in the stories on screen. I am honoured to be part of the 70th anniversary festivities, and I commend each and every person – from the audience to the organisers – who has helped to keep this beacon of the city’s cultural life alive.

CLLR. FERGAL DENNHY , ARD MHÉARA CHORCAÍ – LORD MAYOR OF CORK

Cork City Council is extremely proud to support Cork International Film Festival as the city celebrates Ireland’s first and largest film festival in its landmark 70th edition. In 1956, Lord Mayor of Cork, Patrick McGrath, noted: “It was with pride that the citizens of Cork learnt that our City had been honoured as a venue for an International Film Festival… The educational and entertainment value of film, its world-wide distribution, its broad appeal to all of the community make it impossible to overestimate its importance. In welcoming our distinguished visitors we express the hope that the pleasure of their present visit will induce them to return to our shores… where they will always be assured of a Céad Míle Fáilte.”

His words in 1956 still resonate profoundly today. Our pride in showcasing the very best of home-grown and international film talent, which celebrates diversity and creativity, could not be stronger, 70 years on in 2025.

CIAN BLACKWELL, CHAIR

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Cork International Film Festival, and especially to this landmark 70th edition in 2025. Cork takes immense pride in hosting Ireland’s premier film festival, one that has long championed and supported the development of Ireland’s film industry, whilst diligently and imaginatively serving and engaging local and international artists and audiences.

I want to thank our huge family of supporters, without whom a creative endeavour of this scale and reach would not be possible: the filmmakers and creative partners who contribute to our vibrant and diverse programme; our vital stakeholders, partners, funders, sponsors, corporate and philanthropic supporters; the dedicated Festival team, volunteers and my fellow board members; and most especially, you, our audience. Thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the celebrations!

INTRODUCTION

DISCOVER FILM, REIMAGINE THE WORLD

FIONA CLARK 

Welcome to the 70th Cork International Film Festival! Along with the honour of being the Director of this Grande Dame of Festivals, I am acutely aware of the responsibility that I, together with our wonderful team and Board, hold as the current custodians of this cherished Cork cultural institution. I hope that our programme of films, special events, and the opportunity to meet and share in transformative experiences will engender a shared pride in this Festival and in this City. Seventy years on, we share our founders’ vision of delivering an extraordinary experience both for and with the residents of and visitors to Cork, upholding the promise of our name: firmly rooted in Cork, but open and welcoming to the world, celebrating film in all its kaleidoscopic forms, and bringing people together in a shared Festival experience.

We continue to celebrate cinematic stories and their makers through our esteemed Shorts and Features Awards, and this year, we are delighted to expand the canon with three new awards. Our Festival was selected by the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund to host the prestigious Audentia Award, to promote greater gender equality in the European film industry and to give female filmmakers’ work greater visibility and inspire other women to follow in their footsteps. We are thrilled to honour our Patron, David Puttnam, with an Honorary Award, presented by Gabriel Byrne, and to hear David give a public talk on why film festivals matter. And for our short filmmakers, the hope and inspiration of the future, our new Redbreast UNHIDDEN award joins our trio of Academy Award®-qualifying awards, to further support the opportunity for creative discovery.

Thank you for joining us on this continued cinematic journey of discovery.

Fiona Clark
Festival Director & CEO

AURELIE GODET

For this anniversary edition of the Festival, we listened to you and present here a slightly reduced number of films but with more repeat screenings so you can more easily make your way to the ones that appeal to you. The films on offer are wildly varied but share qualities that are the ones we look out for when composing the programme: sincerity, curiosity, ambition, storytelling power.

Together, we will remind ourselves of all that we have in common with people in neighbouring European countries, and in South Korea, Brazil… Palestine. We will remember that beauty can stem from anything and anywhere, from an Irish tune sung a cappella to a water lily pond in Japan and mad love stories imagined by cool Canadians… We will be surprised, again, that it is still possible to invent new narratives. We will reconnect with our younger selves who once discovered in awe the future classics of film history, perhaps on TV, this time with a chance to enjoy these masterpieces on the big screen. And perhaps we will come back from the Magic Garden with stories to share with our own children, and new ones to imagine.

Aurélie Godet
Director of Programming