Irish film has been having a moment. Just look at Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Cillian Murphy, and Domhnall Gleeson. At shows like Say Nothing and Derry Girls, and films like An Irish Goodbye and The Banshees of Inisherin. The energy is undeniable. And now the “green wave” lands in DC.
This weekend, Solas Nua’s annual Capital Irish Film Festival (Feb 26 – Mar 1, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center) brings the very best of contemporary Irish cinema stateside.
CIFF is your chance to see Irish films that wouldn’t normally screen in the United States, to learn about contemporary Ireland, and to discover the next generation of great Irish actors before they become household names.
“I urge everyone to go and see it. It’s a stunning piece of work by director Nuala O’Connor. When you see Lunny’s influence on traditional music, it’s just phenomenal.” —Cillian Murphy
Music-lovers will find Ireland’s soundtrack evolving in real time: a master redefining tradition (IN TIME: DÓNAL LUNNY, with praise from Cillian Murphy), a folk renaissance shaped by post-colonial reflection (CELTIC UTOPIA (UTÓIPE CHEILTEACH)), someone who was making music history happen behind the scenes with The Beatles, Sinéad O’Connor, and U2 (BP FALLON ROCK’N’ROLL WIZARD VOL. 1), and the long-overlooked voices of Ireland’s Traveller community (TRAVELLING BACK (AG TAISTEAL SIAR)). Together, they reveal an Ireland singing to remember, to resist, and to imagine what comes next.
Couldn’t get enough of SAY NOTHING or DERRY GIRLS? Learn more about The Troubles in GERRY ADAMS: A BALLYMURPHY MAN, in which we hear Gerry Adams himself describe the events that led to his political activism and his ultimate pursuit of peace. Narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, DANIEL O’CONNELL: THE EMANCIPATOR explores the life of O’Connell, who became a model for Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The program ranges from urgent documentaries, to sharp comedy, and stories of intense reckoning. TESTIMONY chronicles the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. Ireland’s Official Oscar Entry, SANATORIUM, offers a moving portrait of care and resilience at a Ukrainian wellness facility near the front lines of war.
In HORSESHOE, four estranged siblings rediscover humor and connection with each other in the shadow of their father’s death as they confront inheritance, grief and long-held resentments. Set against the backdrop of the affordability crisis, Irish-language film AONTAS follows three women, led by Carrie Crowley, as they decide to take matters into their own hands and find agency and empowerment along the way. A QUIET LOVE makes history as the first feature in Irish Sign Language.
Keep your eyes on rising star Éanna Hardwicke, appearing alongside legend Steve Coogan, in our opening film SAIPAN and again in NO ORDINARY HEIST, both inspired by headline-making events of the 2000s: Ireland’s 2002 World Cup scandal and a Belfast bank robbery. Alison Oliver (“WUTHERING HEIGHTS,” SALTBURN, CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS) closes the festival in CHRISTY, a moving story of brotherhood, belonging, and second chances in her native County Cork.
Film directors, writers, starring actors, and academics will join for Q&A panels, offering insight on storytelling and what to expect next from the Irish film industry. Share your reactions with other attendees at post-screening receptions, or around the corner at McGinty’s, where all CIFF ticketholders receive 10% off their bill.
Whether you’re a die-hard film buff, captivated by Ireland and its culture, or looking for an IRL experience at the movie theatre, CIFF will leave you wanting more (and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day)!
See these films before everyone else does — and before they’re gone.
🎬 February 26–March 1
📍 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
🎟️ $15 per screening
Watch the trailers:
