From Thursday 7th to Sunday 17th November, this year’s Cork International Film Festival will present an incredible 95 Irish feature premieres across the Rebel County. The full programme for CIFF 2024 has been announced this evening and the 69th edition of the festival sees CIFF in an exciting position to claim one of the top spots for cinema across the island.
The latest works by some of Ireland’s own best and most successful directors, two of the newest features from international star Barry Keoghan and a host of the buzziest films on the festival circuit right now are among the highlights of the programme. Giving another great their flowers, the festival will be honouring Withnail & I director Bruce Robinson, among this year’s CIFF awardees and guests as his hit film screens in one of the festival’s new strands.
The Cork International Film Festival had previously announced its Opening and Irish Galas; papal thriller Conclave on Thursday, 7th November and Sinead O’Shea’s latest doc Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story on Sunday, 10th November, respectively.
Now CIFF has fully launched the programme for 2024 which will screen some of the best in Irish and international films throughout Cork City and county next month. This year includes an expansive World Tour strand, showcasing highly anticipated forthcoming features, alongside an extensive roster of visiting Irish filmmakers, including John Crowley, Sinéad O’Shea, Aislinn Clarke and many more.
Welcoming internationally respected Director of Programming Aurélie Godet, the 2024 programme offers audiences the very best of Irish, global and independent cinema. Highlights of this year’s programme include the Irish premiere of The Brutalist which won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival, political thriller September 5 (with Peter Sarsgaard), and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin in a searing portrait of family bonds. Additionally, the Irish-produced and award-winning Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan will have its Irish premiere with director Christopher Andrews participating in a Q&A afterwards (also nominated for the CIFF Best New Irish Feature Award).
“Our mission as festival programmers is to spark curiosity for cinema through an offer of films that will leave no one behind. Whether you want to introduce your children to cinema magic or you have been waiting to see this year’s buzzy, awarded films. Whether you have specific interests such as mental health or geopolitics, or you have an unquenchable thirst for film in all of its geographical, thematic and aesthetic diversity, we cannot wait to share all these gems with you!”
Aurélie Godet, CIFF Programmer
Proudly supported by the Irish Examiner, the Best New Irish Feature Award showcases acclaimed Irish films. In addition to Bring Them Down, this year’s selection includes Aislinn Clarke’s highly anticipated horror film Fréwaka, survival tale The Damned, surreal drama September Says, Buddhist documentary Chasing the Light and the previously announced Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story. The award jury will comprise Emma Boa, Edinburgh International Film Festival producer and programmer; Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive of the Irish Film & Television Academy; and Hilary Rose, Irish actress (The Young Offenders). The winner will be announced on Saturday 16th November.
CIFF will also be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Cal, produced by CIFF Patron David Puttnam. Still considered one of the finest portrayals of life in Northern Ireland during the sectarian violence, CIFF will be screening a new restoration of the landmark film.
“We are delighted to present this outstanding and extensive programme, curated under the direction of Aurélie Godet, who brings a fresh artistic perspective to CIFF. Our Festival is a dynamic platform that creates transformative experiences for audiences, fostering connection and dialogue, and we are excited to engage our local and global audiences through this electrifying blend of Irish and International films, cementing CIFF’s place as a world-class film festival on the global stage.”
Fiona Clark, CIFF Director & CEO
The Awards Gala at the Festival this year is the adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s best-selling 2021 novel Nightbitch. Starring Amy Adams, the horror comedy is a wildly original exploration of womanhood and the role of the mother in society. With a phenomenal performance from Adams and direction from Marielle Heller, Nightbitch is already proving to be one of the most talked-about films of the year.
The Documentary Gala is The Making of a Japanese, with filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki in attendance. The documentary is an immersive look into pupils of a Tokyo public elementary school for a year, asking questions about the formation and dismantling of identities, both personal and national. Ema Ryan Yamazaki and producer Eric Nyari will also contribute to Doc Day. Doc Day 2024 (on Friday 15th November) will include participation from the EURODOC programme as well as leading European documentary curators from CPH:DOX and Locarno, and industry professionals.
The Family Gala, Fox and Hare Save the Forest, is an animated gem for children, following creatures of the woodland as they set out to rescue their friend Owl and save the forest from ruin. The Gala is one of many films aimed at younger audiences, including Irish co-produced The Magic Reindeer: Saving Santa’s Sleigh (ages 4+) and Young Hearts (ages 11+).
The 69th CIFF will also present new strands: World Tour showcases 22 international titles with universal appeal, from newcomers to household names, including Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End, and Andrea Arnold’s Bird, also starring Barry Keoghan.
The Momentum strand highlights 17 filmmakers who display awe-inspiring liberty and invite audiences to embark with them on a transformative odyssey, and Irish Voices brings particular focus this year to new Irish documentaries. Spirit of the Festival presents nine of the best new European films of 2024, all of which are in competition for two Spirit of the Festival Awards (Gradam Spiorad Na Féile): Best Film and Best Screenplay.
The new festival’s new Disruptors strand embraces maverick filmmakers of cinema’s past and present. Screenings include Gus Van Sant’s beloved My Own Private Idaho, Dean Puckett’s 2024 film The Severed Sun which follows an isolated religious community as they cope with the murder of an abusive husband by one of their own flock, and the cult classic Withnail & I, which will see director Bruce Robinson be presented with our inaugural Honorary Disruptor Award by actor Paul McGann at this special screening.
As the Festival approaches its 70th edition in 2025, this year’s Cork Film Trail invites guests to experience CIFF’s rebellious and disruptive spirit, just like the city itself. Highlighting five key sites around the Rebel City, the Trail features installations linked to the new Disruptors strand, with accompanying short podcasts and a guide to Cork’s renowned hospitality along the way.
This year’s Trail also pays special tribute to Cork’s own Rory Gallagher, folk hero and musical legend, who played in Cork City Hall in 1974 as part of his ground-breaking tour. The Festival will honour his legacy with a special presentation of Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour ’74, 50 years after it world premiered at CIFF. Supported by Cork City Council, the Trail is presented by CIFF in partnership with Murphy’s and Babelfís.
Green Screen showcases four must-see films that highlight urgent issues related to climate change and inspire action, including documentaries Petra Kelly: Act Now! with the filmmaker and a guest panel discussion, Just Above the Surface of the Earth which focuses on wildlife conservation, and Savages, an animated feature about oil palm plantations. Green Screen is sponsored by the Festival’s Sustainability Partner, Future Planet, an award-winning partnership to improve climate literacy and promote change.
The Festival’s Parallax strand highlights filmmakers who play with the very nature of the art form; Cork Lens spotlights the creative diversity of Corkonians past and present, and The Relativity of Time Retrospective explores the cinematic world of seconds, minutes, hours and even centuries (featuring Before Sunrise and Irréversible to name a few). CIFF’s ever-popular Culinary Cinema returns with special events showcasing Cork’s finest food, and Illuminate examines the overlap between film and mental health.
The ARC Cinema has returned as a Principal Venue Partner, including a newly refurbished boutique-style auditorium called the ‘Gate Screen’ and CIFF will bring focus to this newest arthouse cinema. For those unable to travel to Cork, a capsule online programme of new international features will be available to stream nationwide from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th November. In the same spirit, Closed Captions will be available for a number of the strand’s titles, in cinema, and family films will have additional accessibility for young people with sensory sensitivities.
Super Cine Saturday will also be returning on Saturday 16th November, enabling audiences across the county in Bantry, Midleton, Mallow and Youghal to enjoy a ‘Taste of CIFF’ with screenings of The Magic Reindeer: Saving Santa’s Sleigh, Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story and Misericordia in their local cinemas.
All tickets on sale now at corkfilmfest.org and the MyCIFF app.