Festival Funding: International Irish Film Festivals

About the Fund 

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland provides funding to a limited number of national Irish film festivals that offer an exceptional opportunity to engage the Irish screen industry.

The festival should also provide unique opportunities to screen Irish films to local audiences, therefore increasing visibility for the films and talent.  

The funding is aimed at established and emerging festivals with a track record of delivering film festivals aiming to grow audiences for Irish film, animation and documentary in their territory.  

Who Can Apply  

International Irish Film Festivals with a track record working with IFI International to showcase Irish film to international audiences. Please note this funding is not available to Festivals who are in their first year of operation. 

Please note: In exceptional circumstances Screen Ireland may consider assessing applications from an established film festival planning an Irish special focus during their main festival. In these cases there must be a clear plan and opportunity to boost the visibility and success of Ireland’s screen industries or the festival must have a strong industry element with solid co-production opportunities available. It would be expected that the festival is working with a wide number of Irish partners on the programme. Funding for these types of events is extremely limited each year.

Application deadlines

• For film festivals taking place during the period September 1st to December 31st 2026: Deadline April 13th 2026.
• For film festivals taking place during the period January 1st to April 30th 2027: Deadline September 7th 2026.
• For film festivals taking place during the period May 1st to August 30th 2027: Deadline January 18th 2027.

How will the Fund Work?  

Categories of funding available: 

• €5,000 – €7,000 

This funding is for International Irish film festivals who are currently growing their presence in their territory. The festival should be building on their visibility and reaching out to new audiences with specific targets in mind.  

• €10,000 – €15,000 

 This funding is reserved for International Irish film festivals of scale which take place in regions where there is a significant opportunity to reach large audiences in key territories. The festival should provide a strong platform to allow important business opportunities for films and creative talent to take place.  

How to Apply 

If this is your first time applying to Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, please email marketing@screenireland.ie before you begin the application process.

Applications should be made on Screen Ireland’s Applications Portal.

The following will be required as per the application process:

• A detailed festival proposal which outlines the event and explains how the event/activity links to the work of the Screen Ireland and aligns to one or more of the agency’s strategic objectives.  

• An outline of the total budget for the event/activity and set out how the proposed funding to support the event /activity will be used. The budget should include proposed revenue from all other funders or sponsors,  the amount of funding being provided by these funders and whether the funding is already secured. 

• An explanation of how the event/activity will be marketed and how Screen Ireland’s funding will be recognised.

• An organisation Outline (including details of the board and governance procedures).

• CVs of all principals (include key personnel only).

• Accounts – the most recent set of financial statements.

How are applications assessed?  

When evaluating the application, the following targets will be examined: 

• The ability to offer a platform to Irish projects and talent to reach established, new and diverse audiences.  

• Very strong representation of Screen Ireland funded content.  

• Strong marketing and publicity plan.

• Festivals who make a commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality within the programme of the festival. 

• The ability of festival to demonstrate a yearly growth in reaching new and diverse audiences.  

• Festivals which offer valuable opportunities to film industry professionals to engage in discussions and debate. 

• Length of time in operation. Preference will be given to festivals with a strong track record.

• Distinguishing elements eg: use of social media, outstanding industry programmes & events and the use of new and diverse ways to build and develop audiences for Irish film.  

Assessment Criteria	Marks Available %	Minimum score required
(A) Supports achievement of Screen Ireland’s strategic objectives under the audience pillar and will promote Irish screen content within that territory. The programme should include a wide diversity of content.	50	25
(B) Offers value for money	10	5
(C) The extent to which the proposal set out is realistic and achievable.	10	5
(D) The marketing and publicity plans for the festival including targeting a diverse audience.	20	10
(E) The relevant experience of the applicant having regard to the event / activity proposed.     In this regard, should an applicant have previously secured funding under the Scheme, the track record of the Applicant, including matters of compliance with relevant contracts will be considered.	10	5
Total	100%	-

Please note that previous success in securing funding does not guarantee funding in future years. 

Delivery  

On completion of the festival, the festival must deliver a detailed report detailing how the funding was utilised, a breakdown of the publicity achieved, audience numbers and growth from previous years and how the festival achieved the targets as set out above.  It should also present the opportunities and challenges for the festival into the future.  

Screen Ireland may request that the WheretoWatchIreland.com platform is promoted at any festivals in receipt of funding.  

This page was last updated on 19.03.2026