Docs Ireland 2026 launches programme
Posted: 26th May 2026
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland welcomes the launch of Docs Ireland 2026, returning in Belfast this June. Across its wide programme, Docs Ireland 2026 will showcase a diverse range of films and events spanning music, climate, conflict, identity and culture, alongside a strong line-up of new Irish work and a growing international industry presence.
This year Docs Ireland pays tribute to author, traveller, broadcaster and documentary maker Manchán Magan by posthumously awarding him the Docs Ireland 2026 Outstanding Contribution to Irish Documentary. Following a cancer diagnosis, in October last year, Manchán Magan sadly passed away at the age of 55. This year Docs Ireland recognises the immense contribution Manchán made to Irish culture.
Docs Ireland film festival will open this year with Steal This Story, Please!, a gripping portrait of award-winning independent journalist and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, whose fearless reporting has made her one of the most influential voices in global media. Closing the festival is Magilligan directed by Ross McClean, a powerful feature debut from the Belfast filmmaker. The film offers an intimate portrait of a young man navigating life after prison, following its international premiere at Swiss festival, Visions du Réel. This will be a very special event as McClean has a long standing relationship with Docs Ireland having been a participant in the Docs Ireland Ignite training and development programme Marketplace in 2021 and winner of the Docs Ireland Short Film Competition in 2025 with No Mean City.
Michele Devlin, Chief Executive at Docs Ireland, said:
With 100 features, short documentaries and events over six days, our programme is packed with premieres, guest filmmakers and vital conversations. Audiences are in for a remarkable festival. Nowadays, with disinformation spreading faster than facts and truth itself increasingly contested, independent documentary filmmaking has never been more vital. Through new training initiatives like LASAIR and the Impact Lab with Guth Gafa and Story Matters we continue strengthening our commitment to nurturing Irish and NI documentary talent."
Other Screen Ireland supported documentaries on the programme this year include Cara Holmes' Lesbian Lines, revealing a hidden history through an underground network of telephone helplines, and the transformative power of listening; Neasa Ní Chianáin's Forever is Now, following Eamon Ryan during his final 18 months in government; Ian Thuillier's Guggi, an intimate portrait of the Irish artist from his anarchic days with post-punk legends Virgin Prunes to his quiet mastery as a contemporary painter and Martin Danneels' Freagairt Na Gairme / Answering the Call, a contemplative documentary that follows the fragile survival of Ireland’s corncrake.
Docs Ireland runs 16-21st June, proudly supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. Discover the full programme on docsireland.ie.