Leading International Names Announced for Third Annual Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival
Posted: 26th March 2026
Line-up includes Academy Award© nominee Will Tracy, BAFTA & EMMY winner Abi Morgan, Academy Award© Nominee Brady Corbet, BAFTA-nominated Harry Lighton, Golden Lion winner Audrey Diwan, BAFTA winner Nicole Lecky & More
Tickets on sale from Monday, 30th March at 10am
Storyhouse returns for its third year as an annual festival dedicated to celebrating and advancing the craft of screen storytelling. Taking place on 16–17 April 2026 at the Light House Cinema, the festival will feature a dynamic programme of panels, keynote talks, interviews, and case studies. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn from an exciting lineup of acclaimed international screenwriters and creators.
With a strong commitment to nurturing the next generation of talent, the accompanying initiative, Storyhouse Lab, offers emerging screenwriters a platform to engage with and be inspired by leading voices from across the industry.
This year’s programme brings together an exceptional range of voices from across film, television and theatre. Among the speakers is writer-director Brady Corbet, whose film The Brutalist has received multiple Academy Award© nominations in 2025 and widespread international acclaim and BAFTA and Emmy-winning screenwriter and playwright Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, Suffragette). They are joined by Academy Award© and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and producer Will Tracy (Bugonia, Succession, The Menu), alongside BAFTA and French writer-director Audrey Diwan, winner of the Golden Lion for Happening.
Also featured are writer-director and actor Eva Victor, whose debut feature Sorry, Baby won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance and writer-director Harry Lighton, a BAFTA nominee whose debut feature Pillion has garnered major recognition at Cannes and the 2026 BAFTAs as well as BAFTA-winning writer, performer and creator Jack Rooke (Big Boys) and BAFTA-winning writer, actor and musician Nicôle Lecky (Mood). Further contributors include playwright and screenwriter Ava Pickett, whose debut play 1536 is transferring to the West End and who is co-writing a Joan of Arc feature with Baz Luhrmann; writer-director Brendan Canty, whose debut feature Christy won top honours at the Berlinale and the IFTA Awards; and screenwriter and playwright Suhayla El-Bushra, lead writer and executive producer of Ackley Bridge and writer of the Sundance-premiering feature Brides.
Additional speakers and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets go on sale HERE from Monday, 30 March at 10am.
Storyhouse is a not-for-profit initiative backed by Element Pictures and spearheaded by Academy Award nominated Producer and Co-CEO of Element Pictures, Ed Guiney. Storyhouse is supported by Screen Ireland, Fremantle and Element Pictures and is produced in association with the Light House Cinema.
As previously announced, in parallel with the main event Storyhouse, the Storyhouse Lab returns for its third year. This unique, interactive programme will take place over five days, incorporating the two-day festival. The Lab will provide a small cohort of emerging writers with complimentary access to all Storyhouse events as well as additional focused sessions with guests under the mentorship of BAFTA and IFTA-winning TV and film screenwriter Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did, Bad Sisters). This year’s 15 participants were carefully selected from 581 applicants and represent a diverse range of voices and storytelling perspectives. Read more about this year’s cohort HERE.
Ed Guiney, Founder of Storyhouse and Element co-CEO, said:
We are delighted that Storyhouse will return for its third year, once again bringing many of the world’s leading and most exciting screenwriters and creators to the heart of Dublin. The festival has firmly established itself as a creative home for writers, a place where artists can learn from one another, develop ideas, and find inspiration. This year’s lineup showcases an exciting breadth of voices, genres and perspectives, sure to inspire and fuel a new generation of storytellers.
Colman Farrell, Head of Skills and Professional Development at Screen Ireland, commented:
Screen Ireland is proud to support the Storyhouse Festival and Lab through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme. This year's diverse festival lineup promises to offer the Irish screenwriting community exclusive insight into the creative processes of some of today's most exciting award-winning writers and storytellers working across film and television. We also look forward to seeing the skills-led script development Lab engage with and inspire a new cohort of emerging Irish talent, providing a unique space for participants to discover, collaborate and refine their screenwriting craft.
Andrea Scrosati, Group Chief Operating Officer and CEO of Continental Europe Fremantle, added:
We are delighted to support Element’s Storyhouse Festival, which has quickly become a standout platform for championing screenwriting talent. Great storytelling begins with great writers, and initiatives like Storyhouse are vital in nurturing both emerging and established voices. We are proud to partner with Ed and the Element team to help foster the next generation of storytellers.
Storyhouse is proudly supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet, Fremantle and Element Pictures and the Light House Cinema.
Ticket Information
Tickets will go on general sale on Monday, 30th March through Eventbrite and details can be found on the Storyhouse website. Full price tickets for public access are €55 plus booking fee for the two-day festival. Any enquiries please email here.
Accessibility
The Light House Cinema is a fully accessible building. Any enquiries please email HERE. All sessions will have live ISL translation.
Storyhouse Lab
Storyhouse Lab applications are now closed for 2026 and we have announced the participants for 2026, which you can view HERE.