The Galway Film Fleadh announces 2025 programme, featuring over 20 Screen Ireland supported projects
Posted: 24th June 2025
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to welcome the launch of the programme of the 37th Galway Film Fleadh. Taking place from 8th to 13th July, the festival will present an eclectic programme of Irish and international features, documentary and short films, as well as a diverse programme of industry events. The 37th Fleadh will feature 31 World Premieres, 11 International/European Premieres and 46 Irish Premieres from 44 countries, featuring 96 feature films in total. Over 20 Screen Ireland supported projects feature in this year's programme.
Director Of Programming of the Galway Film Fleadh, Maeve McGrath said:
It is an incredible year for Irish Film at the 37th edition of the Fleadh, we have 44 Irish films in the programme showcasing the best of Irish talent in front of and behind the camera. The biggest win for the Fleadh this year is doubling the amount of Irish language feature films we will screen this year. The increase in the funding of Irish language film is reaping rewards. The International film programme features films from across the globe bringing emerging and award-winning film makers to Galway this July. We have 40 film makers presenting their debut film at the Fleadh this year, and we are proud to be a place where emerging film makers can share their first film with a supportive audience.”
Having previously announced 12 feature films, including the opening and closing films, the Galway Film Fleadh announce the full programme of films for the 37th edition. The Irish programme will feature 44 Irish feature films in the programme, including the World premieres of Sunphlowers, Girls & Boys, TRAD, Stolen Lives and many more. The much anticipated Irish premiere of Sanatorium follows a summer at a place of healing, love and renewal, while the award-winning Christy will also be receiving its Irish Premiere after its Berlinale debut. Báíte, which follows the discovery of a body in a rural village, is one of 11 Irish language feature films on the programme.
Other programme highlights include an extensive World Cinema Competition programme, which will feature films that have screened and won awards at Tribeca, Berlin, Sheffield, IDFA, and TIFF; Peripheral Visions, the Fleadh's European cinema competition for first and second feature film makers; from Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Romania, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and France; the New Dimensions strand, featuring over 40 debut filmmaker; the GENERATION strand, highlighting coming-of-age stories; the genre cinema strand What the Fleadh!? and other strands including the CineFleadh collection, the Defender strand, the Architecture in Film strand and the Music in Film strand.
Fleadh CEO, Miriam Allen, notes that:
We have a packed programme of screenings and events in the Fleadh this year and we are welcoming a significant number of delegations to the Fair this year, marking the Galway Film Fleadh as the festival to do business in the film sector. We have seen a marked increase in Irish film for 2025 and we are delighted, in particular, with the increase in Irish language content.”
Through a curated programme of film premieres, immersive experiences, and industry events, France-In-Focus will highlight the innovation and diversity of French cinema and creative talent across the French screen industry and aims to foster new collaborations between France and Ireland. France-In-Focus is presented in association with the French Embassy in Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), with the support of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Institut français as part of France’s strategy for the international export of cultural and creative industries.)
The Bingham Ray New Talent Award recognises Bingham’s generosity, wealth of knowledge and contribution to the industry each year and in 2025 features 11 nominees from all disciplines across film including a cinematographer, actors, writers, directors, producers and an animator.
The Fleadh will screen over 100 Irish and International shorts, which will be in competition for the Fleadh’s Oscar® qualifying prizes. Screen Ireland is delighted to present the World Premiere of its latest Focus and Frameworks Shorts on Saturday, 12th July in the Town Hall Theatre. More information on the short films premiering at the screening will be released this week.
The Galway Film Fair will be running alongside the Fleadh with masterclasses in Directing and Casting led by Ali Abbasi (Border, Holy Spider, The Apprentice) and Maureen Hughes, Louise Kiely and Luci Lenox respectively while Constance Tsang (Blue Sun Palace) attends as a guest speaker for Facing In/Facing Out: A Development Workshop for Screenwriters created in collaboration with Stowe Story Labs. The full programme of the 2025 Fleadh Forum is also set to be announced this Thursday, following from the announcement of independent film icon Christine Vachon as a keynote speaker for the annual state-of-the-industry conference proudly supported by Screen Ireland.
Tickets for all screenings and events are now on sale on galwayfilmfleadh.com or by contacting the Town Hall Theatre box office on 091 569777.
The Galway Film Fleadh is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4, Coimisiún na Meán, Galway City Council and Fáilte Ireland.