Capital Irish Film Festival 2026

Name: Capital Irish Film Festival 2026
Start: 2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-03-01T23:59:05-05:00
Location: AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center

Schedule

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 12:00 am to Sun, 01 Mar, 2026 at 11:59 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center | Silver Spring, MD

The Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual event presented by Solas Nua in partnership with the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre & Cultural Center. The 20th edition of the four-day festival is scheduled to take place from February 26 to March 1, 2026, in Silver Spring, Maryland. CIFF showcases a diverse selection of Irish cinema, including dramatic and documentary features, shorts, art films, and animations by Irish and Ireland-based filmmakers. The festival aims to provide a platform for independent filmmakers from Ireland and beyond, celebrating contemporary Irish cinematic culture. The 2025 program highlights biopics of cultural icons, musicians, artists, and scientists, as well as acclaimed shorts and Irish language films from 2024. It features a range of genres, including dramas, psychological thrillers, horror, and dark Irish comedy. The festival emphasizes the representation of Irish women's stories on screen, with 17 titles directed by women and 12 written or co-written by women. Additionally, it showcases emerging Irish filmmakers, with 8 directors making their feature film debuts. The program also includes award-winning animations and Irish language titles, with nearly one-third of the features containing Irish language dialogue. CIFF Director Maedhbh Mc Cullagh notes that the 19th edition of the festival explores a wide range of themes, presenting a rich tapestry of Irish life and culture on screen. The festival encompasses themes such as feminism, human rights, trauma, migration, and climate change, reflecting the thriving filmmaking culture across Ireland. The festival is supported by strategic partnerships with various Irish funding agencies, including the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International Programme. Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen also support the festival, promoting and supporting nearly forty film productions from across Ireland. The festival will present a total of 13 titles directly funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and 6 titles directly funded by Northern Ireland Screen. The festival is set to take place at the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center, located at 8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The venue is a historic art-deco theater that serves as a national model for preserving and honoring shared film and film-going heritage. The festival is expected to attract a diverse audience, including dignitaries and special guests from the Irish-American community in Washington, DC. The event is anticipated to be a significant cultural gathering, celebrating Irish cinema and fostering cultural exchange between Ireland and the United States.