Capital Irish Film Festival Returning to DC Feb. 27-Mar. 2, 2025

The 19th annual Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF), presented by Solas Nua in partnership with AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, will take place February 27 – March 2, 2025.

One of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America, CIFF is a four-day festival that showcases the latest Irish dramatic and documentary features, shorts, art films, and animation releases by Irish and Ireland-based filmmakers. And this year’s event is particularly strong on rising stars of the Irish screen.

The lineup includes 16 feature films (1 U.S., 2 North American, and 10 Regional Premieres), three shorts programs (23 short films across all programming), the Norman Houston Short Film Award winner, three gala screening events, introductions, meet n’ greets and in-person Q&As with filmmakers, and special events with dignitaries. Read on for the schedule.

CIFF Director Maedhbh McCullagh says, “The 19th edition of the festival explores a wide range of themes and subjects and presents a truly rich and diverse tapestry of Irish life and culture on screen. It is a showcase of excellence in Irish storytelling that our discerning and engaging audiences have come to expect from us, and it reflects the robust screen industry that is thriving across the island of Ireland today. This curated program of work is a collection of some of the most gripping, highly anticipated, and acclaimed Irish films of the year and I hope they inspire and enrich as much as they entertain and inform.”

The full festival schedule is as follows: 

DAY 1 | Thursday, February 27, 2025 

Opening Night 

MRS ROBINSON

Thurs, Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m.

Q&A with ​President Mary Robinson moderated by ​author,​ Caitríona Palmer | Welcome by ​Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason. Post-screening reception sponsored by the Embassy of Ireland, Washington, D.C.

DIR: Aoife Kelleher; PROD: Trisha Canning & Cormac Hargaden; CAST: Mary Robinson; DOP: Matthew Kirrane; SCORE: Ray Harman & Hugh Rodgers. Ireland, 2024, color, 94 min. NOT RATED.

The 2025 festival will open with the East Coast premiere gala screening of the previously announced, award-winning Irish director Aoife Kelleher’s MRS ROBINSON. Tracking the tectonic shifts in personal, political and social values over a period of 50 years, the film tells the cinematic story of former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson’s epic battles for equality: in the courts, at the ballot box, and on the streets — and now and her biggest fight to date: global climate change and her work with Project Dandelion, the WOMEN-LED global campaign for CLIMATE JUSTICE. Mary Robinson will attend the screening with the Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason. The screening will take place on Thursday, February 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic art deco theater, Silver Theatre and will be followed by an in-person conversation with Mary Robinson and author Caitríona Palmer. Afterwards, there will be a reception in the AFI lobby for all opening night ticket and festival pass holders, sponsored by the Embassy of Ireland.

KNEECAP

Thurs, Feb. 27, 9:45 p.m.

DIR/SCR: Rich Peppiatt; PROD: Jack Tarling, Trevor Birney. Ireland, 2024, color, 105 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. RATED R

DAY 2 | Friday, February 28, 2025 

CAPITAL IRISH FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS PROGRAM 1 

Fri, February 28, 11:00 a.m.

BURKITT 

Fri, February 28, 1:15 p.m. 

DIR/SCR: Éanna Mac Cana; PROD: Chris Kelly. Ireland, 2024, color, 72 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER

Fri, February 28, 3:00 p.m.

Q&A with director Ross Killeen

DIR: Ross Killeen; SCR: Ross Killeen, Asbestos; PROD: Louise Byrne. Ireland, 2024, color, 77 min. NOT RATED 

EAT/SLEEP/CHEER/REPEAT

Fri, February 28, 5:10 p.m. 

DIR/SCR: Tanya Doyle; PROD: Daniel Hegarty, Sinéad Ní Bhroin. Ireland, 2024, color, 87 min. NOT RATED

The 2025 Norman Houston Short Film Award: TRAVEL SOCKS with THE WISE GUY

Fri, February 28, 7:00 p.m.

Welcome by Richard Cushnie, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, North America; plus post-screening reception sponsored by the Northern Ireland Bureau. 

TRAVEL SOCKS: DIR/SCR: Tess Annan, Joseph Madden; PROD: Charlotte Grace Brownlee, Joseph Madden. Ireland, 2024, color, 19 min. NOT RATED

THE WISE GUY: DIR/SCR: Sam O’Mahony; PROD: Leon Coole. Ireland, 2024, color, 87 min. NOT RATED

The fourth annual Norman Houston Award will be presented ahead of the winning film’s screening on Friday, February 28, 2025 and will include a welcome by  Richard Cushnie, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, North America. This year’s winning film is TRAVEL SOCKS, by Tess Annan and Joe Madden. The Norman Houston Award honors the life, spirit, and legacy of the former long-time director of the Northern Ireland Bureau in the United States, Norman Houston, who died in 2021. Presented annually for the best new short film made within the previous two years by a filmmaker from or based in Northern Ireland, it includes a $2500 prize. The award is made possible by support from the Northern Ireland Bureau, the Embassy of Ireland, and individual contributions. The screening will be presented in a double bill with director Sam O’Mahony’s THE WISE GUY and will be followed by a reception sponsored by the Northern Ireland Bureau.

AMONGST THE WOLVES

Fri, February 28, 9:40 p.m.

DIR: Mark O’Connor; SCR: Mark O’Connor, Luke McQuillan; PROD: Jeff O’Toole. Ireland, 2024, color, 100 min. NOT RATED

DAY 3 | Saturday, March 1, 2025 

CAPITAL IRISH FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS PROGRAM 2 

Sat, March 1, 10:00 a.m. 

BIRDSONG, preceded by CUMHA

Sat, March 1, 12:10 p.m.

Q&A with director Kathleen Harris

BIRDSONG: DIR: Kathleen Harris; SCR: Kathleen Harris; PROD: Ross Whitaker, Aideen O’Sullivan. Ireland, 2024, color, 52 min. NOT RATED

CUMHA: DIR/SCR/PROD: Elena Horgan; SCR: Siobhán Ní Dhomhnaill; PROD: Ned Horgan. Ireland, 2023, color, 6 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

The East Coast Premiere of BIRDSONG, Kathleen Harris’ outstanding film debut, features ornithologist Seán Ronayne who is on a mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland. At once inspiring and cautionary, Seán’s journey illustrates the beauty and preciousness of Irish landscapes and habitats, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world. Q&A with director Kathleen Harris will follow the screening. 

THE IRISH QUESTION 

Sat, March 1, 2:00 p.m. 

Q&A with director Alan Gilsenan and writer John Walsh

DIR: Alan Gilsenan; SCR: John Walsh; PROD: Martin Mahon. Ireland, 2024, color, 93 min. NOT RATED

DAVID KEENAN – FOCLA AR CHANBHÁS [WORDS ON CANVAS]

Sat, March 1, 4:30 p.m. 

Q&A with director Paddy Hayes & musician David Keenan

DIR: Paddy Hayes; PROD: Aisling Ní Fhlaithearta, Ailbhe Nic Dhonncha. Ireland, 2024, color, 67 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

DEAD MAN’S MONEY

Sat, March 1, 6:30 p.m.

Q&A with artistic director of theatre Rex Daugherty and writer and director Paul Kennedy & actor Ciaran McMenamin

DIR/SCR: Paul Kennedy; PROD: Aideen Hand. Ireland, 2024, color, 86 min. NOT RATED

FRÉWAKA

Sat, March 1, 8:45 p.m.

Q&A with Director Aislinn Clarke

DIR/SCR: Aislinn Clarke; PROD: Diarmuid Lavery. Ireland, 2024, color, 103 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

DAY 4 | Sunday, March 2, 2025

CAPITAL IRISH FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS PROGRAM 3

Sun, March 2, 11:00 a.m.

FIDIL GHORM (BLUE FIDDLE)

Sun, March 2, 1:10 p.m.Special guest, actor Edith Lawlor

DIR: Anne McCabe; SCR: Patricia Forde; PROD: Bríd Seoighe, Pierce Boyce. Ireland, 2024, color, 86 min. In Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED 

HOUSEWIFE OF THE YEAR

Sun, March 2, 3:30 p.m. 

DIR/SCR: Ciaran Cassidy; PROD: Maria Horgan. Ireland, 2024, color, 81 min. NOT RATED

BLUE ROAD: THE EDNA O’BRIEN STORY

Sun, March 2, 5:15 p.m.

DIR/SCR: Sinéad O’Shea; PROD: Sinéad O’Shea, Claire McCabe, Eleanor Emptage. Ireland, 2024, color, 99 min. NOT RATED 

Closing Night 

KATHLEEN IS HERE 

Sun, March 2, 7:30 p.m.

Welcome by Ireland’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States, Fionnuala Quinlan. Q&A with writer and director Eva Birthistle & actor Hazel Doupe in conversation with Festival Director, Maedhbh Mc Cullagh, followed by an exclusive closing festival reception for all ticket and festival pass holders. 

 DIR/SCR: Eva Birthistle; PROD: Claire McCaughley. Ireland, 2024, color, 95 min. NOT RATED