Foyle Film Festival Embraces the Spirit of Discovery for its 38th Year with a Stellar Line-Up of Film, Talent and Industry EventsFoyle Film Festival Embraces the Spirit of Discovery for its 38th Year with a Stellar Line-Up of Film, Talent and Industry Events

Foyle Film Festival is set to light up screens across the city from 19 to 30 November, bringing with it an exceptional line-up of award-winning films, international talent, immersive experiences and industry events.

Opening & Closing Galas

The festival opens Wednesday 19 November at Brunswick Moviebowl with writer-director Lance Daly’s latest film TRAD (Courtesy of Wildcard Distribution), winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh. Featuring locations across Donegal and Galway, the film is both a wildly entertaining road-trip and joyous celebration of Irish music, starring Megan Nic Fhionnghaile, Aidan Gillen, Peter Coonan, and Sarah Greene.

The festival will close on Sunday 30 November at Brunswick Moviebowl with Rental Family (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures) from writer-director HIKARI, a poignant love letter to the city of Tokyo starring Oscar®-winner Brendan Fraser. This heart-warming comedy-drama about the beauty of human connection is fresh from critical acclaim at international festivals.

Festival Highlights

Preview Screenings: Discover Cannes and Venice titles including The History of Sound (Courtesy of Universal Pictures), a melancholic love story starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, Jafar Panahi’s Palme D’or winner It Was Just an Accident — an intensely gripping and darkly comic exploration of the fine line between justice and vengeance — and harrowing docu-drama The Voice of Hind Rajab, winner of the Grand Jury Prize from Venice, telling the story of a six-year-old Palestinian girl trapped in a war zone.

Irish Film: Celebrate Irish voices with Saipan (Courtesy of Wildcard Distribution) from Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn — a wildly entertaining and intensely gripping reimagining of the infamous Roy Keane/Mick McCarthy World Cup clash starring Éanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan — and Irish-language heist film Aontas, which follows three unlikely thieves who rob a rural Irish Credit Union.

World Cinema: Explore international perspectives with Julia Ducournau’s genre-defying Alpha, which follows a troubled 13-year-old girl living with her single mother as their world collapses, playful murder mystery A Private Life which follows Jodie Foster’s Paris-based psychiatrist investigating the death of a patient, and Nouvelle Vague from Oscar®-nominated director Richard Linklater, the story of Jean-Luc Godard's journey making Breathless.

Anatomy of a Melodrama: A curated season exploring melodrama’s power across eras, with classic screenings including Sunset Boulevard, All That Heaven Allows, The Piano and more. Anatomy of a Melodrama is part of Too Much: Melodrama on Film, a UK-wide film season made possible with the support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds by The National Lottery.

Special Events: A powerful tribute event A Night for Vinny celebrates the late Derry filmmaker Vinny Cunningham with a screening of his documentary Teenage Kicks, composed of archive footage, including previously unseen material of Derry and The Undertones. The event also features the North West Filmmakers Showcase, including a new documentary about Vinny — with contributions from friends, family and colleagues — and a live performance from Derry-formed five-piece The Marra.

Special Anniversary Screenings: Marking two major milestones in cinema history — One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest celebrates its 50th anniversary with a brand-new 4K restoration, and Martin Scorsese’s Casino marks 30 years of the Robert De Niro-led crime epic.

Light in Motion Awards: The Oscar® and BAFTA-affiliated competition returns with 9 programmes of short films from around the world, spotlighting future film stars and breakthrough voices. This year’s entries will be eligible for further consideration at the Academy Awards® and BAFTA in the International, Irish, British, and Animated Short Film categories.

Industry Events & Showcases

Immersive Arts Day: Experience how immersive technology is reshaping storytelling at this special event from the UK-wide Immersive Arts programme. Featuring leading artists and technologists, the day includes a panel discussion on bridging creative vision with technical innovation, with Dee Harvey (Director), Ruxandra Popescu (VR artist & Filmmaker), David Cosgrove (Immersive Artist & Creative Technologist) and Ruth McCullough (Immersive Arts). Followed by two Immersive Screenings and Director’s Talks: Heartbeat, Dee Harvey’s powerful VR documentary on miscarriage and grief, and Underscore, a poetic immersive feature by Hugh McGrory, developed and produced with funding from Northern Ireland Screen and Kinetek Inc.

BFI Film Academy at Foyle Film Festival — A day of insightful discussions and screenings celebrating new talent aged 16–25 from across NI and the border region. Featuring industry panels on with Northern Ireland Screen Academies, National Talent Academies and Kippie; a Film Pitch Challenge in partnership with Ulster University and judged by leading UK producers, Zam Salim (Incidental Pictures), Louise Gallagher (Gallagher Films), David Pope (Advance Films), and Christine Morrow (Northern Ireland Screen); and screenings of new work by young creatives from Northern Ireland and the border region. Highlights include WildKind, a behind-the-scenes look at a family-led animation project by Dog Ears, and Celtic Voices & Hamely Tongues, a curated selection of short films in Ulster Scots and Irish dialects exploring identity, language and place presented in partnership with Cinematic Arts at Ulster University and BFI Film Academy Young Programmers UK.

Industry Panels — Over two days we offer expert-led industry panels to give filmmakers and creatives valuable insights into festival strategy, digital distribution, and global storytelling. Highlights include Festival Formula’s guide to navigating the festival circuit, a look at how short films get programmed featuring Directors Notes and Short of the Week, and practical advice on showcasing work through digital platforms; Women in Film & Television UK present Rooted in Ireland: Growing Stories for Global Audiences, a panel exploring international development with producers Dearbhla Regan, Louise Gallagher and Gemma Creagh; Cracking the Sales Game brings Vanesa Toca (Freak Film Agency) and Sara Gunn Smith (Film Hub NI) together to demystify what film sales agents are really looking for.

Live Events

Film Screenings with Live Score: Two unforgettable cinematic experiences invite audiences to see — and hear — classic films through a fresh lens. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), F.W. Murnau’s poetic tale of love, betrayal and redemption, will be presented with an original score composed and performed live by Vincent O’Callaghan.

And Pandora’s Box (1929), G.W. Pabst’s tale of lust, greed and violence will be brought vividly to life with a live score by Derry-based experimental group People That Listen to the Sky, offering a bold and immersive reimagining of the film’s enduring legacy.

Foyle Film Festival, Wednesday 19 – Sunday 30 November 2025.

See full programme via What's On