Dublin International Film Festival 2024 announces
Festival spotlight on African Cinema
Jam packed Shorts Programme with over 40 films
Sundance award winner Mami Wata for DIFF Film Tour
22nd February – 2nd March
Ireland’s premier film event, the Dublin International Film Festival returns this Spring with a stunning and varied programme of some of the best new cinema from Ireland and around the world, as well as a host of special events planned across the ten-day event.
The Festival is excited to offer a sneak peek of some of the highlights awaiting movie fans:
· The 2024 international film showcase will spotlight African Cinema featuring seven diverse movies including Oscar favourite Four Daughters, as well as Sundance award winner Mami Wata.
· The latter film along with French film Toni and a season of international short films will tour to venues outside Dublin during the Festival, in association with access>Cinema, and with the support of the Arts Council.
· DIFF 2024 will showcase an impressive line-up of over 40 shorts from Ireland and across the world offering numerous opportunities to celebrate this unique artform.
· There will be six shorts programmes: three DIFF curated screenings of 24 short films selected from 756 submissions from 16 countries; two Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann curated programmes of 13 shorts from Screen funding schemes; Virgin Media Discovers Shorts, in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, will complete the line-up.
African Season
Featuring a magnificent line-up of films from emerging film talent from a number of countries including Sudan, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia, among the highly anticipated titles making their Irish premieres are the hotly tipped for Oscar glory Four Daughters, the box office success Goodbye Julia and the Sundance winning Mami Wata.
Other highlights include rapper Baloji’s directorial debut Omen; Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner Hounds; Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s beautiful and rich fable Banel & Adama and the deeply moving coming of age drama Àma Gloria.
Speaking about the season, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said: “In 2021, we presented a DIFF focus on Black Women Filmmakers in recognition of the important contribution these filmmakers have made to the contemporary film canon. Each subsequent year we have been building out our support and celebration of filmmakers of colour. It’s a real honour to share our exciting African Film Season programme with festival audiences this year, and we would like to acknowledge the support of the Arts Council and Dept of Foreign Affairs in bringing this season to audiences around the country.”
DIFF Film Tour
From the African season, Mami Wata will feature as one of the three film strands of Festival titles in the annual DIFF Film Tour, alongside French comedy drama Toni starring Camille Cottin (Call My Agent), and a season of DIFF 2024 curated international short films. The tour will visit the film societies and arts venues nationwide with as ever many of the screenings being accompanied by their filmmakers.
The tour will travel to Club Scannán Sailearna, Inverin, Co Galway; Galway Film Society @ Palas, Galway City; Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford; Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow; Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge and Solstice Arts Centre, Navan.
Shorts Programmes
One of the most popular Festival events, the diverse and captivating season of Shorts will again showcase the best of international and Irish emerging talent with six curated screening programmes of short films being shown during the Festival – three curated by DIFF programmers from submisssions; two curated from Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann’s Focus and Framework funding schemes, and the winners of the Virgin Media Discovers Short Film competition in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
The three DIFF curated screenings of 24 short films were selected from 756 submissions from 16 countries stretching from Japan in the east to the USA in the west, and from the northernmost reaches of Norway to the southernmost point in Uruguay.
Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann is again delighted to support Irish shorts this year with two curated programmes of 13 shorts from Screen Ireland’s Focus and Framework funding schemes. Including Oscar longlisted Two For The Road, Derek Ugochukwu’s Pediment and Grace Dyas’ Waiting Day. “There is an absolute wealth of storytelling represented across Screen Ireland-supported short film this year, from drama to horror to animation. We’re delighted to support more and more emerging voices each year – and looking forward to connecting them with DIFF 2024 audiences ” said Emma Scott, Head of Distribution and Short Film Production.
Themes of the programme explore profound subjects such as Love, Family, Coming of Age, Surrealism, Mental Health, Trauma, Immigration, Motherhood, Loss and Grief, and Social Issues. These narratives provide a poignant reflection on the shared human experience, fostering empathy and understanding. Genres seamlessly shift between the light-hearted allure of Comedy, the emotional depth of Drama, the spine-tingling chills of Horror, the dreamlike quality of Magical Realism, the harmonious notes of Musical, and the imaginative realms of Animation. This eclectic mix ensures a cinematic journey that caters to every taste, offering both entertainment and enlightenment.
Irish programme highlights include Lost & Found from Ellius Grace, known for his work photographing the likes of Graham Norton, Sinead O’Connor and more; Grace sits in the director’s chair this time with his debut short film premiering at DIFF. Delivering another stellar fiction directorial debut is Meghan O’Shaugnessy with the dark and funny How to Skin a Cheetah. From Galway to LA, Dan Holmwood’s Scrumpy has captured hearts and is sure to do so with Dublin audiences.
Among the international highlights of the programme are the Egyptian film I Promise You Paradise by Morad Mostafa, winner of the Golden Rail Audience Award at Cannes Film Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest ‘Best of Fest’ winning documentary The Old Young Crow from Liam LoPinto and Tommy Gillard’s Slow Burn starring Jacob Anderson from the UK.
DIFF Shorts programmers Aisha Bolaji and Mohamed Tarek said: “We can’t wait to share these films with our audiences, witnessing the transformation of images on a screen into windows that open to the hearts and minds of the viewers. Laugh, cry, and contemplate the intricacies of life with us as we present a film programme that transcends borders, connecting us all through the universal language of cinema. Welcome to an unforgettable celebration of the seventh art! Welcome to DIFF 24!”
“The short film format has always been a vital part of the festival, acting as both a showcase for future talent and as an exciting and dynamic art form. Join us and celebrate the wealth and diversity on offer,” said Gráinne Humphreys, director of Dublin International Film Festival.
Tickets are now on sale for the African season, the shorts programmes and DIFF Film Tour at www.diff.ie
As announced previously, screen legend Isabelle Huppert will receive the DIFF Volta Award, and the festival closing night gala screening is the much-anticipated adaptation of John McGahern’s That They May Face The Rising Sun.
The full festival programme will be revealed on 22 January with tickets to go on sale from 1pm that day.
Currently available are Festival Season Tickets or Bundles. Priced at €250, the Season Ticket entitles the holder to 1 ticket to everything in the festival, including 1 Gala, as well as priority booking for this unmissable event. Ticket Bundles are also available with 6 tickets for €50 and 12 tickets for €100 on www.diff.ie
The Festival would like to acknowledge the continuing support of the Arts Council and Screen Ireland.
