French cinema takes centre stage in Cork for Bastille Day Ireland celebrations

10 Jul 2026

• UCC Film and Screen to host special screening of Claude Chabrol's La Cérémonie as part of a city-wide celebration of French film and culture.
• Free programme of events celebrates Cork’s partnership with France during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

A week of French cinema and culture will take place across Cork from 11 to 19 July as part of Bastille Day Ireland 2026, bringing audiences a diverse programme of acclaimed feature films, family screenings and short films celebrating the French cinema.

Presented by the French Embassy in Ireland in partnership with University College Cork (UCC), Alliance Française de Cork, Cork City Libraries, the Cork French Film Festival and the Cork International Film Festival, the programme marks Cork’s partnership with France during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union and celebrates the close cultural ties between France and Ireland.

A highlight of the programme is a special screening of Claude Chabrol's acclaimed masterpiece La Cérémonie / A Judgment in Stone on Wednesday, 15 July at 6.00pm in UCC Film and Screen Media Auditorium, Kane Building.  Widely regarded as one of Chabrol's greatest films, La Cérémonie / A Judgment in Stone is a landmark of modern French cinema.

Dr Barry Monahan, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, UCC Film and Screen Media, said: “La Cérémonie is a magnificent piece of French cinema, by one of the country’s most highly praised filmmakers. This special screening marks the great relationship between UCC and the Alliance Française de Cork, and it is a wonderful opportunity for audiences in Cork to experience Chabrol’s classic on the big screen. The screening, which is a part of Cork’s Bastille Day Ireland celebrations, represents the best of French cinema; recognised for its extraordinary ability to challenge, move and surprise audiences.”

A full weekend programme in UCC's Boole Library will highlight the diversity and vitality of French film production over three days with a curated programme of contemporary French film, from award-winning dramas to family-friendly shorts, including the ‘Looking Ahead’ short film programme on women's rights, the acclaimed drama Le Roman de Jim / Jim's Story, the family-friendly Poetic Giggles shorts, and Marinette, celebrating the life of pioneering French footballer Marinette Pichon. 

Tickets to La Cérémonie / A Judgment in Stone are free but ticketed, advance booking via Alliance Française de Cork.

All screenings at UCC Library are free but ticketed, view full programme detail and  booking in advance via corkfilmfest.org