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UCC and Cork International Film Festival partner to champion cinema and emerging talent
- The academic partnership champions film and research, nurtures emerging talent, and creates opportunities for students’ professional development
Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) and University College Cork (UCC) will once again come together to celebrate the power of cinema, as the 71st edition of Ireland’s oldest film festival takes place from 12 to 22 November.
Through their long-standing academic partnership, UCC and CIFF share a commitment to championing arts and culture, nurturing emerging talent and creating opportunities for artistic and academic engagement. Together, they celebrate the power of film to tell important stories, connect audiences and artists, and inspire new perspectives.
This year’s collaboration will bring UCC students, academics, filmmakers and audiences together through a diverse programme of screenings, expert discussions and professional development opportunities.
The Granary Theatre takes centre stage
For the first time, UCC’s Granary Theatre will become a Short Film Hub, showcasing an exciting programme of work from emerging and established filmmakers and offering audiences an opportunity to discover the art of short-form storytelling.
Among the highlights is When Sally Met Harry: A Theatre Experiment, an innovative theatrical response performed by final-year UCC theatre students. Bringing a fresh perspective to the much-loved romantic comedy, the performance invites audiences to revisit the film and consider what its themes have to say to us today.
From screenings to symposiums: UCC experts share insights
UCC academics will contribute their expertise across a series of screenings and symposiums.
Triskel Arts Centre will screen If Pigeons Turned to Gold, exploring the complexities of addiction and its impact on family relationships. The screening, on Friday, 13 November, will be followed by a discussion featuring Dr John Goodwin of UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, addiction expert Dr Peter Kelly and filmmaker Pepa Lubojacki.
Plan C for Civilisation with be screened as Festival’s Green Screen series on Sunday, 15 November. Exploring the hidden world of climate technology, the film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring leading climate economist Dimitri Zenghelis and UCC Professor of Sustainable Energy Professor Hannah Daly.
UCC will host The Future of Heritage, a symposium exploring the moving image as both a cultural treasure and a fragile historical record, on Wednesday, 18 November.
Against a backdrop of growing concerns around disinformation, the event will examine the challenges of preserving and verifying visual records and the role of trusted news organisations. Speakers will include Helen Walker, Archive Manager at Reuters Connect, with the day concluding in a showcase of student archive films from UCC’s Department of Film and Screen Media and Queen’s University Belfast.
Creating opportunities for the next generation
Supporting emerging talent and providing meaningful opportunities for student learning and professional development have long been central to the CIFF-UCC partnership.
A highlight of this year’s programme will see the 2026 UCC Puttnam Scholars premiere their short film A Little Closer at Triskel Arts Centre on Thursday, 19 November, followed by a special Q&A with the scholars and Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam.
Drawn from diverse disciplines including humanities, science, finance and creative arts, the UCC Puttnam Scholars have worked under the mentorship of Lord Puttnam, gaining invaluable experience in filmmaking, creative collaboration and storytelling.
The Festival also provides opportunities for UCC students to engage directly with the film industry, through talks and industry clinics.
Celebrating a long-standing creative partnership
Fiona Clarke, Festival Director and CEO of CIFF, said: "We are proud to once again partner with University College Cork, an institution that shares our belief in the power of film, education and cultural exchange. This collaboration enriches the Festival experience, creates meaningful opportunities for students and emerging talent, and reinforces Cork's reputation as a city where creativity thrives. Together, we are investing in the future of culture and storytelling."
Dr Ciara Chambers, Head of UCC School of Film, Music and Theatre and Senior Lecturer in Film and Screen Media, said: “We are very proud of our ongoing partnership with CIFF, a collaboration that offers many opportunities to our students, not just to engage with film culture across the city, but to participate in running the festival, learning on the ground how to bring cinema alive for audiences from all walks of life. Film festivals are spaces to celebrate cinema, to talk about what films mean to us and to explore important issues through the stories depicted on screen. Many of our staff, from across the disciplines, participate in screenings and events and the festival showcases a range of UCC research.”
“We are particularly excited to welcome Helen Walker, Archive Manager at Reuters Connect, to deliver a keynote address at The Future of Heritage symposium where we will discuss how today's news becomes tomorrow's archive and how the archive sector faces more challenges than ever before. This is just one example of how film festivals offer the opportunity to discuss what matters to us. We look forward to gathering as a collective to share the best of cinema, as it should be experienced, together, with a spirit of curiosity and debate,” Dr Chambers said.
The 71st Cork International Film Festival runs from 12 to 22 November 2026. For full programme details and ticket information, visit https://corkfilmfest.org