The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF; ) is an annual film festival that has been held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003.
History The Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003. It was revived by Michael Dwyer, international film critic and The Irish Times chief film correspondent, along with David McLoughlin, film producer. (The original Dublin Film Festival was founded in 1985 by Dwyer and journalist and broadcaster Myles Dungan.) McLoughlin joined while still an undergraduate in Trinity College Dublin. The festival was established to present an opportunity for Dublin's cinema-going audiences to experience the best in Irish and international cinema.
"Dublin has remarkable film attendance per capita, among the highest in Europe, certainly the highest in the EU," Dwyer said in a 2003 interview. "It seems absurd that the city didn't have an international film festival."
In the first year, the festival secured €25,000 in funding from the Arts Council of Ireland for planning purposes. The funds then increased to over €100,000. Jameson Irish Whiskey was the title sponsor of the festival, providing significant support for many years and backing the festival with a major marketing campaign; the festival was called the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF). The festival was also supported by partners such as The Irish Times, FM104, Conrad Hotel, Cineworld, McConnells, MSL Mercedes-Benz, Windmill Lane and Cine Electric. Other funders include the Irish Film Board, Dublin City Council, Fáilte Ireland and a number of cultural institutions, including the Goethe-Institut.
In 2007, the festival introduced a career achievement award, the Volta Award, to celebrate individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of film. In the same year, the festival introduced the Audience Award recipients, which include Once and a surfing documentary, Waveriders.
In 2025, the festival was almost exclusively at the Light House Cinema, Smithfield. Past festival venues included the Screen Cinema, Hawkins Street; Cineworld, Parnell Street; the Savoy Cinema, O'Connell Street and the Irish Film Institute, Eustace Street. In 2008 Movies@Dundrum was used as a venue. In 2009 the Light House Cinema, Smithfield, was added as a venue.
2008 saw a significant change to the festival's executive roles: Gráinne Humphreys replaced Michael Dwyer as festival director, and Joanne O'Hagan assumed the role, formerly held by Rory Concannon, of chief executive officer. Dwyer assumed the position of chairman of the Dublin International Film Festival Board, and David McLoughlin stepped down.
Over 38,000 admissions were recorded for the 2008 festival for ticketed events. Non-ticketed events included a citywide installation—Dublin on Screen—to celebrate Dublin's cinematic heritage. The initiative featured films shot on location in Dublin and screened on the very spot they were shot on.
The festival is regarded as an important event for the cinema of Ireland, bringing together filmmakers, actors, producers and other celebrities from Ireland and around the world. The festival is committed to supporting film. In 2008, it initiated a significant International Screen Writing Award: Write Here, Write Now. The winner of the award was announced at the 2009 festival, which took place from 12 February to 22 February 2009.
In 2016, the original sponsors, Jameson Irish Whiskey, were replaced by Audi after thirteen years of sponsorship. The festival was then called the Audi Dublin International Film Festival (ADIFF). The new sponsorship deal lasted three years.
In 2018, Virgin Media Ireland committed to sponsoring the festival for three years, starting in 2019, and the festival was called the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival (VMDIFF). Since 2022, the festival has had no name sponsor.
Awards The festival introduced the Volta Awards in 2007. The award is named after Dublin's first cinema, the Volta Picture Theatre, established by author James Joyce in 1905.The Voltas , Jameson Dublin International Film Festival; retrieved 29 November 2007 Awards are given for career achievement and audience favourite. Critics' awards were first presented in 2009. The Michael Dwyer Discovery Award was created in 2010 after his death to honour Irish people working in film.
2007 Career Achievement Awards:Festival Launches Awards With Oscar Hopeful , Jameson Dublin International Film Festival; retrieved 29 November 2007 Gabriel Byrne, actor Brendan McCaul, film producer and distributor Jeremy Thomas, producer Consolata Boyle, costume designer Audience Award: OnceDublin International Film Festival, Internet Movie Database; retrieved 29 November 2007
2008 The 2008 festival was held from 15 to 24 February 2008.
Career Achievement Awards: Brendan Gleeson, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, actor Leo Ward, cinema chain owner Audience Award: Waveriders
2009 Career Achievement Awards: Paolo Sorrentino, director George Morrison, documentary maker Thierry Frémaux, artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival Audience Award: Anvil! The Story of Anvil Critics' Awards: Best Film: Let the Right One In Best Irish Film: The Secret of Kells (a joint Irish-Belgian-French production) Best Documentary: Anvil! The Story of Anvil Best Director: Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo) Best Actor: Tom Hardy (Bronson)
2010 The 2010 festival was held from 18 to 28 February 2010.
Career Achievement Awards:JDIFF announce recipients of this year's Volta Awards , Filmbase; retrieved 24 February 2010 Ciarán Hinds, actor Patricia Clarkson, actress Kristin Scott Thomas, actress
Audience Award: His & Hers
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Film: Samson and Delilah Best Irish Film: The Fading Light Best Male Performance: Patrick O'Donnell (The Fading Light) Best Female Performance: Tilda Swinton (I Am Love) Best Director: Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth) Best Documentary: His & Hers Special Jury Prize: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Kate McCullough, cinematographer (His and Hers)
2011 The 2011 festival was held from 17 to 27 February 2011.
Career Achievement Awards: Martin Sheen, actor Kevin Brownlow, film historian and preservationist François Ozon, director
Audience Award: Benda Bilili!
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Film: The Robber Best Irish Film: Snap Best Director: Alexei Popogrebski (How I Ended This Summer) Best Irish Director: Carmel Winters (Snap) Best Cinematography: Tim Fleming (As If I Am Not There) Best Screenplay: Tudor Voican (Medal of Honor) Best Short: Small Change Best International Documentary: Cave of Forgotten Dreams Best Irish Documentary: Men of Arlington Best Début: (Picco) Best Actor: Jakob Cedergren (Submarino) Best Actress: Martina Gusman (Carancho) Special Jury Prize: The Four Times Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Still Films
2012 Volta Awards: Stellan Skarsgård, actor Marin Karmitz, director, producer, distributor and cinema chain owner Al Pacino, actor
Audience Award: The Raid: Redemption
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Film: The Raid: Redemption Best Irish Film: Nuala: A Life and Death Best Actor: Michael Fuith (Michael) Best Actress: Greta Gerwig (Damsels in Distress) Best Screenplay: Joseph Cedar (Footnote) Best Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) Best Documentary: Samsara Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde for Silence
2013 The 2013 festival ran from 14 to 24 February.
Volta Career Achievement Awards: Danny DeVito, actor and director Tim Roth, actor Costa-Gavras, director Joss Whedon, screenwriter and director Ennio Morricone
The Dublin Film Critics Circle selected the following winners:JDIFF 2013: Winners at the 2013 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Film Ireland, 26 February 2013.
Best Film: Vanishing Waves by Kristina Buožytė Best Director: Mikhail Segal for Short Stories Best Actor: Aleksey Vertkov for White Tiger Best Actress: Dilan Aksüt, Night of Silence Best Debut: Maja Miloš for Klip Best Screenplay: Oriol Paulo and Lara Sendim for The Body Best Cinematography: Oleg Mutu for Beyond the Hills Best Documentary: Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story Best Irish Feature: Babygirl by Macdara Vallelly Best Irish Documentary: Get the Picture by Cathy Pearson Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Broken Song by Claire DixAudience Award: Broken Song
Jury Prizes were awarded to: Blancanieves After Lucia The King of Pigs
2014 The 2014 festival ran from 13 to 23 February.
Volta Career Achievement Awards: Terry Gilliam, actor and director Peter Morgan, screenwriter Richard Dreyfuss, actor Stanley Tucci, actor
The Dublin Film Critics Circle selected the following winners:
Best Film: The Reunion by Anna Odell Best Director: Paweł Pawlikowski for Ida Best Actor: Jack O'Connell for Starred Up Best Actress: Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne for We Are the Best! Best Debut Feature: The Rocket by Kim Mordaunt Best Screenplay: Georg Mass for Two Lives Best Cinematography: Daniel Landin for Under the Skin Best Documentary: Los Wild Ones by Elise Salomon Best Irish Feature: Love Eternal by Brendan Muldowney Best Irish Documentary: Living in a Coded Land by Pat Collins Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Out of Here by Donal ForemanAudience Award: Los Wild Ones
Jury Prizes were awarded to: Blue Ruin The Golden Dream The Congress
2015
The 2015 festival ran from 19 to 29 March.
Volta Career Achievement Awards: Kenneth Branagh, actor and director Laurent Cantet, director and screenwriter Julie Andrews, actress
The Dublin Film Critics Circle selected the following winners:
Best Film: The Tribe, director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy Best Director: Ruben Östlund for Force Majeure Best Screenplay: Yuri Bykov for The Fool Best Cinematography: Lyle Vincent for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Best Documentary: Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, director Brett Morgen Best Actor: Cliff Curtis for The Dark Horse Best Actress: Nina Hoss for Phoenix Best Irish Feature: Glassland, director Gerard Barrett Best Irish Documentary: Wheel of Fortune: The Story and Legacy of the Fairview Lion Tamer, director Joe Lee Best Debut: Chaitanya Tamhane for Court Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Piers McGrail, cinematographer on Glassland, Let Us Prey, The Canal
Audience Awards went to: Feature: The Salt of the Earth Short: Boogaloo and Graham
Special Jury Prizes were awarded to: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence Eden You're Sleeping, Nicole 10,000 km
2016
The 2016 festival ran from 18 to 28 February.
Volta Career Achievement Awards: Angela Lansbury, actress and singer Claudia Cardinale, actress Andrew Stanton, director, screenwriter, producer and voice actor
The Dublin Film Critics Circle selected the following winners:
Best Film: Mustang, director Deniz Gamze Ergüven Best Director: Lucile Hadžihalilović for Evolution Best Screenplay: Jaco Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig for The Brand New Testament Best Cinematography: Mátyás Erdély for Son of Saul Best Documentary: Heart of a Dog, director Laurie Anderson Best Actor: Alex Lawther for Departure Best Actress: Monica Bellucci for Ville-Marie Best Ensemble Cast: Green Room, director Jeremy Saulnier Best Irish Feature: Viva, director Paddy Breathnach Best Irish Documentary: Atlantic, director Risteard Ó Domhnaill Best Irish Short Film: Geist, director Eric Daniel Dunn Best International Short Film: The Bathtub, director Tim Ellrich George Byrne Maverick Award: Stephen Rea for Viva Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, actor on Sing Street
AUDI-ence Awards went to: Feature: Viva Short: Little Bear
Special Jury Prizes were awarded to: Black Mountain Poets Victoria Anomalisa
ADIFF Discovery Awards went to: Barry Keoghan, actor on Mammal, Traders and The Break