Galway Film Fleadh

Galway Film Fleadh* is a week-long international film festival taking place every July on the western edge of Europe in Galway, Ireland. Founded in 1989 as a platform for Irish filmmakers to exhibit their work to their peers, the central goal of the Galway Film Fleadh remains unchanged: to be a platform for the boldest new films, and to bring audiences & filmmakers from around the world together, to celebrate our shared passion for film.

We welcome a diversity of filmmaking from all around the world, crossing all generations and cultural backgrounds. We bring luminaries of the craft and everyday cinephiles together to share in the wonder of cinema.

Since its inception, the Galway Film Fleadh and the Irish film industry have grown in tandem with one another. In 1997, the Fleadh hosted the inaugural edition of the Galway Film Fair, the UK and Ireland’s first dedicated film market. Running alongside the festival each year, the Film Fair has also expanded to include a range of industry-led events including our annual Pitching Competition, masterclasses, case studies, and our annual industry-wide conference, the Fleadh Forum.

As a festival of discovery, the Galway Film Fleadh takes care to nurture the next generation of filmmaking talent through our young audiences festival, the Junior Film Fleadh. Each winter, the Junior Film Fleadh runs screenings & events for young audiences and filmmakers, as well as acting as Irish host to the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award each spring.

* Fleadh = a feast / celebration / festival