Irish Film Festival, Boston

Voted one of the Top Twenty Coolest Film Festivals in the World by Movie Maker Magazine, the Irish Film Festival, Boston celebrates the very Best of Ireland and the Irish on Screen. Now in its 20th year, the festival screens over fifty films a season and offers great opportunities for filmmakers to exhibit their work in the USA. Unlike other festivals, IFF announces the winners of its awards prior to the festival, in order to fly the recipients to Boston for their screening. Irish cinema has emerged as a dynamic global phenomenon, expressing a culture focused on the island of Ireland but spread out to all four corners of the globe. Encompassing a near-limitless array of experiences and aspirations, Irish filmmakers from around the world challenge traditional notions of Irishness and force us to expand our understandings of what it means to be Irish in the 21st century. A non-profit entity with 501(c) 3 status, the festival was established in 1999 to celebrate and promote global Irish cinema. It quickly became the largest event of its kind outside Ireland. The festival provides exhibition, distribution, and educational opportunities for filmmakers; honors their work with awards and offers opportunities to screen their films stateside.