IFI Documentary Festival Concludes with Sinéad O'Shea and Oisín Mistéil Films Among Highlights of Five-Day Showcase
The IFI Documentary Festival has concluded its five-day run at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, with Sinéad O'Shea's All About the Money and Oisín Mistéil's debut documentary Try! — winner of Best Irish Feature Documentary at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh — among the highlights of a programme that showcased the breadth and ambition of contemporary Irish and international documentary filmmaking to audiences at the IFI's Temple Bar home.
Background
The IFI Documentary Festival, which has been running for more than a decade, has established itself as one of the most important events in the Irish documentary calendar. The festival, held annually at the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, provides a platform for Irish documentary filmmakers to present their work to Dublin audiences and to engage with the broader documentary community. It also brings a selection of international documentaries to Irish screens, providing audiences with access to work that might not otherwise receive a theatrical release in Ireland.
The Irish Film Institute, which celebrated its centenary in 2023, is the national cultural institution for film in Ireland. Its Temple Bar home houses two cinema screens, an archive, a library, and a range of educational and public programming facilities. The IFI's commitment to documentary film is longstanding, and the annual documentary festival is one of the highlights of its programming calendar. The festival typically runs for five days in late September, coinciding with the opening of the Dublin Theatre Festival and creating a rich cultural weekend for audiences in the capital.
The 2026 festival, which ran from September 23 to 27, featured a programme of Irish and international documentaries across a range of subjects and styles. The opening film, Bucks Harbor, set the tone for a programme that combined personal storytelling with broader social and political themes. Other highlights included Traces, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, and Coco's Law — a documentary about the campaign to criminalise cyberbullying in Ireland following the death of Coco Sheridan.
Key Developments
Sinéad O'Shea's All About the Money was among the most discussed films of the festival, continuing the Belfast-born filmmaker's exploration of Irish social and political themes that has characterised her previous work, including A Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot and Pray. O'Shea, who has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in Irish documentary filmmaking, was present at the IFI for a post-screening discussion that drew a large and engaged audience.
Oisín Mistéil's debut documentary Try! was presented at the festival following its award of Best Irish Feature Documentary at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh. The film, which explores themes of identity, sport, and community, was described by the IFI as a remarkable debut that announces a significant new voice in Irish documentary filmmaking. Mistéil was present at the screening for a discussion with the audience, providing insight into the making of the film and its themes.
The festival also featured a new digitisation of the 1988 documentary Mother Ireland, directed by Anne Crilly and produced by Derry Film and Video Workshop. The film, which explores the relationship between Irish nationalism and the figure of the mother, was a significant work of its time and its digitisation and re-presentation at the IFI Documentary Festival reflects the growing interest in recovering and preserving the history of Irish documentary filmmaking.
Why It Matters
The IFI Documentary Festival plays an important role in the Irish cultural ecosystem by providing a dedicated platform for documentary film at a time when the form is under pressure from the dominance of streaming platforms and the decline of theatrical documentary distribution. The festival creates a space for audiences to engage with documentary work in a communal setting — watching films together, discussing them with filmmakers, and connecting with others who share an interest in the form. This communal dimension is something that streaming cannot replicate, and it is one of the reasons why the festival continues to attract strong audiences despite the abundance of documentary content available online. The festival also plays a role in supporting Irish documentary filmmakers by providing them with a prestigious platform for their work and by connecting them with international programmers and distributors who attend the event.
Local Impact
The IFI Documentary Festival generates significant footfall for the Irish Film Institute and for the surrounding Temple Bar area. The festival attracts audiences from across Dublin and from further afield, with many attendees combining festival screenings with visits to the area's restaurants, bars, and cultural venues. The IFI's café and bar are popular gathering points for festival audiences, and the post-screening discussions that are a feature of the festival programme create opportunities for filmmakers and audiences to engage in extended conversation about the work. The festival also provides employment for IFI staff and for the freelance technicians, publicists, and event managers who support the event.
What's Next
The IFI Documentary Festival team will now begin planning for the 2027 edition, with submissions expected to open in early 2027. The films screened at the 2026 festival will be considered for wider distribution, with the IFI working with filmmakers and distributors to identify opportunities for theatrical and streaming releases. Sinéad O'Shea's All About the Money is expected to receive a wider release in the coming months, following its festival premiere. Oisín Mistéil's Try! is also expected to be submitted to international documentary festivals, building on its success at the Galway Film Fleadh and the IFI Documentary Festival. The IFI's regular programming continues throughout the autumn, with a strong schedule of Irish and international films planned for October and November.
