With a mixture of online and in-person screenings, the Galway Film Fleadh is back from July 20 – 25 with the best in Irish and international cinema. Tickets are available right now, so hurry and snap some up!

Making sure audiences are safe, the majority of the festival will take place online, with films and events available to view from the comfort of your home. So no fears you’ll miss out on those must-see Q+A’s, filmmaker discussions and industry events the festival is recognised for –  and that’s before we even mention its reliably exceptional lineup.

This year, there will also be in-person viewings of a carefully selected range of films. Thanks to that glorious weather we’ve all been enjoying, the Galway Film Fleadh have arranged an outdoor cinema in the Father Burke Park in Galway City. Films will screen to an audience of 200 socially distanced movie lovers, with audio delivered via wireless headphones. It promises to be an atmospheric and unique series of screenings – so get those tickets immediately if you don’t want to miss out.

The screen is up ahead of our opening night in Fr. Burke Park tonight! ??? #FilmFleadh

@soundtolightgal @NIScreen @ScreenIreland @GalwayNote @galwayswestend pic.twitter.com/RxQbSWLCL5

— Galway Film Fleadh (@GalwayFilm) July 20, 2021

Before we get take a look at a handful of recommendations, you’ll be delighted to hear the Fleadh’s beloved short films programme is back again and better than ever. Take a look – you’re going to be spoiled for choice, with the cream of Irish and international shorts served up for your delectation.

Speaking of Irish talent, there’s more than 20 homegrown short and feature length titles packed into the programme. For comedy, you won’t get much wittier than Bicycle Thieves: Pumped Up, featuring GCN fave Alison Spittle along with the hilarious Maeve Higgins, Tara Flynn and a host of Irish comedy performers and writers.

Death of a Ladies Man, which saw Gabriel Byrne take home the IFTA for best actor is one to catch, while the terrifying-looking Censor starring Niamh Algar, comes in on a raft of strong reviews.

Yours truly will be making sure to dive in the Fleadh’s Out on Film series of LGBTQ+ movies, including a pair of documentaries looking at queer histories which are well-night unmissable.

Rebel Dykes is a wild ride of animation and archival footage which tells the story of a radical scene: squatters, BDSM nightclubs, anti-Thatcher rallies, protests demanding action around AIDS and the fierce ties of chosen families. PS Burn This Letter Please looks at a group of drag queens in 1950’s New York City at a time when the penalties for “masquerading” as a woman were swift and severe. 

Irish talent also pops up in the Out on Film series with the intriguing Who We Love about a young woman faced with the greatest challenge of her life following a vicious attack. Hailing from the US, the documentary Pure Grit is both a thrilling depiction of determination as well as a touching love story, as it follows a lesbian Native American bareback horse racer who battles the odds to succeed.

With an epic lineup that guarantees something for everyone, check out the incredible programme, settle in for some home-cinema, or grab tickets for those amazing outdoor screenings.

It’s great to have you back, Galway Film Fleadh!