The Irish Film Festa is the Italian festival dedicated to Irish cinema. Founded in 2007, it brings to the public titles that would otherwise be unavailable, selecting the most interesting productions from Irish film festivals. The 2026 edition takes place at the Casa del Cinema in Rome from Wednesday March 25th to Sunday March 29th. Over five days, the event features more than 20 national premieres, including feature films, documentaries, and shorts, with over 20 directors and actors traveling from Ireland to meet the audience.
Susanna Pellis, Director of the festival, notes a prolific year for Irish production, highlighted by an increase in Gaelic language films and documentaries. The program features the film of the year, Christy by Brendan Canty, winner of the 2026 IFTA for Best Film. It tells the story of 17 year old Christy and his brother Shane in Cork. Also featured is Saipan by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, depicting the 2002 World Cup clash between captain Roy Keane and coach Mick McCarthy.
Historical figures take center stage with Alan Gilsenan’s We Only Want the Earth, a documentary on socialist icon James Connolly and the 1916 Rising. The festival also marks the 30th anniversary of Neil Jordan’s classic Michael Collins. Other highlights include Aontas / Union by Damian McCann, a social thriller about three women robbing a credit union, and Crazy Love by Jason Byrne and Kevin Treacy, a romance set in a psychiatric hospital.
The documentary A Quiet Love by Garry Keane makes history as the first film in Irish Sign Language, while Beo Faoin Bhfód / Buried Alive by Daire Collins explores the 1968 story of Mick Meaney, who was buried alive in London to break a world record.
Nick Kelly is a veteran rock musician and one of the protagonists of the documentary The Song Cycle. In the film, Nick Kelly decides to travel from Dublin to the Glastonbury Festival by bicycle, carrying his guitar and equipment to prove that touring is possible without polluting during the climate crisis. While his partner Seán Millar travels by bus, Nick Kelly performs in pubs along the route to England.
The animation sector is represented by 15 shorts in competition, including Éiru by Giovanna Ferrari. Ferrari, an artist at the renowned Cartoon Saloon studio, will lead a masterclass on March 27th.
Pinocchio Magazine Comment: This festival remains a vital bridge for those who want to discover the true heart of Irish storytelling beyond the usual circuits. Seeing a veteran like Nick Kelly trade a tour bus for a bicycle to make a point about the planet shows exactly why this event is so special. It is a genuine, low-key celebration of cinema and music that stays grounded in real-lifestories.
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