Rathmullan film festival returns for 2025

Back for its eighth year, Rathmullan Film Festival will take place from Thursday, February 20 to Sunday 23 and has a legendary weekend in store to keep the whole family entertained over the mid-term break.

The film festival has continued to grow as a participatory film festival since 2018, and over the past few years it has been vital in promoting tourism and creativity in the Northwest. Jam-packed with a range of exciting workshops, inspiring films, sports fun and fabulous events, this year’s programme builds on the success of previous years, continuing to involve the local community and showcase their talent. 

“Our festival is dedicated to celebrating local storytelling and providing a platform for filmmakers to connect with their community. “ says Festival Director Laura Aguiar “I think the programme this year highlights this element really well through the range of filmmaking projects and the levels of creativity we found through them. We’re so excited to bring the magic of cinema to life in Rathmullan for a weekend.”

Thursday 20 - Gala Night
The Festival team with the support of the Tomar Trust have been working with students from St. Joseph’s and St. Garvan’s again this year to make films that will be premiered  at one of the most glamorous evenings of the year, The Gala Night: Celebrating 130 Years of Cinema, in Drumhalla House on Thursday, 20th February. Earlier this year, the film festival gave locals of all ages the opportunity to submit their very own #RathmullanReel and these will also be shown on the night.

Friday 21
The glitz and glamour continues on Friday evening for the Donegal Premiere for Rathmullan’s own Fidil Ghorm. A special night for the community celebrating local talent and the work of Rathmullan producer Pierce Boyce and Bríd Seoighe, Abú Media. Fidil Ghorm, a heartwarming Irish-language drama, follows Molly as she meets an old fiddle player with 'magic in his hands. The event includes a premiere at Century Cinemas Letterkenny at 6pm followed by a reception at Rathmullan House at 8:30pm.

“We are really excited to be bring Fidil Ghorm back home to Rathmullan for its nationwide cinema launch.” says producer Pierce Boyce.  “It’s a huge moment for us to be releasing the film and doing it back up in Donegal just seemed the logical choice. The people of Rathmullan were so good to us during filming that we hope they all get a chance to see it in the Century Cinema in Letterkenny.” For a more relaxed start to the festival the Beachcomber will be hosting a special film edition pub quiz at 9:30pm, test your knowledge and compete for prizes - fun, trivia and cinema galore! 

Saturday 22
On Saturday, head to Rathmullan House for an Inspire Industry Event that will allow participants to get an exclusive insight into the world of filmmaking. Be inspired by Irish success stories in different fields of film as 2023 Oscar winner Ross White, Re-Act Production’s Ciaran McCann and Shaun Doogan and Independent Filmmaker Kate Haley will be joining the festival to share their experiences and answer questions.

This will be followed by a curated programme of short films made by film and animation students from Atlantic Technological University and Ulster University’s Cinematic Arts. The programme reflects the wealth of talent in the northwest and features films from various genres covering a wide range of subjects. 

For a more relaxed Saturday evening why not drop in for a Classic Movie Night at Mary Mac’s at 7:30pm or a curated special of short films in An Stad by filmmaker Jannick Ohlendieck starting from 7pm. For curious creatives John Harding will be leading a night photography workshop at 6pm from The Battery as the perfect end to a long spring evening. 

Sunday 23
Sunday’s events shine the spotlight on the community, film production in Donegal and cross-border collaborations with a full day of local talent on display to finish off the festival in style. 

Wonderful Workshops
There is also a full schedule of workshops for young people happening in St. Joseph’s N.S. from 10am – 12pm and will be hosted by a fantastic line up of Northwest creatives. 

On Thursday learn arts and crafts to create decor for our fabulous GALA night. Friday sees the return of the ever popular SFX Makeup workshop and on Saturday morning kids are invited to take part in a lego animation workshop or to try Mayhem Martial Arts kickboxing. A new addition this year is a Foley Sounds workshop and a Tiktok and Instagram for business workshop for adults who want to catch up on modern trends.

Booking is open from Saturday, February 1, and spaces are expected to fill up fast. To see the full brochure and get your tickets to events and workshops, click here.

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