The Dublin International Film Festival has revealed this year?s winners across the Documentary, Short film, Global Cinema, Human Rights, and the Discovery award, with Jessica Lange & Ed Harris honoured with the Volta Awards.
The festival presented its highest accolade, the Career Achievement Volta Award, to two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner Ed Harris and two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to global cinema. The Volta Awards, an original design by sculptor Bettina Seitz, were presented at two special events during the festival, coinciding with the highly-anticipated screening of Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
Speaking after the award presentations, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said: “Jessica Lange and Ed Harris are two of the most powerful and enduring actors of our time. Their performances have shaped the landscape of modern cinema, and it was an honour to welcome them both to Dublin to celebrate their careers.”
On receiving their awards, the acclaimed actors said: “Thank you so much. This is such a great honour and I appreciate it, the idea that you do something in life that is recognised, that is acknowledged, sometimes celebrated means the world to me. I appreciate this more than you can ever imagine and to be here in Ireland, where I would move if I were 30 years younger, means so much to me.” (Jessica Lange)
“I’m very honoured, its a very prestigious award and I’m very touched. I really appreciate the recognition of the work that I’ve been doing over the years. It means a lot. I love your country, I love the people in it, I love the land... and I'm really happy to be here.” (Ed Harris)
Reflecting on this year’s winners, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys, said: “This year’s winning films and talent represent the very best of contemporary cinema. Whether emerging voices or established legends, each recipient has left an indelible mark on audiences and the industry alike. We are proud to celebrate their achievements at DIFF 2025.”
Discovery Award
Highlighting the most promising emerging talents in the Irish film industry, the festival’s Discovery Awards were awarded to Cara Loftus, writer of Spilt Milk; Clare Monnelly, writer of Cat & Mouse; and Albert Hooi, Cinematographer on Bunker Baby + Nay Day.
This year’s distinguished jury, consisting of Paul Fitzsimons, producer and writer, head of Prelude Content; Sarah McCann, Lecturer in Creative Arts, Media and Music, DKIT, and Sinéad O’Riordan, actor and producer, Orion Productions said about the nominees: “We absolutely enjoyed watching the films of all the Discovery Award nominees and we’re extremely impressed by the quality of today’s emerging film industry talent. Picking the nominees was no easy task!”
Short Film Awards
Recognising outstanding storytelling and technical excellence across both Irish and international short form cinema, this year’s winners are: The Man Who Would Not Remain Silent for Best International Short Film; Inside, The Valley Sings for Best Animated Short Film and the Sue Bruce Smith Best Irish Short Film was awarded to Trasna na Lína, one of the Virgin Media Discovers short films.
The judges Paige Cameron, Dermot Malone and Max Maclay remarked: "The nearly 70 short films submitted to DIFF have such wonderfully surprising variety, that it forced our jury to find some common criteria for review. Our spirited discussions came down to which films excelled in execution of their subject matter, the emotional impact on us and in the end the best story telling. It was fun!"
Avolon World Cinema Award
As a key highlight of this year’s festival, the Avolon World Cinema Award recognises outstanding global storytelling and cinematic excellence. Sponsored by DIFF’s new Global Partner Avolon, this award underscores the festival’s commitment to promoting international talent and fostering accessibility in global filmmaking.
This year’s recipient, Santosh, directed by Sandhya Suri, captivated audiences with its powerful narrative and masterful direction.
Jury members were actor Liam Cunningham; Ania Trzebiatowska, Programmer, Sundance Film Festival andCiara Ruane, Chief People Officer, Avolon. Speaking on behalf of the jury Ms. Ruane said: “The World Cinema Award is a fantastic reflection of DIFF’s commitment to celebrate the global connections that all the shortlisted films have fostered. It was a huge challenge for us to decide on the winner, but ultimately the film we chose reflects the engaging story and powerful performances that make it a worthy recipient.”
Documentary Awards
Documentary storytelling continues to be a highlight of the festival, and Myrid Carter’s A Want In Her beat stiff competition to be named Best Documentary Film at the festival. Directed by Carten and produced by Tadhg O'Sullivan, Roisin Geraghty, Eline van Wees, and Kat Mansoor, A Want In Her follows Myrid, a young artist searching for her missing mother, uncovering a tangled family history. A raw, intimate portrait of love and identity, the film captivates with bold storytelling and haunting visuals.
The jury, which comprised of Diarmuid O’Dwyer, Irish Film Curators Panel; Tom Burke, Filmmaker, Chair of MA in Documentary Practice at DCU and Melanie Miller, Academy Award-winning documentary producer, said about the award: "The documentary jury was amazed by the quality of this year's selection of fourteen films, which thrilled and enthralled us over the past few weeks, and found the task of choosing just one film daunting. The winner emerged among a sea of other worthy contenders, each insightful and brilliant in their own right."
ICCL Human Rights Film Award
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Human Rights Film Award honours films that highlight pressing human rights issues. This year’s winner, Testimony, is a powerful exploration of the resilience of Magdalene Laundries survivors and the tireless campaign of Justice for Magdalenes. With gripping storytelling and unwavering advocacy, the film sheds light on one of Ireland’s most profound civil rights struggles.
Jury members, including Alana Daly Mulligan, award-winning spoken-word 'artivist', storyteller & producer; Emer O’Neill, founding member of Bray for Love, Author of The Same But Different; Ebun Joseph, CEO and Founder of the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies (IABS); Mary Crilly, CEO of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork; Fergus O’Dowd, researcher, film producer, and co-writer of Tales From the Debenhams Picket Line, commented: “Watching these films and documentaries, one cannot feel anything but profound respect for the artists and contributors who brought these stories to the screen. These films are authentic, full of heart, and challenge us to act – to see and think differently with our world, and to critically engage with it. Turning urgent truths into film is a bold act of activism in itself, and now more than ever, we need living stories like these to give us hope and to prompt radical acts of moving and shaking beyond the screen. It was truly a privilege to be part of such an inspirational panel with jurors, and the insight gained from being part of the passionate and challenging deliberations is one I will not soon forget. To play a small part in deciding this award has been an honour and I pass my sincerest congratulations on to every film that was selected.”
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