Dublin International Film Festival

The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual film festival held in the capital of Ireland. Founded in 2003, it has since become one of the most important events in Ireland ’s film industry. As of 2016, the title sponsor of the festival is Audi.

The Dublin International Film Festival was founded by journalist and film critic Michael Dwyer and film producer David McLoughlin. They established the original Dublin Film Festival in 1985, ran it until the mid-1980s, and decided to revive the festival in 2003.

The main goal of the Dublin International Film Festival is to promote cinema as an art form and to introduce Irish audiences to the best of international cinema. Most films screened during the festival are Irish premieres. Some of them are not released in Irish cinemas so attending DIFF is the only chance to see them on a big screen.

Since its inception, the Dublin International Film Festival has screened over 1,500 films from different countries and regions including Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Denmark, Romania, South Korea and other Asian countries, Latin America, and more. The festival’s guests of honor have included major movie stars such as Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Colin Firth, Patricia Clarkson, and others.

The Dublin International Film Festivals doesn’t have an official film competition. However, it has been awarding the Volta Awards since 2007. The Volta Awards are given for career achievement. They were named after the first cinema in Ireland, the Volta Electric Theatre (later renamed the Lyceum Picture Theatre), launched by novelist and poet James Joyce in 1905.

The Volta Awards are given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of film. They can be actors, directors, film critics, costume designers, distributors, film historians, screenwriters, composers, artistic directors, and other film professionals. Past recipients include Gabriel Byrne, Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Paolo Sorrentino, Patricia Clarkson, Martin Sheen, Stellan Skarsgård, Al Pacino, Danny DeVito, Tom Roth, Joss Whedon, Terry Gilliam, Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Claudia Cardinale, and others.

Other awards given at DIFF include the Audience Award (renamed the AUDI-ence Award in 2016 in honor of the title sponsor), the ADIFF Discovery Award, the Best Irish & Best International Film awards for short films, and the Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards.