PASSES ON SALE NOW
CIFF All-Access Pass: $175
EARLY BIRD HOLIDAY SPECIAL: $149
Early bird price valid December 1-31, 2025.
Solas Nua is proud to present the annual Capital Irish Film Festival, in partnership with the American Film Institute, at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Now in its 20th year, CIFF is one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America. The four-day festival brings the best of contemporary Irish cinema by filmmakers from the island of Ireland to audiences in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
As it marks two decades of presenting Irish film in Washington, D.C., CIFF continues to celebrate the rich contemporary culture, identities, and heritage from across the island of Ireland on screen. The four-day festival provides a US platform for emerging voices in Irish cinema, showcases the exceptional home-grown creative talent both on screen and behind the camera, and reflects the rapid expansion and success of the Irish screen industry internationally. As well as providing audiences with the opportunity to see a selection of the latest Irish films never before screened in the Washington metropolitan area, CIFF also gives attendees the chance to meet and greet the many visiting filmmakers and artists from Ireland after the screenings. This year’s program includes North American and East Coast premieres, debut features, VIP guests and dignitaries, Q&As, talkbacks and gala events, as well as special talent appearances.
Festival passes are on sale now and individual tickets will go on sale Friday, January 30, 2026.
Why Choose the CIFF All-Access Pass?
See them all with the Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF) All-Access pass which grants festival-goers one admission to every screening (35+ films) in the 2026 Capital Irish Film Festival, including opening* and closing night gala events, after-parties, Q&As, meet and greets, and all other festival special events and receptions.
*RSVP required for opening night gala event.
EARLY BIRD HOLIDAY SPECIAL: $149. Valid December 1-31, 2025.
This year, your pass will provide you access to all of the screenings and special events during the festival. Your pass is your ticket for all screenings. However, you must check in at least 15 minutes prior to screening time in order to secure your seat.
Please note that if you do not arrive at least 15 minutes prior to screening, we cannot guarantee your seat. For all sold-out screenings, any unclaimed passholder seats will be released at the box office prior to screening.
You do not need to select or reserve tickets in advance, except for the festival opening night gala screening and afterparty. You must RSVP in order to secure your opening night ticket. Passholders will be emailed in January with a link to RSVP for this event.
FIRST FESTIVAL TITLES ANNOUNCED
Solas Nua has revealed the first two titles of the 2026 program: IN TIME: DÓNAL LUNNY, an award-winning documentary on the legendary Irish folk musician and producer, and SANATORIUM, Ireland’s official submission for Best International Film at the 2026 Oscars. To learn about these phenomenal films, please read the festival announcement here.
Read About Previous CIFF Program Announcements:
See Photos & Video Content From Previous Festivals:
“The festival films showcase the full humanity of the Irish people. They are tough without being mean, forgiving without being saccharine. Quiet, deadpan humor is never far from their lips. These films are almost all a welcome reprieve from the D.C. grind.” — Washington City Paper
For further inquiries please contact: capitalirishfilmfestival@solasnua.org.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Embassy of Ireland, Northern Ireland Bureau, Northern Ireland Screen, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International Programme supported by Culture Ireland. Solas Nua is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
ABOUT SOLAS NUA
Solas Nua - ‘new light’ in Irish, is a leading multi-disciplinary arts organization that is dedicated exclusively to bringing contemporary Irish arts to Washington, D.C. Solas Nua acts as an ambassador and advocate for Irish arts in the U.S., promoting multi-disciplinary Irish arts and culture. Solas Nua presents, produces, and commissions thought-provoking and ground-breaking work across the arts, and is recognized for making a substantive, unique contribution to the artistic and cultural richness of the city of Washington, DC and beyond. Support and follow Solas Nua via their newsletters, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Solas Nua’s Capital Irish Film Festival has been showing Irish films, films by Ireland-based filmmakers and the best of Irish cinematic talent, annually for 17 years. The four-day festival is presented in partnership with AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at their historic art-deco theater in Silver Spring, MD.
ABOUT AFI SILVER THEATRE AND CULTURAL CENTER
A program of the American Film Institute (AFI), AFI Silver and Cultural Center offers a year-round program of the best in American and international cinema, featuring a dynamic mix of retrospectives, special events, tributes, on-stage guest appearances, specialty first-run movies,festivals, premieres and education and community-based programs in a theatrical setting of the highest standards. Anchored by the stunningly restored 1938 Silver Theatre, the three-screen AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a state-of-the-art film and digital media exhibition venue that serves as a national model for preserving and honoring our shared film and film-going heritage. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com/Silver, and follow AFI Silver on social media at Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
Capital Irish Film Festival
February 26 - March 1
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
