SOLAS NUA'S FOUR DAY FESTIVAL SHOWCASING THE BEST OF NEW IRISH CINEMA IN WASHINGTON D.C.
Solas Nua’s 19th annual Capital Irish Film Festival presented in partnership with the American Film Institute returns to AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in 2025 with first films announced.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America, showcasing the latest Irish dramatic and documentary features, shorts, art films, and animation releases by Irish and Ireland-based filmmakers. The 19th edition of the four-day festival takes place February 27 - March 2, 2025 in partnership with the prestigious American Film Institute's Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (Silver Spring, MD). The four-day festival provides a US platform that amplifies emerging voices on Irish screen, showcases the exceptional talent and skills in Irish filmmaking, and reflects the robust and vibrant screen industry that has grown in Ireland in recent years.
The 2025 festival program highlights the rich heritage of Ireland, curating an inclusive and diverse community of Irish filmmakers. This year’s program will include North American and East Coast premieres, debut features, Irish language titles, VIP guests, special talent appearances, Q&As, talkbacks and gala events.
FIRST PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
Two confirmed titles include the East Coast premiere of director Ciaran Cassidy’s award-winning hit HOUSEWIFE OF THE YEAR (Best Irish Feature Documentary Award, Galway Fleadh and Best Irish Feature Award, Newport Beach Film Festival). Funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, RTĖ, SVT, DR, NRK, and HOT8, the film reveals lives of married women in Ireland through the historical lens of a nationally televised competition that venerated Irish housewives and invited them to compete against one another for the title and chance to win a gas cooker. Using archive footage from the 1960s through the mid-1990s and interviews with the ex-contestants today, the film explores the disparity between the idealized lives of the women portrayed on television with the realities of their lives and experiences at home illustrating the dramatic changes that have taken place for women during that time.
The festival will also include the East Coast premiere of the award-winning Irish language film FIDIL GHORM/BLUE FIDDLE (Audience Award for Best Irish Feature at the Newport International Film Festival and Best First Feature Award, Galway Fleadh), the debut feature by the director Anne McCabe, written by award-winning children’s author and Ireland’s Children’s Literature Laureate, Patricia Forde, and produced by Abú Media Film's producer Pierce Boyce and creative Producer Bríd Seoighe. The film, funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4, and Comisiún na Meán, centers on the story of ten-year-old Molly, who believes that if she can learn to master the fiddle like her dad, her playing will have the power to rouse him out of his coma. The film stars award-winning Irish stage and film actor Barry McGovern and All Ireland fiddle champion Edith Lawlor in her debut acting role.
THE NORMAN HOUSTON AWARD
CIFF 2025 will also include the fourth annual Norman Houston Short Film Award from Solas Nua, an honor for the best new short film created by a filmmaker based in or from Northern Ireland made within the previous two years. This award, including prize money of $2,500, will be presented during the festival’s run. The winning filmmaker will also be invited to Washington, D.C. to attend the screening of the film and receive the award in person.
CIFF ALL-ACCESS PASSES
See them all with the Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF) All-Access pass!
The pass grants one admission to every screening in the 2025 Capital Irish Film Festival, including Opening Night Gala Event and after party, and all other festival special events and receptions.
CIFF All-Access Pass: $175
EARLYBIRD HOLIDAY SPECIAL: $149
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 special gala opening night screening and after party which you must RSVP to (passholders will be emailed in January). All film selections will be announced and individual tickets will be on sale on January 30, 2025.
ABOUT CAPITAL IRISH FILM FESTIVAL
See Photos & Video Content From CIFF 2024 Here.
Read About All CIFF 2024 Program Announcements Here.
CIFF is one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America, showcasing the latest Irish dramatic and documentary features, shorts, art films, and animation releases by Irish and Ireland-based filmmakers. The four-day festival provides a platform that not only highlights the rich cinematic culture in Ireland, but also amplifies the work of independent filmmakers working in Ireland and beyond. The program spotlights emerging voices on Irish screen, celebrates the exceptional talent and passion of contemporary Irish filmmakers, and is a reflection of the robust and vibrant screen industry that has grown in Ireland in recent years.
“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 27 - March 2
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
