This year's Generation Fleadh Programme is Launched

 

 

Generation Fleadh, an offshoot of the Galway Film Fleadh, will bring five days of cinema to Pálás Cinema, Eye Cinema and venues beyond, with a programme designed to appeal to film lovers of all generations. Alongside its schools programme, which will welcome more than 500 students for screenings, workshops and discussions, the festival will offer a full programme of public screenings and events, with tickets available to the general public.

This year’s programme features two Irish premieres: Josephine, Beth De Araújo’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, and Edie Arnold Is a Loser, Kade and Megan Rico’s punk coming-of-age comedy which made a splash at SXSW.

The festival will open with a special preview of Anton Corbijn’s A Talent for Murder, a fictionalised thriller starring Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich, in which a literary executive becomes caught in a game of cat and mouse with renowned crime writer Patricia Highsmith. The screening will be followed by a showing of Highsmith’s much-loved thriller The Talented Mr Ripley.

 

Closing the festival is Learning to Breathe Underwater, directed by Rebekah Fortune. A firm festival favourite, the film won the Audience Award at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh.

Another Galway Film Fleadh favourite also returns to the big screen, with Isabel Daly’s LGBTQIA+ selkie romance Washed Up back in the programme.

 

The 2026 Generation Council has worked with the programming team to curate a retrospective selection that celebrates the breadth of cinema. The titles include David Lynch’s acclaimed Hollywood noir Mulholland Drive, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’s Little Miss Sunshine, marking its 20th anniversary this year, and the Irish-language version of Cartoon Saloon’s animated classic The Secret of Kells.

The programme also features three short-film strands showcasing Irish, international and animated work, selected by the Generation Council from submissions.

 

Beyond the screenings, audiences can take part in a series of workshops, masterclasses and discussions. Highlights include a production design masterclass with Deirdre Bolger and How Many Ways Can You Tell a Story, presented in collaboration with Film Corner and John Huston Film School, alongside a screening of Run Lola Run.

In association with Féile John Ford, Directed by John Ford offers an illustrated introduction to the filmmaker’s work and his influence on modern directors, including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

A post-screening discussion will follow the Irish premiere of Josephine, led by adult and adolescent psychotherapist Martha McKeon Lynch. The discussion will explore the impact of trauma on young people and how cinema can open up conversations around support and understanding.

Generation Fleadh will also extend beyond Galway city through its Gen Beyond programme, bringing a selection of films to Clifden, Co. Galway.

 

While the schools programme remains a central part of Generation Fleadh, the wider festival is an invitation for audiences of all ages to experience cinema together, discover new filmmakers and revisit much-loved films on the big screen.

Festival Programmer of the Galway Film Fleadh Charlene Lydon said: “Generation Fleadh is an opportunity to bring all generations together to experience some very special films together on the big screen and we aim to create a space for discussion and reflection. Experiencing films in this communal way reminds us all that cinema is more than ‘content’ and is a valuable resource for thoughtful examination of the human condition, of society and creativity.

 

“It was an honour to work with our Generation Council to bring a youthful voice to the programme and fully understand what feels relevant to their generation. This year’s programme was designed to spark ideas and creativity, challenge the next generation of film fans and promote discussion.”

 

The Generation Fleadh programme runs from 4–8 November. For the full programme, screening times, workshop details and tickets, visit galwayfilmfleadh.com/generation-fleadh.

 

The Galway Film Fleadh is supported by the Arts Council, Fís Éireann, TG4, Coimisiún na Meán, Galway City Council, Galway County Council and Fáilte Ireland.