EU & MEDIA Film News December 2025
News about European films supported by the EU funding and highlighting independent cinemas and cinema clubs that are part of the Europa Cinemas network in Ireland. Includes films made thanks to EU initiatives such as Eurimages Cinema Fund, European Film Promotion as well as events such as the European Film Awards, European Cinema Month, A Season of Classic Films, and the LUX Audience Award.
- IFI, Dublin and IFI@Home
- Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
- Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin
- Access Cinema Network of regional cinema clubs
- MyCinema.ie is an EU-supported platform, operated by access>CINEMA Ireland, on which you can you can rent a curated selection of the best world cinema.
European Cinema Night EULAC | IFI Dublin & Triskel Cork
European Cinema Night is a joint initiative organised by Europa Cinemas and Creative Europe MEDIA. In 2025, the initiative expands globally with EULAC Cinema Nights. This is a special edition in collaboration with cinemas across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Malu, 6.30pm, Tuesday 2nd December at IFI
In a cramped house in a Rio de Janeiro favela, Malu (Yara de Novaes), a once-promising actress now unemployed and emotionally volatile, shares a tense, codependent existence with her conservative mother and her estranged adult daughter. Haunted by the memory of her theatrical past and yearning to convert her home into an arts centre, Malu teeters between self-destruction and reconciliation. When her daughter returns to care for her during a grave neurological illness, the three women are forced to confront generational trauma, love, and betrayal. The film becomes a raw, compassionate portrait of a woman struggling to become the version of herself she always imagined.
This screening will be introduced by Ingrid Machado, filmmaker, curator, and founder of Solax Film Club. The screening is free to attend but ticketed.
A Fantastic Woman, 6.30pm 4th December, Triskel Cork
Triskel Arts Centre will host a free screening of Sebastián Lelio’s acclaimed feature A Fantastic Woman which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018.
When her lover passes away Marina (Daniela Vega), a trans woman, is treated with suspicion. Now, she must fight against the prejudices that have made her the person that she is – a complex, strong and fantastic woman.
The Irish Times film critic Tara Brady will be in attendance to introduce the film, and there will be a drinks reception before the screening which each ticket holder is invited to attend.
This special screening is free but ticketed. Tickets will be released at 10am on Thursday 4th December.
LUX Audience Award 2026
Christy (Ireland, UK) is one of the five films selected to compete for the LUX Audience Award prize in 2026. The film has also been nominated in Best Feature Film category for European Film Awards 2026.
Christy (Ireland, UK) is written by Alan O'Gorman and directed by Brendan Canty in his feature film debut. Two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods in the care system suddenly find themselves living under the same roof. They must now reconcile with their pasts and make decisions about the future. The film stars Danny Power, Diarmuid Noyes and Emma Willis, with Chris Walley, Alison Oliver, and Helen Behan. The film is produced by Sleeper Films, and is supported by Screen Ireland and BBC Film.
Christy, Deaf, It Was Just an Accident, Love Me Tender and Sentimental Value are the five films that have been nominated for LUX Audience Award 2026.
Watch the five films and rate them from one (poor) to five stars (excellent)before April 2026 on the LUX website. You will be in with a chance to win a range of prizes including a trip to the European Parliament in Brussels to attend the LUX Award Ceremony in April 2026 and meet directors and film crews of the nominees.
IFI Kinopolis Polish Film Festival | 11-14 December
This year’s IFI Kinopolis begins and ends with biopics of great artists. It opens with an account of the life of composer Frédéric Chopin, one of Poland’s greatest historical artists, and closes with an intriguing depiction of author Franz Kafka from one of Polish cinema’s greatest current practitioners, Agnieszka Holland.
Other highlights include a rare screening to mark the centenary of Wojciech Has, a distinctive and unique voice in the country’s history of the medium, while a new film from Wojciech Smarzowski, one of European cinema’s best-kept secrets, is always cause for excitement. As ever, this selection reflects the best of what has emerged from the country’s remarkable film industry over the last year, and showcases the most estimable talent in front of and behind the camera. Find out more.
Franz (2025), IFI, 6pm 14th December
Award-winning director Agnieszka Holland embarks on her most ambitious project to date, a biopic of the iconic 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic, the film follows the impact Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague, to his death in post-WW1 Vienna.
Supported by Creative Europe MEDIA. Nominated for 4 European Film Awards including Best Feature 2026.
National Theatre at Lighthouse Dublin, The Fifth Step, 8 December
Olivier Award-winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) is joined by Emmy and BAFTA-winner Martin Freeman (The Responder) in the critically acclaimed and subversively funny new play by David Ireland.
After years in the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka. The pair bond over black coffee, trade stories and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences. But as Luka approaches step five – the moment of confession – dangerous truths emerge, threatening the trust on which both of their recoveries depend.
Finn den Hertog directs the provocative and entertaining production filmed live from Soho Place on London’s West End.
Young Mothers (France, Belgium 2025) | IFI@Home
Directed by Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Young Mothers (Jeunes mères) explores the hopes and vulnerabilities of five young mothers at a shelter. Jessica craves the acceptance of her mother while Perla hopes that a baby will draw her delinquent boyfriend closer. Recovering addict Julie sees a brighter future for herself as a mother alongside her caring fiancé, but Ariane feels desperately unprepared for the challenges ahead. Single mother Naïma, meanwhile, is newly employed and hopes to repair relations with her disapproving family. Supported by Eurimages funding.