While you might suspect St. Patrick’s Day is the principal day for celebrating Irish culture around the District, the annual Capital Irish Film Festival celebrates the cinematic culture of Ireland with one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America!
The annual event, organized by the local Irish arts & culture organization Sola Nua, will kick off its 20th edition later this month with four days of films, shorts, Q&As, and more.
When & where is the Capital Irish Film Festival happening?
The Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF) will be held between Thursday, February 26th, and Sunday, March 1st.
All four days of the film festival will be held at the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of the District’s border.
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What is the CIFF program going to feature this year?
This year’s festival includes a stacked slate of premieres, shorts, notable speakers, and more!
Here is the festival’s day-by-day schedule:
Day 1 – Thursday, February 26th
- Saipan – 7 pm + Special Guest Q&A and Reception
- BP Fallon Rock’N’Roll Wizard Vol. 1 – 9:30 pm
Day 2 – Friday, February 27th
- CIFF 2026 Shorts Program 1 – 10 am
- Travelling Back (AG Taisteal Siar) – 10:30 am
- A Quiet Love – 12:10 pm
- A Want In Her – 2:15 pm
- Testimony – 4:10 pm
- Three Keenings (The 2026 Norman Houston Award Winner) + No Ordinary Heist – 6:30 pm + Award Ceremony, Q&A, and Reception
- Girls & Boys – 9:25 pm
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Day 3 – Saturday, February 28th
- CIFF 2026 Shorts Program 2 – 10 am
- CIFF 2026 – Family Friendly Shorts Program – 11 am
- In Time: DÓNAL LUNNY – 12:05 pm + Q&A
- Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man – 2:30 pm
- BÁITE – 5 pm
- Horseshoe – 7:30 pm
- Celtic Utopia – 9:30 pm
Day 4 – Sunday, March 1st
- CIFF 2026 Shorts Program 3 – 10 am
- Listen To The Land Speak – 11:50 am + Guest Intro
- Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator – 1:45 pm + Guest Panel Q&A
- Sanatorium – 3:40 pm + Q&A
- Aontas – 6 pm
- Christy – 8 pm + Reception
How to get tickets for the festival
While all-access passes to the Capital Irish Film Festival are unfortunately sold out, interested patrons can still purchase individual tickets online for specific screenings throughout the festival while space lasts!
Tickets for individual screenings are $15 per person for most programs, but the ‘Family Friendly Shorts Program’ on Saturday morning is $8 per person.