17th Underground Cinema Film Awards

The Underground Cinema Film Awards proudly enters its 17th year in 2026, continuing to celebrate the finest independent short films, feature films, and music videos from around the world. From January through September, we’ll once again showcase an exceptional selection of works through monthly online screenings.

For the first 11 years, our screenings were live events, but after the resounding success of our pivot to online screenings during the 2020 pandemic, we’re excited to continue this format. Every month, curated programs will be available for free over a two-day period (Saturday and Sunday), allowing filmmakers and audiences alike to connect from anywhere in the world.

In September, we’ll announce the nominees for the 17th Underground Cinema Film Awards, which culminates in a live awards ceremony in November at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. This is Ireland’s biggest independet awards ceremony dedicated to recognising every aspect of indie filmmaking, across both short and feature films.

Here’s how it works: After submitting your film, a member of our judging panel will review it. If selected, you’ll be notified of your screening date and provided access links. Our panel continues to evaluate films throughout the year, leading to the announcement of nominees in September. While it’s not compulsory, if your film is nominated for an award, we strongly encourage someone from your team to attend the ceremony to celebrate your achievement. The awards night is a ticketed event featuring a three-course dinner, live presentations, and an after-show party. For nominees unable to attend, we’ll ensure their award is delivered after the event.

To support and promote the work of nominated filmmakers, we also host Underground TV, a series of online interviews with filmmakers, actors, and crew. These live, informal chats, broadcast on our website, Facebook, Instagram pages also our YouTube channel offer a unique opportunity for filmmakers to discuss their work and engage directly with audiences. We also upload these interviews to Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can listen and watch some of our previous Podcasts and Interviews on the links below:

https://www.underground-cinema.com/podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/2D4cakdtRZbIiDcfptgNuv
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/underground-cinema-reel-talk/id1769936182
https://www.youtube.com/@undergroundtv3383

Join us in 2026 for another exciting year of celebrating the creative talent driving independent cinema.