May The 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival

The 4th May The 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival on the Skellig Coast, Co. Kerry, Ireland hosts a huge variety of Star Wars and other Sci-Fi related events over a four day period from May 1st to May 4th

The May The 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival Awards Ceremony will present awards to a new generation of adventurous independent filmmaking, in which boundaries are explored, pushed and often broken. The creative means employed in these films will take audiences on a wild ride towards the future of cinematic storytelling.

Live screenings will take place over the three days of the festival in both Portmagee village and on Valentia island.

Our panel of judges are experts within the independent film scene. In March 2026 they will be announcing the nominees for the awards ceremony which will be held on Saturday May the 2nd in the magnificent Royal Valentia Hotel on Valentia Island in County Kerry. The event is a ticketed event. Tickets for the event go on sale as soon as the full list of nominees are announced. Tickets include a four-course dinner, the awards ceremony and after show party. Nominees interested in attending must purchase their own tickets. If a nominee cannot attend and happens to win an award then we will ensure that the award gets to the winner shortly after the awards ceremony.

Films that are submitted for the short film category and that are chosen for alive screening are automatically under consideration for nomination for the following awards:

Best Feature Film
Best International Short Film
Best Irish Short Film
Best Sci Fi Web Series
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematographer
Best Editor
Best Score
Best Visual Effects
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Fantasy Film
Best AI Film

Ireland is the land of a thousand welcomes and for those of you who have their films screened at our 2026 festival and who decide to travel to Ireland to participate at the event, will feel the warmth of those Irish welcomes.

Portmagee is a little bit special. It’s often described as “a picturesque and sleepy little fishing village on the South Western most tip of the Iveragh peninsula, just off the Ring of Kerry”. It’s true but the description only touches on the more obvious charms of our seaside home.

Portmagee and Valentia are within reach of a huge number of activities from golfing to diving, for which the area is justly famous. Portmagee is also the main departure hub for trips to the amazing and awe-inspiring Skelligs Rocks, the home of preserved monastic settlements from the 6th century.

And this is just the jewel in a crown of beautiful scenery, historical sites and fascinating places to visit in the area.

Our past is far from sleepy as is amply demonstrated in the tale of how the village got its name –pirates, smugglers and political intrigue are all mixed up in it.

We can’t wait to see you there!