Based in the heritage town of Birr, Co. Offaly, OFFline Films Festival is an exciting five-day event for film lovers and makers alike. Since 2010, we've been screening Irish and International films in quirky array of venues around Offaly.

Every year we accept short films of all genres from all over the world to be entered into our short film competition. Prizes include Best Irish Short, Best International Short, the OFFline Audience Award and Best Animation.

We screen a specially curated selection of Irish and International feature and short films while also providing workshops on aspects of film-making given by industry professionals.

Awards & Prizes

BEST IRISH SHORT
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
BEST ANIMATION
OFFLINE AUDIENCE AWARD

Rules & Terms

OFFline Film Festival Short Film Competition 2026 - Terms & Conditions

CONDITIONS FOR ENTRY

Films should be password protected. Films should be presented in their original versions with English language subtitles or commentary where necessary. The Festival does not pay screening fees for submitted work.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Films should be uploaded to minimum standard as outlined here (or via your preferred platform) https://vimeo.com/help/compression
Frame Rate : 24 & 25 FPS
Bit Rate: 5,000 - 20,000kbps
Resolution of 1920X1080 px.

USING EXTRACTS OF THE FILM FOR PROMOTION
The entrant agrees that up to 30 seconds of their film may be used by OFFline Film Festival in promotional activities including screening a clip on television, on the Festival’s website and social media channels. Acceptance of these regulations implies that you will abide by them in your dealings with the Festival and also that you are legally entitled to submit this film for consideration.

SELECTION & NOTIFICATION
All selected filmmakers are invited to OFFline as guests of the Festival (we provide complimentary accommodation when possible). All entries will be viewed by the selection committee. Official Festival selection will be announced in September 2026. Successful entrants will be notified via FilmFreeway. Details of selected films will also be posted on our website. Finalists will have their films screened during the Festival and on the last day an overall winner in each category will be announced.

COPYRIGHT
Filmmakers are responsible for securing all copyright clearances and music rights.
18 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • David Yorke

    Although I couldn't attend, the team were so nice and communicated clearly throughout, hopefully I'll get to attend next time.

    October 2024
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  • Romain Fleury

    Great festival and great crew. Very welcoming ! It was such a pleasure to meet you all ! We had a great week-end. Everything was perfect ! The only suggestion I can make is about the screening, the directors weren't introduced before or after, and I would've been pleased to know who was the director of what, just to go and talk more easily to them... Except that, the selection was fantastic ! So go and send your films to this fantastic crew !!! oh and Birr... what a charming town :)))

    October 2023
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  • Harry Knight

    I had such a nice time being welcomed at OFFline Film Festival in the lovely Birr. I was very impressed by the standard of films and also the number of filmmakers that made it to this small Irish town. It was a real pleasure and I hope to be part of future programmes!

    October 2023
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  • Deyan Angelov

    The way the festival ensures filmmakers' comfortable stay is fantastic. Terrific people, a beautiful town, a lovely screening venue. I had tons of fun, and interacting with the rest of the filmmakers was incredibly easy. I watched 30 to 40 short films from all over the world in a single day and I loved it.

    October 2022
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  • Green Ray

    Always a pleasure. Lovely people behind a great festival

    October 2022
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