Ranelagh Film Festival (RFF) is part of Ranelagh Arts Festival, taking place in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. The festival is in it’s 4th year.
This year it will be held in the Stella Cinema in Ranelagh on Saturday the 10th of May from 9am-2pm and Sunday the 11th of May 9am-2pm.

RFF is dedicated to bringing new cultural experiences through film to Ranelagh.
Ranelagh Film Festival, which takes place in May 2025, will be inviting entries for competition in the following categories:

• BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (NO LONGER than 30 minutes, Including titles & credits)
• BEST SHORT (NO LONGER than 30 minutes, Including titles & credits)

Ranelagh Film Festival (RFF) will be held in the Stella Cinema in Ranelagh on Saturday the 10th of May from 9am-2pm and Sunday the 11th of May 9am-2pm.

The following categories will be announced at the screening and finalist films will be screened at the festival.

• BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
• BEST SHORT

FILM SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
By submitted to 2025's edition of RFF, you are agreeing to a possible online and/or physical screening of your work in the Stella Cinema, Ranelagh Dublin 6. The programming team will discuss this in more detail nearer to the event. Refunds will not be issued if you do not wish to screen the film online.

The selection and scheduling of all films screened at RFF 2025 is entirely at the discretion of the Festival Director and the Judging Panel. All decisions are final. The festival is unable to send personal emails regarding films that are not selected and notification regarding the status of selection will be made via FilmFreeway notification. Selected films will be contacted directly and in the media.
Each submission must be accompanied by a:
• HIGH RES STILL IMAGE (not a poster image) and
• 15 WORD SYNOPSIS.
Please submit to ONE category ONLY per film.
Films not in the English language must have subtitles.
Withdrawal will only be refunded if requested within two weeks from being submitted.
Short Film Screening Files: (Once Selected) If selected the festival will request DCP only.
If selected, any web links used to transfer accepted formats should remain active until we have confirmed that we have downloaded and tested the film. Alternative versions will be required where it is evident that the technical requirements are not being met.
Please watch the file of your film IN FULL before sending to us. Our DCP technician will not be able to check your file for errors. Failure to adhere to the technical requirements may result in films not being screened.
Screening format for FEATURE FILMS will be DCP only and must be provided by the APPLICANT if selected.

RFF will liaise with the filmmaker regarding screening formats after final decisions have been taken. Please check the email you submit your film with regularly. This is the method we will use to contact you. If there is no response to our emails, RFF reserve the right to withdraw selection.
Images and press packs will be requested upon selection. These will be used for promotional purposes not limited to press, online media, television, radio and any other media platform.
Television and Internet broadcasting: Taking part in RFF implies allowing broadcasting on Irish and foreign televisions and on the Internet (extracts limited to and not exceeding 1 min) for the purpose of promoting the festival.
RFF does not pay screening fees for submitted work.
We request that applicants submit to RFF only through the FilmFreeway portal. We do not accept DVDs, online links by email or social media messages etc. The festival has a small seasonal staff and we are not in a position to accept submissions in any other way. This allows our judging panel to view and select films in a fair manner.
All the films are watched by the panel and the judges make the final decision. There is no audience award RFF.
If entering your film to RFF you must have the authority and license for any music soundtrack on/in your film. You and/or the artists who own the music and/or their representatives waive rights to claim royalties from RFF for screening selected films.
On submitting to the festival the applicant understands that he/she/they has a legal right to submit the film including ensuring all clearances have been obtained. By submitting to the festival the applicant agrees to the rules and terms.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • The festival and their team run such a wonderful event. Our brilliant DOP Jaro Waldeck was delighted to attend, welcome the film and we were all over the moon for her award for Best Cinematography. Thanks to the entire team, and we'll see you again there next year!

    May 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Gemma, we appreciate the opportunity to screen your excellent work and to have the highly talented DOP Jaro Waldeck join us on the day. The cinematography award is very much deserved. Hope to see you again next year!

  • Diarmuid Timmons

    A big thank you to Oisín and all at the Ranelagh Arts Film Festival. We had a great time screening our short “an buachaill nua” at the beautiful Stella cinema.

    May 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Diarmuid, it was a pleasure to present your work, and to hand you our audience award no less. May it give you a good boost in future projects. Hope to see you again soon

  • Donna Dees

    The entire Ranelagh Arts Festival 2025 weekend was well worth traveling to Ireland from the U.S. The film festival portion was held in the beautiful, cozy Stella Theatre. I am so happy I submitted my doc-short for screening at this special festival.

    May 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Donna, your attendance with Nick added a great quality to the event and your drive inspires our team to continue making progress. Hope to meet you again

  • Fiona Aryan

    We had such a lovely time at the festival, held in the gorgeous Stella Cinema. A very warm welcome from Mairead and the other organisers. A really interesting selection of shorts and documentaries. Delighted to have our short selected and honoured to win an award.

    May 2023
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    Response from festival:

    thank you so much. I hope we will see you again next year.