IFTA (Irish Film & Television Academy) Affiliated International Film Festival located in Limerick, the gateway to the Atlantic Way,
RHIFF is part of the Global Irish Festival Series -supported by Failte Ireland.
We strongly believe that the Irish film-making Diaspora should be encouraged to showcase their work here in Ireland.
We are currently the only Film Festival in Ireland which specifically encourages Irish Filmmakers abroad to return and showcase their work.
We now have a new student category open for submissions. Open to current students and recent graduates, please upload a copy of your student ID / signed stamped letter from your college when submitting your film to FilmFreeway. Any queries can be directed to rhiffsubmissions@gmail.com
As an international film festival, we also of course have short and features categories open to non-Irish film-makers and welcome entries from all over the world. We accept DCP's for screening of shorts as well as features.
Extending to 7 days in 2019 - 22nd - 28th October sees the festival screening Feature Films, Short Films, Documentaries and of course a Richard Harris Retrospective Screening.
Screenings include Feature and short films chosen from International entries (with priority given to entries from the Irish Diaspora), a Richard Harris retrospective screening and the winner of SFF Oddalenia Dublin (Polish Film Festival).
There are 3 categories for short film.
1. National and International short film showcase.
(Please mark clearly on your submission if your film has a tangible link to the Midwest of Ireland as an Award for this category will be presented at #RHIFF2018)
2. Newport Beach Film Festival Competition - our short-listed films in this category are eligible for selection for the Newport Beach Film Festival Irish Spotlight.
3. Student Competition - Open to current students and recent graduates, please upload a copy of your student ID / signed stamped letter from your college when submitting your film to FilmFreeway. Any queries can be directed to rhiffsubmissions@gmail.com.
Short Film Awards
Over 150 short films were screened at #RHIFF2019
(All Winners presented with the RHIFF signature Irish Slate Award)
BEST OVERALL SHORT
2019 winner - A WHITE HORSE - Shaun O Connor
2018 Winner - DETAINMENT - Vincent Lambe (ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE)
2017 Winner - THE OBSERVER EFFECT - Garret Walsh
2016 Winner - UISCE BEATHA / WATER OF LIFE - Elaine Kennedy
NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL CATEGORY
Winner 2019 - ASHMINA - Dekel Berenson
Winner 2018 - SASHA OF THE SEA - Sammy Nutt
Winner 2017 - WAVE - TJ O'Grady & Benjamin Cleary
Winner 2016 - CAPER - Brian O'Neill
Winner 2015 - LOVE IS A STING - Vincent Gallagher
NEWPORT BEACH FILM CATEGORY
Winner 2019 - THE BRIDGE - Mark Smyth
Winner 2018 - TAKING STOCK - Siobhan McMahon
Winner 2017 - LOST MEMORIES Eamonn Murphy
Winner 2016 - DAY OFF - Steve Hall
Winner 2015 - WOMAN OF THE HOUSE - Aidan Gibson
Winner 2014 - I'VE BEEN A SWEEPER - Ciarán Dooley
ANIMATION CATEGORY - SHORT FILM
Winner 2018 - Fire in Cardboard City - Phil Brough
STUDENT CATEGORY
Winner 2019 - BACKWATER - Brendan McCallion
Winner 2018 - PERNICIO - Dave Fox
Winner 2017 - LULA - Aoife O'Kelly
AUDIENCE AWARD - SHORT FILM
2019 winner - MATCH - Laura O'Shea & Tony Doyle
2018 Winner - TOAST - Aaron Moloney
2017 Winner - THE SECRET MARKET - Martina McGlynn
MIDWEST SHORT FILM CATEGORY
Winner 2019 - WALLS OF LIMERICK - Arturo Bandenelli
Winner 2018 - PENPALS - Ray Fennelly
Winner 2017 - UNSEEN - MD Neely
Winner 2016 - THE SONS OF ROBERT SCHUMAN - Tommy Conlan
Winner 2015 - THE CLIMB - Eimear O'Grady
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
2019 - JJ Rolfe - Bending Glass
2018 - ANDREW KAINEDER - A Lunar Cycle
2017 - STIL WILLIAMS - Kubrick by Candlelight - David O'Reilly
BEST DIRECTOR
2019 winner - JORGE MURIEL - The Boy who wanted to Fly
2018 Winner - VINCENT LAMBE - Detainment
2017 Winner - KEN WILLIAMS & DENIS FITZPATRICK - Gustav
2016 Winner - CASHELL HORGAN - The Clockmakers Dream
BEST ACTOR IN A FEMALE ROLE
2019 winner - SVETLANA ALEKSEEVNA BARANDICH - Anna
2018 Winner - LAURA O'SHEA - Hold the Line
2017 Winner - MARTA KANE - Lula
2016 Winner - SARAH BISHOP - Late Moves
BEST ACTOR IN A MALE ROLE
2019 winner - PETER COONAN - The Bridge
2018 Winner (Joint) - ELY SOLAN & LEON HUGHES - Detainment
2017 Winner - EMMET KELLY - Lost Memories
2016 Winner - OWEN ROE - Wait
BEST WRITING (NEW CATEGORY 2018)
2019 Winner - MOHAMMOD BAKHSHI - Are You Volleyball
2018 Winner - RANDALL CHRISTOPHER - The Driver Is Red
BEST EDITING (NEW CATEGORY 2018)
2019 Winner - DAVE ROBINSON - RAMON - Notes From a BeeKeeper
2018 Winner - PHILIP SHANAHAN - Hold The Line
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
2019 winner - SHANE SERRANO
2017 Winner - GERARD STEMBRIDGE - For Contribution to Film in Limerick & Ireland
2016 Winner - JASON REDDAN - Winner MYRODEREEL competition 2016
BEST FEATURE FILM
2019 Winner - BELLINGCAT :Truth in a Post Truth World - Hans Pool
2018 Winner - THE STOLEN PRINCESS - Oleg Malamuhz
2017 Winner - MIGNON MOSSIE VAN WYK - by Darrell Roodt.
2016 Winner - TREURGROND - Darrell Roodt
RHIFF 1 MINUTE MONOLOGUE COMPETITION
winner 2019 - Josh Hullinger
Winner 2018 - Paul Fitzgerald
Winner 2017 - Luke Andrew Feeney
Winner 2016 - Owen Mulhall
Winner 2015 - Kristine O'Brien
RHIFF STYLE AWARD - Sunday 29th October 2017
Winner 2019 - Shaun O Connor
Winner 2018 - Aoife Danagher
Winner 2017 - Dora Gola
Winner 2016 - Ella Harris
JUDGES SPECIAL MENTION
2017 - DIARMUID NOYES - Chancer - Patrick Maxwell
NEW MEDIA AWARD ( New Category 2019)
Winner 2019 - Sustainable Productivity - ANNEESH KOORAPATY
Richard Harris International Film Festival Creative Talent Award
Winner 2019 -
Winner 2018 - PATRICK BERGIN
Winner 2017 - DOMINICK WEST
Winner 2016 - FIONNULA FLANAGAN, (Some Mothers Son, Star Trek, The Guard, Life's a Breeze)
Winner 2015 - PATRICK CASSIDY, Composer (Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, Calvary)
Winner 2014 - JACK REYNOR, (Transformers, What Richard Did)