The 16th Underground Cinema Film Festival is an IFTA (Irish Film & Television Academy) Affiliated International Film Festival located in Dublin in Ireland.

A champion of emerging filmmakers, Underground Cinema has the belief that no matter what the film’s budget or the director’s vision it’s the filmmakers passion that drives a film.

As technology allows greater access to short films as well as filmmaking tools, an increasing number of people are turning to short filmmaking as a form of expression and an opportunity to explore creative freedom. The fact that we received 300 more submissions in this category than last year speaks to that. Within them we saw a wave of truly original and outrageously distinctive films united by their uncompromised spirit. This year we will present 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.

Our festival takes place in the magnificent Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin in Ireland September 6th & 7th. Over the two days of the festival we will screen over 100 independently produced films from all over the world. Like previous years, the festival will be a Hybrid event with a mixture of live and online screenings.

The Hybrid element to the festival has worked very well for us over the past five years. It has meant that we are able to include more films to our program and it also means that we can host more Q&A sessions online with directors from all over the world.

We are also delighted to be bringing back the Mini Comic Con to the Festival. The Con will take place on the final day of the festival on Sunday September 7th.

*Important Note
All films that have been selected to be screened at this years festival will be programmed for an online screening. 100 of the submissions sent through to us will be selected for a live screening as well in our venue. Please do NOT submit a film to us if you do not want an online screening.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to what promises to be our best festival yet.

Dave Byrne
Festival Director

Awards & Prizes

Best Irish Independent Feature Film
Best International Feature Film
Best Independent Short Irish Film
Best Independent Short International Film
Best Student Film (Short or Feature)
Best Short Documentary
Best Feature Documentary
Best One Minute Short Film
Best Poster Design (Irish & International)

Rules & Terms

1. UCFF is open to Republic of Ireland and International filmmakers in the following categories:

Best Irish Independent Feature Film – Feature with a budget less then €200K
Best International Feature Film - No budget restrictions
Best Independent Short Film – Short film under 25 minutes
Best International Short Film – Short film made outside of Ireland under 25 mins
Best Student Film – Short/Feature film completed by full time students
Best One Minute Short Film - Your short film has to be under 60 seconds. This category is an international category
Best Short Documentary - Short documentary under 25 mins
Best Feature Documentary - Irish and International entries accepted
Best Poster Design - Irish and International entries accepted
2. We will accept entries via Vimeo download on the application form below. We will also accept We Transfer or Dropbox files. Please email dave@underground-cinema.com if you intend to send your files via either of the two options above.

3. All entries must include the following:

A completed entry form
€25 entry fee for feature films
€20 entry fee for short films
€5 entry fee for one minute shorts
€7 Poster Design

4. Entry fees are non refundable

5. Films which have been broadcast on Television, Cable or have an international theatrical release prior to the UCFF are NOT eligible to enter competitively but may be screened out of competition.

6. Non English language produced films must have English subtitles or be dubbed in English.

7. Winners agree to participate in the publicity for the Festival as well as other promotional events, including the Underground Cinema website.

8. Closing date for submissions August 3rd. Selected film entries will be notified by August 10th. Winners will be announced on the Closing Night of the Festival.

10. Selected films will either be screened online, live or both. 100 films will be selected for a live screening.

11. Fee waivers will not be granted. Our festival relies on submssion fees to cover the significant costs to run this festival.

100 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Eoin Cotter Fitzgerald

    Enjoyed my time immensely. Got to see some great films. The festival team were nothing but friendly throughout my experience. Would gladly attend again in the future.

    November 2024
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  • Louisa Connolly-Burnham

    I had an amazing time participating in the festival this year with my film Fleeting! The team were lovely and made the whole process really easy and stress-free. Their communication was great, and it was clear they’re passionate about supporting filmmakers. The festival featured a great mix of films, showcasing diverse voices and genres. You could tell the organisers put a lot of thought into curating the lineup. They really cares about filmmakers, and I highly recommend it. Can't wait to submit again! Louisa Connolly-Burnham x 

    October 2024
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  • Mythravarun Vepakomma

    I really thanks everyone involved for giving me a fantastic opportunity to showcase my work. Such a fantastic festival to be part off. A special thanks to the founders to provide a great platform for indie filmmakers like myself to express and to be able to meet fellow creators. Thank you.

    September 2024
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  • Jonny Gray

    Great Festival.

    Honoured to be selected fory film to be shown.

    I did feel that the individual times for the short was a bit silly.

    I couldn't attend at of the other screenings without spending close to €50.
    So when it came to networking I couldn't say anything about the film as I never seen it. And vise versa for those that may have missed mine.

    The room was capable of another couple dozen seats. Shame.

    Wonderful time there however the location was fantastic. It didn't feel like Dublin when the sun was glaring up in high.

    September 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Hi Jonny,

    Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! I’d like to address a few points you mentioned, if that’s alright.

    You're right that the festival is tightly scheduled, but we ensure that no programs overlap. There’s usually a 15-minute break between each session before moving on to the next. We have to stick to the timing, as any delay would affect the entire day’s schedule. While we could extend the gaps between programs, that would mean having to reduce the number of films selected for the festival. We received so many fantastic entries this year that we wanted to offer as much content as possible to the audience.

    Regarding ticket prices, I believe they’re quite fair. For example, €8 for a short program or feature, €30 for a short film pass granting access to over 90 short films, and a VIP pass for €50 that gives access to all shorts and features, plus more than 100 films online for 7 days.

    As for networking, many attendees gathered after screenings for drinks or coffee at the bar. On Friday night, we hosted a filmmaker/actor meetup, which was a huge success with the bar packed from 8 pm until late. Similarly, on the final night, filmmakers filled the bar after the closing film and awards ceremony.

    We truly value your feedback and appreciate your insights. We loved The Irish and are excited to see what you have in store for us next time. We've had requests to host another big networking event next year, so we’ll keep you in the loop!

    Best regards,
    Dave

  • Ninon Schubert

    A gem of a festival! Unfortunately we couldn't be there but we got frequent enthusiastic updates from Dave Byrne. The organisation and communication are great. Next time (if we're selected) we'll definitely be attending!

    September 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Hi Ninon, thank you very much for the positive review. We look forward to seeing what you have for us next time and hopefully you can make it along to see us.