Silk Road International Film Festival announces programme for its 14th edition at Trinity College Dublin, and on Silk Road ON DEMAND

Luxembourg’s Oscar submission CHILD opens the 14th Silk Road International Film Festival on 9 November, as a delegation from the Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals Center visits Dublin and Shanghai Golden Goblet winner The Blind Girl and an Elephant streams across Ireland

Dublin, 27 October 2026. The Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF) returns for its 14th edition from 9 to 15 November 2026. Screenings take place in person at Trinity College Dublin from Monday to Saturday, with an online programme available across Ireland all week on the festival’s own platform, Silk Road ON DEMAND.

Selected from more than 200 submissions under the theme “The Silk Road and beyond”, the programme brings together films from Luxembourg, Türkiye, Poland, Japan, China, Mexico, Bangladesh, Estonia, Ireland and further afield. All features screening at Trinity are Irish premieres.

The festival opens on Monday 9 November with CHILD, directed by Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

The week continues with About My Mom (dir. Soner Sert, Türkiye) on Tuesday 10 November, the story of a man who returns from Germany for the fifth anniversary of his mother’s death and sets out across rural Türkiye with the father he blames for it. On Thursday 12 November, Glorious Summer (dir. Helena Ganjalyan and Bartosz Szpak, Poland), a debut feature shot on 16mm, follows three young girls spending an endless summer in a sunlit palace as cracks begin to appear.

On Wednesday 11 November, BAFTA and IFTA-winning production designer Anna Rackard gives Authentic Worlds: A Production Design Masterclass, supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. Entry is free, and booking is essential.

Short film is at the heart of the festival. International Shorts on Friday 13 November presents seven films from Japan, China, the USA, Poland, the Netherlands and Canada. New Irish Shorts on Saturday 14 November showcases thirteen Irish films, seven of them by student filmmakers and one in the Irish language.

For audiences outside Dublin, fourteen features stream across Ireland on Silk Road ON DEMAND from 9 to 15 November, including The Blind Girl and an Elephant, winner of a Golden Goblet at the Shanghai International Film Festival, alongside Budapest Diaries, Diplodocus (Director’s Cut), A Palmful of Stars, Those Who Whistle After Dark, Torn, Texas Ollie and Where the Sun Shines Bright. Most of the festival’s short films are also available online.

Carla Mooney, Festival Director, said: “Most of the films at SRIFF would never otherwise reach Ireland. This year that includes Shanghai Golden Goblet winner The Blind Girl and an Elephant and Those Who Whistle After Dark from Türkiye, both streaming across Ireland. For fourteen years, Irish audiences have met these films halfway, and this year we welcome a delegation from Shanghai to Dublin for the festival.” 

This year’s programme travels from Luxembourg to Bangladesh, from Mexico to China, and back home to Ireland.

At Trinity College Dublin

• Mon 9 Nov, 19:00: Opening night with the Irish premiere of CHILD by Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards
• Tue 10 Nov, 19:00: About My Mom by Soner Sert (Irish premiere)
• Wed 11 Nov, 19:00: Authentic Worlds, a free production design masterclass with BAFTA and IFTA-winning production designer Anna Rackard
• Thu 12 Nov, 19:00: Glorious Summer by Helena Ganjalyan and Bartosz Szpak (Irish premiere, shot on 16mm)
• Fri 13 Nov, 19:00: International Shorts, seven films from Japan, China, the USA, Poland, the Netherlands and Canada
• Sat 14 Nov, 09:00: New Irish Shorts, thirteen new Irish films, seven of them by student filmmakers

Online, 9 to 15 November

Most of this year’s films stream on Silk Road ON DEMAND, including features and documentaries you can only see online: The Blind Girl and an Elephant, winner of a Golden Goblet at the Shanghai International Film Festival; Those Who Whistle After Dark, winner of Best Actress at the Istanbul Film Festival; A Bigger Place; Budapest Diaries; and Texas Ollie. Available to watch in Ireland.

See the full programme and book tickets

The masterclass is supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland. Screenings hosted at Trinity College Dublin. Festival poster by João Fonseca.

Wednesday 11 November 2026, 19:00

Swift Lecture Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin (enter from Nassau Street)

Free entry, registration essential

Register free on Eventbrite

Discover how a production designer transforms a script into a fully realized cinematic world. In this masterclass, production designer Anna Rackard shares her creative process – from initial script analysis and research to developing a distinct visual language. Learn how she collaborates with her creative team to build authentic, atmospheric, character-driven spaces.

Using case studies from her own extensive work in both period and contemporary drama, Anna will break down how specific design choices—including colour palette, texture, and props – shape tone and mood and enhance character and story.

The presentation is followed by an audience Q&A.

Suitable for: Aspiring production designers, film students, and industry professionals looking to deepen their understanding of the craft.

About Anna Rackard

Anna Rackard’s film career spans over 30 years, during which she has collaborated with directors including Lenny Abrahamson, Neil Jordan, Nicolas Roeg, and Whit Stillman. A member of AMPAS (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), she received a Children’s Craft Team BAFTA in 2025 for her work on The Velveteen Rabbit. She also won Irish Film & Television Awards in 2010 and 2012 for her design work on Ondine and Stella Days, respectively.

Part of the 14th Silk Road International Film Festival, 9 to 15 November 2026. Supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland. Hosted at Trinity College Dublin.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Béla Tarr, one of the most singular and influential voices in world cinema.

In 2017, Béla Tarr was welcomed to the Silk Road International Film Festival as part of SRIFF Honours, delivering a masterclass at Trinity College Dublin. The masterclass was supported by Trinity College Dublin and Screen Skills Ireland (formally Screen Training Ireland), reflecting a shared commitment to artistic excellence, film education, and international cultural exchange.

Renowned for landmark works including Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies, and The Turin Horse, Tarr reshaped the language of cinema, urging audiences to slow down, to observe, and to engage with the deeper moral and philosophical dimensions of human existence. Beyond his extraordinary body of work, he was a devoted teacher and mentor whose influence continues through generations of filmmakers worldwide.

We remember Béla Tarr with deep gratitude and respect. His legacy endures through his films, his teaching, and the lasting impact he made on those who had the privilege to learn from him.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Founders & Directors of Silk Road International Film Festival

Carla Mooney, Delwyn Mooney & Steinar Oli Jonsson

#BelaTarr #SRIFFHonours #WorldCinema #TrinityCollegeDublin #ScreenSkillsIreland #SilkRoadFilmFestival

This special promotion is our way of thanking the global filmmaking community for its continued support and for bringing exceptional storytelling to SRIFF each year.

Black Friday Discount Details:

• Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY40SRIFF
  
• Offer Valid: Friday 28 November 2025 – Sunday 30 November 2025
  
• Submit Via: FilmFreeway – Silk Road International Film Festival
  filmfreeway.com/SilkRoadFilmFestival
  

We look forward to discovering bold, original, and boundary-pushing films from around the world as we build our 2026 programme.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

The Swift Theatre, The Arts Building,Trinity College Dublin (free admission).

tickets here

13th Silk Road International Film Festival 2025

Programme for Saturday 22 November

THE EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THREE DIFFERENT VENUES WITH MULTIPLE SCREENINGS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR VENUES, TIMES, BOOKING LINKS, SCREENINGS AND DETAILS OF SPECIAL Q&A WITH DIRECTOR CATHAL BLACK.

VENUES

Venue: Swift Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin 

Address: College Green, Dublin 2, D02 PN40

Time: 9am-12.45pm 

Venue: United Arts Club (Function Room and Dining Room)

Address: 3 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 RR50

Time: 9am-10.20pm 

BOOKING LINKS & PRICES

The price given below permits viewing of all films in each screening session; there is an additional charge to attend the screening of Stew to Eat and the Cathal Black event..

United Arts Club Screenings – Full Price €15 (incl. VAT)

Buy Tickets

United Arts Club Screenings – Student Price  €10 (incl. VAT)

Buy Tickets

CATHAL BLACK Special Screenings (Korea & Learning Gravity followed by Q&A) 

€25 (incl VAT)

Buy tickets

Stew to Eat (UAC – Short Film) €5

Buy Tickets

Trinity College Dublin Screenings – Shorts 1 & Shorts 2 €15

Buy Tickets

THE SWIFT THEATRE, ARTS BUILDING, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

Programme: Shorts 1 and 2

Saturday 22 November 2025

Time: 9am-12.45pm 

1.Galar

Ireland

Based on true events from an ongoing crisis.In rural Ireland, a determined father fights to save his crumbling home and protect his family amidst a neglected housing crisis.

___________________________________________________

2.Where The Old Man Lives

Ireland

In rural Ireland, an old man living in fear and isolation risks everything to protect himself from dangerous intruders.

___________________________________________________

3. Sister of the Dogs

Ireland, Spain

Two lovers, Helena and Ingrid, who are involved in a relationship with sadomasochistic aspects and a wide age gap, are trapped in a labyrinthic building with layers of history and memory, where time elapses mysteriously.

___________________________________________________

4. Leave Only Footprints

Ireland

Following explorers who document abandoned buildings, the film offers a glimpse into a hidden landscape of decaying heritage. These structures, often left to deteriorate due to land banking, stalled development, or unclear ownership, raise questions about how we value and manage our built environment—and what might be done to safeguard it before it’s lost.

___________________________________________________

5. The Real Cian Stanley

Ireland

Spending his life beating the odds, Cian Stanley learns to play the drums not letting his diagnosis of dyspraxia stop him. Cian continues to push on to achieve his dreams of being a content creator not allowing other people’s expectations to define him

___________________________________________________

6. SALT

Ireland

Sodium chloride is vital for all life, serving as the primary salt in seawater and an essential compound within our bodies.

___________________________________________________

7. The Invitation

Ireland

When neuro-diverse Alex is invited to his first party at the age of 18 by someone he doesn’t know, his over-anxious parents go into overdrive to protect him. They’re convinced there must be an ulterior motive

___________________________________________________

8. Moved

Ireland

Nine LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers from around the world gather at a Dublin community centre to share their journeys — from fleeing persecution to building new lives and dreaming of safer futures.

___________________________________________________

9.The Last Call

USA

A professional coach awakens in a locked room trying to figure out what happened to him and how he can escape, with only the aid of a dying cell phone and cryptic phone calls from his kidnapper

___________________________________________________

10. The Robe of Rainbow Feathers

USA

The main character lives in a house set in an idyllic natural setting that allows her to foster a respect for the many friends and colorful creatures that live near her and gather around her.

___________________________________________________

11. Finger

China

When nurse Jinmei arrives at the hospital with a strange burn-like mark on her neck, her curious colleague Tang can’t resist investigating. But as she digs deeper, something dark and poisonous begins to surface from beneath Jinmei’s skin — and reality itself starts to unravel.

___________________________________________________

12. Snowbird

USA

A self-taught rocket scientist invites a big city journalist out into the desert to cover a launch that will prove, once and for all, that the Earth is flat.

__________________________________________________

13. Korean Ancestral Rites

Republic of Korea

The goblin Toru prepares a Jesa table to meet his late mother.

___________________________________________________

THE UNITED ARTS CLUB: THE FUNCTION ROOM

Programme: Film Screenings and Q&A with Cathal Black

Saturday 22 November 2025

Time: 9am-10:20 p.m. 

1. Can Lis – Utzon’s Hidden Masterpiece (53 mins)

9am-9.53am

Ireland

Located on the majestic coast of Mallorca, Can Lis – Utzon’s Hidden Masterpiece unravels the history and significance of the iconic house designed by Jørn Utzon, the architect behind the world-famous Sydney Opera House.

___________________________________________________

3. ReRooted (6mins 31)

11.40am -11.47am 

Ireland

A bored warehouse worker’s quest for an enduring legacy as an animator takes a darkly comedic turn when she signs up for an eco-friendly burial.

___________________________________________________

12-4:15 P.M.: SPECIAL SCREENING OF FILMS BY DIRECTOR CATHAL BLACK FOLLOWED BY Q&A HOSTED BY KATE O TOOLE  

Korea (97mins)

12pm – 1.37pm

Ireland

A powerful story of the relationship between father and son, John and Eamon Doyle. It is set in rural Ireland during the 1950’s, a period of mass emigration and social change. Young Irish emigrants, on arriving in America, have been enlisted and sent to fight in the Korean War.

Learning Gravity (90mins)

2pm – 3.30pm

Through the eyes of poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch, this lyrical portrait explores how a life spent among the dead reveals the deepest truths about the living — a meditation on mortality, memory, and the absurd beauty of it all.

___________________________________________________

4.Stew to Eat (24.57mins)

4.20pm – 4.45pm

USA

The Stew is almost ready, but there is one thing missing… a dark adventure of unrequited love, societal decay and insatiable hunger.

___________________________________________________

5. The Last Summer (90mins)

5pm-6.30pm  

China (SIFF/BRFFA)

Days before China’s Gaokao, top student Li Zhizhi sees her father with a pregnant woman. In shock, she drops an ashtray that injuries a child. As guilt mounts, she learns her parents divorced years ago but hid it for her exams. Worse, they stay silent about the accident – prioritizing Gaokao over truth.

___________________________________________________

6. A Rare Grand Alignment (133mins)

6.35pm- 8.48pm

USA 

In the winter of 1982 three American boys found themselves stranded in a cable car with a dead body, midair in the mountains of Norway, during a rare celestial event.

___________________________________________________

7. Chasing the Light (1hr20mins)

9pm-10.20pm

Ireland

Chasing the Light is an inspiring story of hope and redemption, a beautiful feature documentary set amongst a spiritual community of misfits on the wild cliffs of the west of Ireland.

___________________________________________________

THE UNITED ARTS CLUB: THE DINING ROOM

Programme: Film Screenings 

Saturday 22 November 2025

1. Anxious (97mins)

9am

USA

About a woman named Ruby who has an anxiety attack and trips down the rabbit hole of her mind, where she meets versions of herself who take over her life.

___________________________________________________

2. Abel (120mins)

10.42am

Kazakstan

In the turbulent landscape of post-Soviet Kazakhstan in 1993, collective farms are disbanded, and properties are set to be privatized.

___________________________________________________

3. My Friend Miles (77mins)

12.47pm

Belgium

__________________________________________________

4. 95B (1hr 41mins 55 sec)

14.24pm

Ireland

Memories populate a woman’s time on board the canal boat 95B as she navigates an environment held captive to an unnatural occurrence. Aimlessly adrift with an abundance of time, characters are encountered, remote areas are uncovered but in the absence of hope nothing is gained, only honey.

___________________________________________________

5. Water Lilies (118mins)

16:26

Republic of Korea

The water lilies blooms, even in the filthiest waters. Amid the mire of selfish desires and the indifference to others’ suffering, hope begins to bloom anew in the fleeting moment when we recognize the humanity within one another.

___________________________________________________

6. Tale of Pomegranate (2 hrs)

18:29

Iran

Pomegranate, the city flower of Xi’an, was introduced to China from Iran during the Han Dynasty. Based on the pomegranate, this documentary shows a deep reflection on the intrinsic connection between the two cities of Xi’an, China and Isfahan, Iran, through the perspectives of an Iranian professor of history and a Chinese documentary filmmaker. At the intersection of tradition and modernity, it links the historical heritage and spiritual commonalities between China and Iran, and deepens the understanding of the history and modernity of the two cities from a new perspective.

___________________________________________________

7. Anxiety Club (97 mins)

20.34

USA

Anxiety Club offers a heartfelt and humorous exploration of anxiety through the lens of some of today’s most brilliant comedians: Tiffany Jenkins, Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, and Eva Victor.

__________________________________________________