The Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) opens today, running from 6-16 November. To mark its 70th edition, the event looks both backwards and forwards, celebrating its heritage while exploring new voices and forms. Cineuropa spoke to director of programming Aurélie Godet about honouring CIFF’s history, strengthening its ties with Cork’s cultural ecosystem, and the themes and energies running through this year’s programme.

Cineuropa: This 70th edition feels both celebratory and forward-looking. How did you approach curating a programme that would honour CIFF’s legacy while reflecting the current state of Irish and global cinema?
Aurelie Godet: Joining the festival with such a landmark edition coming up was ideal. You do have a responsibility to be aware of that history – it’s a torch you get to carry. We consulted archival material from the early years, much of which is showcased through the Cork Film Trail, our interactive installation across the city centre.

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The festival was founded in the early 1950s as part of a national effort to expose visitors to Irish identity while offering local audiences access to the best international cinema. Today’s CIFF remains faithful to those founding principles of discovery and exchange.

The festival emphasises community and inclusivity. How do you see CIFF’s role today within the social and cultural fabric of Cork?
Post-pandemic, CIFF has been encouraging audiences back into cinemas to rebuild that sense of community. And that means inviting everyone in. Not all changes happen overnight, but we’ve been reaching out to different audience groups and listening to their needs. Some events include Irish Sign Language interpretation, and we’ve kept a curated online offering for those unable to attend in person. But there is a clear desire to gather and exchange – and you can really feel the excitement building around this anniversary edition.

The “Disruptors” strand pays tribute to maverick filmmakers like John Boorman. What does “disruption” mean to you in a contemporary festival context?
The Honorary Disruptor Award was launched last year to honour filmmakers who pushed boundaries and resisted demands to conform. The strand pairs repertory titles with new films to highlight a lineage of insubordination. Historically, the festival didn’t shy away from challenging sensitivities in the name of artistic freedom, sometimes prompting objections from the Catholic Church. Showing Zardoz this year continues that tradition of rebellious heritage and acknowledges the importance of non-uniform culture.

The Best New Irish Feature competition spans fiction and documentary, from Saipan to Gealtra and Celtic Utopia [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film]. What trends did you observe while curating the Irish selection?
Both the competition and the non-competitive Irish Voices strand are curated with a focus on quality over quantity. Fiction and documentary stand shoulder to shoulder across the programme, but this year, documentary filmmakers really stood out. We also have the wild post-apocalyptic trip Mismantler in our Parallax [experimental] strand. Overall, we’re seeing a strong desire to interrogate the past and understand Ireland’s present identity – and where the nation is headed. Some of these debates are unfolding in the Irish language, which is exciting.

CIFF’s industry and academic components are expanding. How are you bridging curation, professional development and public engagement, particularly with University College Cork and local partners?
It all goes hand in hand. We don’t programme in a bubble, but for an audience, and festivals play an essential role in keeping cinema relevant and viable as both an art form and a professional ecosystem. Cork is an increasingly attractive filming location, and young movie lovers here are exploring possible industry careers. We cater to that through workshops, panels and discussions, including a conversation with Element Pictures co-founder Ed Guiney, who knows a thing or two about adapting to market shifts.

International collaboration is strong this year, with works from Ireland to Sweden, Nigeria and the USA. How do you balance local identity with global reach?
By gathering what I see as the most compelling films of the year, I aim to generate a jolt of excitement that resonates widely. Irish titles receive focused attention, but the global conversation around films like Sirât [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Óliver Laxe
fiche film] or Pillion [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], which premiered at Cannes and continue building momentum, also plays a role.

The Family strand and the dog-friendly screening of Lady and the Tramp show a playful approach to programming. How are you cultivating the next generation of CIFF audiences?
This is an area full of potential and creativity. Many parents value screen literacy and want their children exposed to diverse storytelling that stimulates curiosity and imagination. We run workshops, accompanied screenings and hands-on learning initiatives. The tools are in place; it’s now about expanding their scale.

What lessons are you carrying forward as you look ahead to CIFF’s 75th anniversary?
Looking back remains essential for imagining the future. The mission of presenting outstanding new cinema must sit alongside celebrating cinema’s growing treasure of canonical gems that can spark a lifelong passion. My horizon is a relationship with the audience based on trust: that whatever is in the CIFF programme is worth coming out for.