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film · Sunday 9 August 2026 · Various 
BVIFF 2026 - Filmmaker in Focus: Aisling Connolly Byrne
At Droichead Arts Centre · Stockwell Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
At Droichead Arts Centre · Stockwell Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
The Boyne Valley International Film Festival turns its lens on one of Irish cinema’s most decorated emerging voices for its 2026 Filmmaker in Focus event. Writer and director Aisling Connolly Byrne - whose short films have screened at more than 70 international festivals - receives a full programme dedicated to her work, a live on-stage interview, and a bursary award of €2,000. If you care about Irish short film, this is the kind of afternoon that is hard to find outside of major city festivals.
The session brings together a curated screening of Connolly Byrne’s short films, including work such as Headspace, Misread, Turnaround and her latest, Mary Is Missing - which holds Academy Award eligibility for Best Live Action Short in 2027 and is currently doing the international festival circuit. After the screenings, the director takes part in a live interview where she talks through her process, her films and her career to date. The conversation is moderated rather than a panel, so the focus stays tight on her work. BVIFF is now in its fifth year, curated by Frank W. Kelly and Collette Farrell, and has built a quiet reputation for putting Irish short film in front of an audience that actually wants to talk about it. The full programme and exact times are confirmed closer to August via droichead.com.
Droichead Arts Centre sits on Stockwell Street in the centre of Drogheda, a few minutes’ walk from both the bus and rail stations. Drogheda is well served by Bus Eireann and Transdev trains on the Dublin - Belfast line, with regular services from Dublin Connolly taking around 45 minutes. By road, the town is just off the M1 motorway - about 50 km north of Dublin city centre. Street parking is available in the town centre, and there are pay car parks nearby on Mayoralty Street and at the shopping centre on West Street.
August is a good time to arrive early and take an hour along the Boyne - the riverside walk passes the old viaduct and brings you close to the town’s medieval walls. There is more to see in Drogheda and across Co. Louth.
Heading to Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda? Louth has plenty more to see. Read the Drogheda area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.