Disappear Here Film Festival

What to Expect

Billed as Ireland’s most northerly film festival, Disappear Here returns to the Inishowen village of Ballyliffin for its 10th edition. Screenings take place in a specially constructed 150-seat cinema built inside the Ballyliffin Hotel for the weekend, with accompanying workshops held next door at the Ballyliffin Townhouse Hotel. The programme covers shorts, features, documentaries, music videos and student work, judged for awards across categories including Best Short Film, Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Music Video, Best Actor and Best Student Film. It is a small, community-rooted festival rather than a large industry event, drawing on the rural Inishowen setting as part of its identity.

Reaching a 10th edition is a notable milestone for a festival run in a village the size of Ballyliffin, better known nationally for its golf links and Blue Flag beaches than for cinema. The temporary purpose-built screen inside the hotel, rather than a fixed cinema building, is part of what gives the festival its particular character: for one weekend a year the village hosts a genuine competitive film event, with filmmakers, cast and crew travelling to the far north-west of the country to attend screenings and workshops alongside the local community. The awards categories span the full range of short-form and feature work, plus dedicated recognition for student filmmakers, suggesting a programme aimed at supporting emerging talent as much as showcasing established names.

Good to Know

• Runs Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026
• Venue: purpose-built 150-seat cinema at the Ballyliffin Hotel, with workshops at the Ballyliffin Townhouse Hotel
• The full festival programme is published online from 24 to 30 September 2026, so exact film titles and screening times are not yet confirmed
• Printed programmes are also available locally from Atlantic Stores & Foodmarket in Ballyliffin nearer the festival dates
• Tickets are booked through FilmFreeway or Eventive online, or in person at the box office before screenings
• Awards presented across short film, feature film, documentary, music video, acting and student film categories
• 10th edition of the festival in 2026
• A three-day event, so a weekend visit allows time to see most of the programme alongside Inishowen’s beaches and golf courses

Getting There

Ballyliffin is on the Inishowen peninsula in north Donegal, reached via the R238 from Buncrana or Carndonagh. The Ballyliffin Hotel is in the centre of the village, with the Townhouse Hotel workshop venue close by on foot. Inishowen is best reached by car, with Derry and Letterkenny the nearest larger towns for public transport connections onward.