Kerry International Film Festival 2026

What to Expect

The Kerry International Film Festival (KIFF) returns to Killarney for its 27th edition, running from Wednesday 15 to Sunday 18 October 2026. The festival is one of Ireland’s longer-running regional film events, built around a curated selection of feature films, documentaries and short films drawn from Irish and international programmes. Expect premieres, filmmaker Q&A sessions and industry panels alongside the screenings, with the short film strands split into categories such as Irish, International, Kerry Connected, Student, Music and Animation. Screenings for 2026 are centred on Cinema Killarney, the town’s multiplex, which has hosted the festival’s main programme in recent years. KIFF has historically also placed occasional screenings in other Kerry towns including Dingle, Listowel, Tralee and Cahersiveen, so it is worth checking the published programme nearer the date for any satellite events outside Killarney.

Good to Know

• Runs Wednesday 15 October to Sunday 18 October 2026 in Killarney, Co. Kerry, with the main programme based at Cinema Killarney on East Avenue Road.
• Four days of feature films, documentaries and short film strands, plus filmmaker Q&As and industry panels.
• Ticket prices are set per screening or as festival passes and are released closer to the event; check kerryfilmfestival.com for the full programme and booking once it goes live.
• Film submissions for the festival typically close in early August, so the full public screening schedule is usually confirmed in the weeks after that.
• KIFF also runs a monthly KIFF Film Club at Cinema Killarney outside festival week, screening recent Irish features and documentaries at €8 plus booking fee, supported by Screen Ireland’s Audience Development Fund; dates for its autumn return had not been published at time of writing.
• The festival is Kerry’s main dedicated film event and draws audiences from across Munster, so booking ahead for popular sessions is advisable once tickets open.

Getting There

Cinema Killarney is on East Avenue Road in Killarney town, within walking distance of Killarney railway station and the town’s main bus stops, with paid parking available nearby.