CIFF2026 Wraps with Audience Awards: Irish Language & Oscar win at Solas Nua's 20th Capital Irish Film Festival
Solas Nua wraps the 20th Capital Irish Film Festival - the most successful to date - with the announcement the 2026 Capital Irish Film Festival Audience Awards - Favorite Irish Feature and Favorite Irish Short - based on festival filmgoers’ votes and reviews from the screenings at the festival, presented in partnership with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring.
Favorite Irish Feature: BÁITE
Favorite Irish Short: RETIREMENT PLAN
FAVORITE IRISH FEATURE: BÁITE
The 2026 Audience Award for Favorite Irish Feature goes to BÁITE the award-winning Irish language feature directorial debut by director Ruán Magan, adapted by screenwriter Sheena Lambert from her novel The Lake (Harper Collins 2015). Set in the 1970s, this mystery drama follows pub owner Peggy Casey whose quiet village is upended by the discovery of a woman’s body in a nearby lake. The ensuing investigation by a Dublin detective newly arrived from Dublin begins to unravel long‑buried secrets within the O’Casey family in a story of reckoning and belonging. Starring Eleanor O’Brien and Moe Dunford, the film received its East Coast Premier at AFI with the director, screenwriter and lead actor O’Brien in attendance. The screening was followed by a Q&A with the artists moderated by Solas Nua Board Chair Emeritus, Paddy Meskell.
Attended by more than 300 festival goers, the audience remarked on the extraordinary cinematography that depicted the beauty of the Connemara landscape; the finely crafted story and unexpected plot twist; the excellent casting, developed characters, formidable performances; and the robust and insightful Q&A afterward.
Solas Nua partnered with the Chicago Irish Film Festival to present screenings of the film in Chicago and Washington, DC, and with the generous support of Culture Ireland the artists travelled to both cities to attend the gala screenings. BÁITE was released in Ireland last week and was one of 14 Irish language films screened at #CIFF2026. Responding to the news of the award, writer Sheena shared: “The BÁITE team had a wonderful few days at Solas Nua's Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington DC. What a truly great celebration of the excellent films being made in Ireland today. We are especially proud that our Irish language film BÁITE has won the overall Audience Award for Favourite Feature. What an honour! Táimid ar bís - míle buíochas do gach duine a bhí baint acu le CIFF - beidh muid ar ais!"
About the Filmmakers
Director Ruán Magan’s work in drama, documentary and stadium events has reached audiences of millions throughout the world. He has filmed extensively in the Irish language directing the dramedy series, Éirí Amach Amú, starring Peter Coonan and Eoin McDonnell and the drama, Éoinín na nÉan starring Tim Creed as well as producing the long-running series, Manchán ar Seachrán. Ruán has written several screenplays including, with Mark Doherty, The Trouble with Charlieand The Noticer and was story editor on Riverdance – The Movie. His short film, Angel starring Patrick Bergin won many international awards including the Milan International Film Festival. The series Dunhuang – Edge of the World, which he wrote and directed won the Asian Academy Awards in 2021. This is his feature debut.
Sheena Lambert is a screenwriter, playwright and novelist who writes both in the English and Irish languages. Báite is her own Irish language adaptation of her novel The Lake which was published in 2015 by HarperCollins. Other projects currently in pre-production include romantic comedy feature Who Do You Think You Are? which Paddy Breathnach is attached to direct and The Blue Girl, a contemporary drama series written with Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Films. Sheena is represented by Julian Friedmann of the Blake Friedmann Agency in London.
BÁITE is produced by Siobhán Ní Ghadhra and John Brady of Danú Media and was made in part, thanks to an innovative Irish film scheme, Cine4, set up in 2017 by Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4, and Coimisiún na Meán, to develop original feature films in the Irish language.
The festival screening of BÁITE was generously sponsored by Cóilín Parsons & Ryan Dolan.
FAVORITE IRISH SHORT: RETIREMENT PLAN
The 2025 Audience Award for Favorite Irish Short goes to John Kelly’s Oscar animated title RETIREMENT PLAN, co-written with Tara Lawall and produced by Andrew Freedman and Julie Murnaghan. Commissioned by Screen Ireland and RTÉ, the film tells the story of Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) as he fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time.”. Audiences loved it - describing it as charming, clever, totally relatable, very funny and a very thoughtful and witty exploration of retirement. Responding to news of the award from Dublin, director John Kelly shared the following: “What a lovely honor to win audience award at CIFF! There’s nothing I enjoy more the foisting out anxiety exorcism on an unsuspecting crowd, so it’s a real treat to hear it went down well in Washington. Thanks so much.”
Winner of 5 Oscar®-Qualifying Awards, the film has received critical acclaim, since its debut in 2024, including the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at SXSW 2025, as well as Best of the Festival Award at Palm Springs Shortfest 2025. The film has gained popularity through its release on Disney+ and has been recognized for its poignant storytelling and animation. Most notably, the film has been nominated for Best Animated Short at the 98th Academy Awards taking place this weekend. We wish John, Tara and the creative team behind RETIREMENT PLAN best wishes in LA.
About the Filmmakers
John Kelly is a filmmaker specialising in animation. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. His film RETIREMENT PLAN Won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Animated Short Competition at SXSW 2025. He’s currently developing a feature-length animated documentary, alongside too many other things.
Tara Lawall is Chief Creative Officer at Rethink New York, a 2-time published author, and an award winning screenwriter. Tara is most passionate about uncovering creative brilliance in the people around her and turning great ideas into reality. She has created globally awarded work at all the major shows; One Show, D&AD, London International Awards, Art Directors Club, Clios, Cannes - including a Titanium Lion. Her work has also been included in the Advertising and Editorial Art permanent collection at the MoMa. Her first book, “This Little Piggy Went to Market in the City,” a children’s parody book she created with Rich Greco, came out in June 2021. Her second book, “There are Too Many Milks” an adult humor book she co-wrote with Anne Marie Wonder, came out in March 2023. Retirement Plan, is her first short film.
ABOUT CIFF2026
The 20th edition of the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, presented in partnership with American Film Institute's AFI Silver, took place February 26- March 1. The four day festival which had record attendances and ticket sales, received overwhelmingly positive feedback. This year’s program featuring four main strands: Irish music, Irish language, Irish history & politics and social issues, was the most expansive and ambitious to date – with 42 titles screened including 18 feature films (7 North American, and 8 Regional Premieres); three shorts programs (24 short films across all programming); the Norman Houston Short Film Award presentation; three gala screening events with dignitaries; 9 in-person artist introductions and post-screening conversations on stage including 6 moderated Q&As and a panel discussion with artists, writers, professors and arts leaders from the DC cultural sector and a Pop-Up Gaeltacht.
Special guests included dignitaries, guests of honor, writers, directors and actors from stage and screen, including the Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason, from the Embassy of Ireland; Richard Cushnie, Director, Northern Ireland Bureau, North America; directors Lisa Barros D’Sa [SAIPAN], Dennis Harvey [CELTIC UTOPIA], Glenn Leyburn [SAIPAN], Gar O’Rourke [SANATORIUM], Ruán Magan [DANIEL O CONNELL & BÁITE], Colin McIvor [NO ORDINARY HEIST]; directors & writers, Gemma Creagh [CONVEYANCE], Nuala O’Connor [IN TIME: DÓNAL LUNNY]; writer Sheena Lambert and actor Eleanor O'Brien [BÁITE]; producer Ruth Carter [NO ORDINARY HEIST].
Media partners included The Irish Stew Podcast and Film Ireland in residency for the four days of the festival. Interviews and conversation recorded at the festival will be released as podcast episodes in March and April on both platforms.
Festival partners, sponsors and supporters include: Blessinger Legal PLLC, Caddie Tours, DC Environmental Film Festival, GAA DC Gaels, Georgetown University Global Irish Studies Initiative, Happy Medium Productions, Irish Network DC, Mc Ginty's Public House, Silver Spring Town Center, Shift - The Irish Cultural Network, University College Cork, University College Dublin Creative Futures Academy, and the University of Notre Dame.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by the Government of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Embassy of Ireland, Northern Ireland Bureau, Northern Ireland Screen, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International programme supported by Culture Ireland.
