Redbreast Unhidden x CIFF 2026

October 15, 2026

Championing Hidden Cinematic Gems

Redbreast Irish Whiskey, the world’s most awarded single pot still Irish whiskey is returning as a partner of Cork International Film Festival, from 12th to 22nd November 2026, for a second consecutive year, continuing its commitment to championing emerging filmmaking talent and uncovering hidden cinematic gems from Ireland and around the world.

[Click to learn more about the Film Festival]

About Redbreast Unhidden

Redbreast Unhidden is a global platform inspired by the belief that some of the richest experiences are the ones waiting just beneath the surface.

Across film, culture and craftsmanship, Redbreast Unhidden champions stories, creators and perspectives that deserve greater visibility, encouraging audiences to look beyond the expected and discover something remarkable.

redbreast cork international film festival

Redbreast Unhidden at the Cork International Film Festival

As part of the partnership, the Redbreast Unhidden Short Award will once again shine a spotlight on outstanding short films, recognising distinctive creative voices and celebrating the craft, imagination and authenticity behind exceptional filmmaking. The award ceremony will take place on 19th November at Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, honouring the most outstanding short films in this year’s selection.

The partnership forms part of Redbreast’s global Quite the Find campaign, which celebrates the thrill of discovering something extraordinary. Through Redbreast Unhidden, the brand draws parallels between the artistry of filmmaking and the craftsmanship of Irish whiskey, encouraging audiences to look beyond the familiar and discover hidden gems worth celebrating.

Please enjoy Redbreast Irish Whiskey responsibly.

The nominees for the 2026 Redbreast Unhidden Short Award

AMMA, DO GIRAFFES CRY?

A young filmmaker turns to his austerely rational mother, a zoologist, for help filming animals. Along the way, they meet a gorilla terrified of cameras, penguins haunted by their own shadows, and an anaconda who has lost his sleep. As memories of wild tigers and pet rabbits resurface, the zoologist is compelled to question her relationship with animals.

Director

Kartikeya Saxena

AMMA, DO GIRAFFES CRY?

AMMA, DO GIRAFFES CRY?

AMMA, DO GIRAFFES CRY?

EMBROIDERING THE EARTH’S MANTLE

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Director Aideen Barry, internationally reknowned artist from Cork. Embroidering the Earth’s Mantel is a visually captivating experimental film that fuses surrealist inspirations of the works of the forgotten surrealist and twice war refugee Remedios Varo with performers’ parallel life journeys, blending historic cinematic techniques and cutting-edge motion design to bring Varo’s visionary concepts to life.

Director

Aideen Barry

EMBROIDERING THE EARTH’S MANTLE

EMBROIDERING THE EARTH’S MANTLE

EMBROIDERING THE EARTH’S MANTLE

the labryinth print a. barry 2026 varo aspect ratio 1000 560

THIS SUFFOCATING NOW

At a time when elements of fascisation are becoming ever more apparent, ever more pervasive, artist Vika Kirchenbauer takes a personal look at what is in the air in Germany today. This Suffocating Now witnesses the historical present as a condition marked by vectors of violence that have continuously and habitually existed, and puts its focus on the fault lines that have most explicitly exposed the illiberal underbelly of a liberal state and society in recent years: Palestine solidarity as well as queer and trans rights. The director will be speaking at CIFF2026

Director

Vika Kirchenbauer

THIS SUFFOCATING NOW

I USED TO CALL THAT MAN HOME

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In a spectral present, a man recalls the dream he had just after his father passed away. A ghost story.

Director

Melissa Nocetti

I USED TO CALL THAT MAN HOME

I USED TO CALL THAT MAN HOME

MUSCLE BOUND

A retired bodybuilder confronts the quiet collapse that follows the spotlight.

Director

Collin Peppard

MUSCLE BOUND

TWO PIDS

After the world premiere of his film Being John Smith at the Toronto International Film Festival, an unexpected encounter in a hotel elevator makes the artist question the nature of reality.

Director

John Smith

TWO PIDS

CONVERSATIONS ON A BOAT

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“Conversations on a Boat” is a sensuous, dialogue-driven short film. Two women in their mid-50s meet on a boat in the Oslofjord, where an apparently calm reunion gradually reveals a complex relationship marked by desire, longing, and unresolved love. The film explores time, aging, and the freedom that emerges after midlife. It is a tender, unapologetic celebration of queer intimacy in adulthood.

Director

Sabina Jacobsson

CONVERSATIONS ON A BOAT

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CONVERSATIONS ON A BOAT

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PSYCHOPOMP

Directorial debut by Kit Harington (Game of Thrones). Harry, a desperate man intent on ending his life with the help of hired assassin Liam, embarks on a darkly comic road trip through the significant places of his past. But as an unlikely friendship develops and Liam begins to question Harry’s decision, Harry must confront whether it’s too late to change his future.

Director

Kit Harrington

PSYCHOPOMP

BEDCRUMBS

As his boyfriend invites a carousel of lovers into their bed, Michael is forced to confront his relationship and himself.

Director

Ross O’Donnellan