Frank Berry’s The Lost Children Of Tuam, the
dark Christmas comedy You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead and Ukrainian documentary Brace For The Oblivion are among 18 features that will make their world premiere at Ireland’s Galway Film Fleadh 2026.
The Lost Children Of Tuam sees Monica Dolan play real-life history enthusiast Catherine Corless. While researching the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, for a local historical society, she makes a devastating discovery.
Element Pictures produces alongside Jules Daly and Liam Neeson, with mk2 handling sales.
Dallan Shovlin’s directorial debut You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead stars Ardal O’Hanlon, Michelle Fairley and Simone Kirby, with Kneecap collaborators Trevor Birney of Fine Point Films and Patrick O’Neill of Wildcard among the producers. It tells the story of an Irish family that reunites for Christmas and finds themselves lured into a robbery. Bankside represents sales.
Xackery Irving’s documentary Brace For The Oblivion shot across three years on Ukraine’s front lines. It follows seven ordinary citizens who volunteered to defend their country immediately after the Russian invasion.
The fleadh’s opening-night film is Peter Young’s debut feature, Northern Irish family thriller Our House, about the tensions that arise after a recovering addict, played by Michael Shea, arrives late for his mother’s wake.
Dean Conway’s Conversations In Bed is a further debut from a Northern Irish filmmaker world-premiering at the festival. It is billed as the first improvised narrative feature from Northern Ireland.
As previously announced, Estonia is the country in the spotlight for 2026 and the festival will close with Edward Burns’ Finnegan’s Foursome.
Maeve McGrath has left as director of programming, with Charlene Lydon joining as festival programmer in February, having previously worked as head of programming at the Light House Dublin and Pálás Galway. She most recently was festival director of Element’s Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival.
This year, the fleadh will be dedicated to Paula Allen, the long-serving manager of guest travel and accommodation at the festival and sister to CEO and co-founder Miriam Allen, who died suddenly last year.
Galway Film Fleadh 2026 world premieres
Our House (UK)
Dir. Peter Young
Murphy Vs Christmas (Ire)
Dir. Alex Fegan
Conversations In Bed (UK)
Dir. Dean Conway
Sludge (Ire)
Dir. Sinead Murphy
Black Noise (UK)
Dir. Simon Blake
Faraway Home (UK-Ire)
Dir. Terry Loane
Almost With You (Australia)
Dir. Adam Morris
Brace For The Oblivion (US-Ukr)
Dir. Xackery Irving
Star Of The Sea – The Football, The Troubles And The Aftermath (Ire-UK)
Dir. James Wynne
Coco’s Law (Ire)
Dir. Gerard Walsh
Walking Holiday (Ire-Sp)
Dirs. Cian Desmond, Jack Desmond
Cellissimo (Ire)
Dir. Maclaine Black
Special Boy (Canada-US)
Dir. Noah Findling
You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead (Ire-UK)
Dir. Dallan Shovlin
The Lost Children Of Tuan (Ire)
Dir. Frank Berry
Hollow Trees (Ire)
Dir. Cathal Fitzpatrick
The S.U. (Ire)
Dirs. Gerard Conway, Mark Byrne, Rob Dennis
The Badger Of Ballybog (Ire)
Dir. John Spillane.
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