Irish Surf Film Festival

November 23rd/24th 2024 | Pálás Cinema | Galway

About

The Irish Surf Film Festival will showcase the immense talent that is on offer both in terms of wave riding and the documenting of wave riding in Ireland.

This festival is a community-led annual event where the surf community and the wider public can get together in person in a large cinema screen. This will do justice to the talent and achievements of the wave riders and people who document wave riding in Ireland.

The festival will be a two day event in the Pálás cinema in Galway on November 23rd/24th, 2024. The main evening event (23rd) will feature a short surf film competition, a surf photography competition, and also a wave of the year competition, related to and taken part by Irish waves, surfers, and documenters. Surf related feature films will be shown during the day on the 24th.

The festival is generously supported by Finisterre, Yeti, The Galway City Arts Office, and FairSeas Ireland.

Competition

The spirit of The Irish Surf Film Festival (ISFF) is that it is for the Irish surf community - riders, filmers and photographers – as such, entrants should be living in Ireland (ROI or NI), for at least 6 months of the year.

Deadline for 2024 submissions: 31st of October

1) best Short film

Short films of a maximum 10 minutes
Should generally feature Irish waves/ riders who live in Ireland.
More in rules page
€1000 + Product
Check out our rules page for full details.
€30
More information available on our rules pages.

2) Wave of the year

6 Categories:
Bodyboard
Women’s
Paddle Surf
Tow Surf
U-18 Girls & Boys
€500/category + product
€250/category + product (U18)
Any wave caught in Ireland between (and including) 1st of November 2023 until the 31st of October 2024
Check out our rules page for full details.
€30
More information available on our rules pages.

3) Best photograph

The photography competition will be based on a theme "Farraige cháite". See rules section for more details
€1000 + product for best photograph
Photographs should have been taken in Ireland between (and including) the 1st of November 2022 and the 30th of October 2024.
Check out our rules page for full details.
€30
More information available on our rules pages.

Tickets
Tickets on sale 6pm thursday 17th october

Schedule

Day 1 - Saturday 23rd November 2024: Main event 5pm - 11:30pm, Pálás Cinema.

Short film competition
Wave of the year competition
Best photograph competition

After party (over 18’s) 11pm-close, Roisin Dubh
Day 2 - Sunday 24th November 2024:
Features 11am - 5:30pm, Pálás Cinema.
11:00 | YAMA - Directed by Maddie Meddings & Lucy Small
11:35 | THE CIGARETTE SURFBOARD - Directed by Ben Judkins
Feat. Q&A with Fergal Smith
13:35 | LUCUMA - Directed by Luke Pilbeam
Feat. Q&A with Noah Lane
14:25 | JUJU THE SURF MUSICAL - Directed by Jalessa Vincent & Luka Raubenheimer
15:10 | NORTH STARS - Directed by Yentl Touboul
15:55 | HORSE - Directed by James Kates
16:50 | TBA

Tickets

Venue | PÁLÁS

Pálás is a three screen arthouse cinema and cultural space in the UNESCO city of film- Galway.

Designed by Architect Tom de Paor, Pálás is a concrete monolith, five storey over double-height basement housing a three-screen independent cinema, a beautiful bar and terrace for you to enjoy with your fellow film- lovers. It occupies the garden of a reinstated 1820s merchant house.

Throughout the building you will discover 22 beautiful resin-coated windows designed by Irish artist Patrick Scott.

Operated by Element Pictures, the innovators behind Light House Cinema in Dublin, Pálás is an intriguing architectural space for our customers to explore, right in the heart of Galway's Latin Quarter.

FAQ