Overview
The Fastnet Short Film Festival is a short film event held annually in May in Schull, a fishing village on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. The 2026 edition runs from Wednesday May 20 to Sunday May 24, featuring 123 free short film screenings across 27 one-hour programs, 19 feature screenings with Q&As, and nearly 200 events total. The festival has operated annually since 2004.
Schull has a permanent population of only a few hundred. The festival transforms the village into a film hub for five days, with screenings in venues ranging from the local community hall to outdoor garden cinemas. The Fastnet Rock lighthouse gives the festival its name and emblem.
The 2026 edition featured over 70 special guests including Frank Miller, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Pom Boyd, Eanna Hardwicke, David Wilmot, and Robert Sheehan. Masterclasses, panels on AI and inclusion, and free outdoor screenings rounded out the program.
The festival accepts open submissions through FilmFreeway across seven competition categories. All competition short films selected and screened receive a screening fee of EUR 25, a feature introduced in 2026.
Submission Details
Fastnet accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 2026 edition:
| Item | Detail | |
|---|---|---|
| Submission Platform | FilmFreeway | |
| Early Deadline | October 1 to 31, 2025 | |
| Regular Deadline | November 1 to December 9, 2025 | |
| Late Deadline | December 10 to 31, 2025 | |
| Notification Date | End of March 2026 | |
| Festival Dates | May 20 to 24, 2026 | |
| Eligibility Window | Films completed on or after January 1, 2024 (January 1, 2023 for Irish Language category) | |
| Maximum Runtime | 18 minutes (main categories); 15 minutes (Student and Young Filmmaker categories) | |
| Screening Fee | EUR 25 paid to all selected competition films screened in Schull |
Submission Fees by Category and Deadline
Best Irish, Best International, and Best in Cork (18-minute maximum): EUR 20 (October), EUR 30 (November), EUR 50 (December).
Student and Young Filmmaker Categories (15-minute maximum): EUR 20 (October to December 31).
Best Irish Language and An-Sophie Fontaine Human Rights Documentary Award (18-minute maximum): Free entry.
One entry fee per category. The same film can be entered into multiple categories, but each requires its own fee. The submission fee is non-refundable. Films may not be withdrawn once the selection process is complete.
Competition Categories
- Best International Short Film - open to international filmmakers aged 18 and over. Prize: EUR 5,000
- Best Irish Short Film - filmmaker must be Irish or work with an Irish production company. Prize: EUR 5,000
- Best in Cork - films written, shot, or produced in County Cork. Prize: EUR 2,500
- Best Irish Language Short Film - open to all age groups. Prize: EUR 1,000
- Tom Clancy Jnr. Award for Best Irish Student of Film and Media Studies - student category, 15-minute maximum
- Best Young Filmmaker (U19) - under 19 category, 15-minute maximum
- An-Sophie Fontaine Human Rights Documentary Award - documentary focused on human rights, 18-minute maximum. Free entry
Awards and Prizes
The shortlist in each category is announced late on Thursday May 21, 2026. Winning films are chosen from the shortlist and announced at the prize giving ceremony on Sunday May 24, 2026. Shortlisted films are shown on Sunday at various venues.
The festival reserves the right not to award a prize in any category if the judges deem the entered films do not meet the required standard.
Eligibility Requirements
Films completed on or after January 1, 2024, are eligible for the 2026 festival competitions. Films entered in the Irish Language category may have been completed on or after January 1, 2023.
All submissions are screened and evaluated by the FFF Preview and Selection Committees. Only the top-scoring films proceed to competition. Selected films are screened in the festival's Distributed Cinemas and main venues in Schull.
Entrants must upload their film to FilmFreeway at the time of entry, along with a press kit including still photos and a 20-word synopsis. The festival only accepts final cuts.
Festival History
The Fastnet Short Film Festival was founded in 2004 in Schull, West Cork. The festival emerged from the local arts community and has grown over two decades into one of Ireland's most distinctive film events. Its location in a small coastal village has defined its character.
Over the years, the festival has attracted increasingly high-profile guests. The 2026 edition featured over 70 special guests, including graphic novelist Frank Miller, director John Crowley (Brooklyn, We Live in Time), and actors Niamh Algar, Pom Boyd, Eanna Hardwicke, David Wilmot, and Robert Sheehan.
The festival's commitment to free short film screenings (123 in 2026) makes it one of the most accessible festivals for audiences, while the screening fee of EUR 25 introduced in 2026 ensures selected filmmakers receive compensation.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Fastnet is one of the most important short film platforms in Ireland. The Best Irish Short Film prize of EUR 5,000 is among the largest short film cash awards at any Irish festival. The Best in Cork category (EUR 2,500) provides an additional opportunity for County Cork filmmakers.
The 18-minute maximum runtime is stricter than many short film festivals that allow up to 30 minutes. Verify your film's runtime before submitting. The festival only accepts final cuts. The screening fee of EUR 25 paid to all selected competition films is a welcome feature that few festivals offer.
Schull is approximately 90 minutes by road from Cork city. Accommodation is limited due to the village's small size, so book well in advance.
The key trade-off: Fastnet has no attached film market. Its value is competition exposure, networking, and the unique festival experience.
Past Winners
- 2025: Clodagh (dir. Portia A. Buckley) won multiple categories including Best Irish Short Film, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Screenplay. Shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards. The Keep won Best International Short Film, and The Fear won Best in Cork.
- 2024: Wind and the Shadow (dir. Kris Kelly, Northern Ireland) won Best Irish Short Film. Ticker (dir. Thom Petty, UK) won Best International Short Film. The festival received 519 short film entries from 38 countries.
- 2023: Simon (dir. Peter J McCarthy and Ben Conway, Ireland) won Best Irish Short Film (EUR 5,000). Finding Home (dir. Maria Stanisheva, Bulgaria) won Best International Short Film (EUR 5,000). The EUR 25,000 Puttnam Script Award went to Rachel Walshe for Grando.
- Ice Merchants (dir. Joao Gonzalez, Portugal) was screened at Fastnet 2023 and went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards.
The Puttnam Script Award, worth EUR 25,000, is one of the largest short film script prizes at any festival. The award funds production of a 10-minute short film shot on Cork's Wild Atlantic Way, with the premiere screened at the following year's festival.
Notable Alumni
- Joao Gonzalez screened Ice Merchants at Fastnet 2023 before the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Also won prizes at Cannes' Critics' Week.
- Portia A. Buckley won multiple categories at Fastnet 2025 for Clodagh, subsequently shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards.
- Paul Mescal became a patron after attending and purchasing a house in the Schull area. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Aftersun (2022).
- Saoirse Ronan is also a patron, with a home in the local area. Nominated for four Academy Awards.
- David Puttnam (producer of Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields) is the festival's most prominent industry supporter. The Puttnam Script Award is one of the largest short film script prizes in Europe.
- John Crowley (director of Brooklyn, We Live in Time) and Frank Miller (graphic novelist, Sin City, 300) were special guests at the 2026 edition.
- Stephen Warbeck (Oscar-winning composer of Shakespeare in Love) was celebrated with a live event at the 2026 festival.
Submission Tips
- Irish filmmakers should target Best Irish Short Film. The EUR 5,000 prize is among the largest at any Irish festival.
- County Cork filmmakers should submit to Best in Cork. The EUR 2,500 prize is restricted to films written, shot, or produced in County Cork.
- Submit early to save on fees. Tiered fees: EUR 20 (October), EUR 30 (November), and EUR 50 (December).
- Irish Language and Human Rights Documentary entries are free. These categories have no submission fee.
- Keep your film under 18 minutes. Student and Young Filmmaker categories have a 15-minute maximum.
- Submit only final cuts. Films may not be withdrawn once the selection process is complete.
- Upload your film to FilmFreeway at entry time. Include a press kit with still photos and a 20-word synopsis.
- Consider multiple categories. The same film can be entered into multiple categories, each requiring its own fee.
Industry Reputation
Fastnet is one of Ireland's most distinctive short film events, but it is not a major industry market. The festival does not have an attached film market, and its value is in competition exposure, networking, and the unique festival experience.
The festival's industry reputation rests on several factors:
- High-profile patrons and guests. Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and David Puttnam lend industry credibility.
- Oscar-adjacent success. Ice Merchants (2023) was nominated for an Academy Award after screening at Fastnet, and Clodagh (2025) was Oscar-shortlisted.
- The Puttnam Script Award. At EUR 25,000, this is one of the largest short film script prizes in Europe.
- The screening fee. Fastnet is one of the few festivals that pays selected filmmakers a screening fee (EUR 25).
The festival is not Oscar-qualifying. Its role in the Oscar ecosystem is indirect: films that win at Fastnet may go on to qualify through other festivals or theatrical runs.
Watch
See Also
Calculate your total festival submission costs using the Festival ROI Calculator. For Irish cinema and European film markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning and premiere strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For the Dublin International Film Festival, see Dublin International Film Festival. Submit through Fastnet on FilmFreeway or visit the official website. Read the full rules and regulations.
