News: That's a Wrap on Imbolg: Women Who Terrify Film Festival 2026

And that's a wrap on the first ever Imbolg: Women Who Terrify Film Festival!

On 30th – 31st January, in Griffith College Dublin 8, we welcomed over 300 attendees to this St Brigid’s weekend celebration of women and gender-diverse filmmakers from Ireland and around the world. The festival took place in partnership with Griffith College and ourselves at Film Ireland, and screened 30 evocative, dark, funny, challenging and moving films.

Awards

The festival was delighted to present three Síle na Gig Awards, honouring outstanding achievement in storytelling.

[Síle/Sheela na Gigs are ancient Celtic symbols believed to represent childbirth, life-giving, renewal and fertility.]

The Best International Film award was presented to Aicha, directed by Sanaa El Alaoui. The award was presented to Mr Mohammed Bouasria, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Morocco in Dublin who was in attendance. In a message from El Alaoui, she also thanked Dr. Lahcen Mahraoui, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ireland, for his support. Programmer Sarah Cullen added:

“Aicha is a film that deserves to be seen; it deserves the time and space to let it breathe, to percolate through our minds and let it change us. With a daring and experimental use of chronological time, mixed media and dance, director Sanaa El Alaoui and her team tell a poignant and carefully observed story of a mother, a daughter, and the hidden taboos of their society: a story which slowly and purposefully builds into a devastatingly powerful crescendo. Here in Ireland, we can connect deeply with this Moroccan narrative in the vital shattering of taboos that have been hidden for too long. Aided by superb performances by Hind Dafer and Manal Bennani, Aicha’s rage is palpable - and necessary.”

The Best Student Film award was presented to emerging filmmaker Nadia Moosa, who accepted the award in person - all the way from the United States - for her dark and brilliant first film In the Season Thereof.

“In the Season Thereof is an off-beat indie film – perhaps as off-beat as it’s possible to be. There’s a sense of unease that simmers just below the surface and which emerges in moments of masterful shock – but then retreats, inviting the audience to question what they have seen. With In the Season Thereof, director Nadia Moosa and her team have created a truly disturbing tale of first love that will linger on in the mind, in particular thanks to the film’s chilling final monologue.” 

The festival’s Best Irish Film award went to Laoisa Sexton for I Can’t Go On, a work that resonated strongly with audiences and ourselves for its emotional clarity and artistic confidence.

“I Can’t Go On is a masterclass in balancing: it walks the very fine line between comedy and horror in a carnivalesque display of the excesses of middle class Ireland and pulls it off with flying colours, even if its protagonist, played with perfect comic timing by Fianna Nolan, wasn’t quite so lucky in her own balancing act. With its ingenious claustrophobic use of the camera, director Laoisa Sexton and her team have created in I Can’t Go On an anxiety-induced hell-ride that – thankfully for any nervous audience members – also has fantastic moments of laughter.” 

Events

Beyond screenings, Imbolg hosted a number of talks and performances. Goth Film Club, hosted by the Irish Network for Gothic and Horror Studies, saw accomplished academics Máiréad Casey, Dara Downey and Janice Lynne Deitner give a lively and informative discussion on horror cinema, criticism, and community, with engaged participation from the audience. Many in attendance will never look at those classics in the same way again!

Faoin Talamh, an audio-visual experience by composer Oisín Murray and visual artist Róisín Doyle, offered a meditative and moving interlude between screenings. Blending reproduced ancient Irish instruments with layered visuals of Ireland’s natural landscape, the piece grounded the festival in folklore, history, and sensory immersion.

In Conversation with Laura Moss

We were very honoured to welcome NYC filmmaker Moss for an in-conversation event ahead of a screening of their powerful feature birth/rebirth. Moss gave an honest and fascinating account of their creative journey to date. Keep an eye on Film Ireland for a podcast release next month... 

And that's a Wrap!

Rooted in the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolg - the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox - Imbolg: Women Who Terrify Film Festival certainly did peer beneath the surface to explore what has been buried, silenced, or reanimated after hibernation.

We are grateful for all the wonderful filmmakers making such bold and fascinating work, those who came, and those who shared their work with us. We are grateful for the wonderful support of the Griffith College team, for our volunteers, and our brilliant speakers.

Let’s do it all again next year. See you in 2027!

Submit your film!