On the occasion of the national day of France, Bastille Day (14th July), join us at UCC Library for a free summertime programme of five excellent French feature films.
Not in Cork? Check out our free nationwide online programme of fun, magical shorts for children.
All films are FREE but ticketed, and will be screening Friday 11th – Sunday 13th July 2025. More information and schedule below!
Bastille Day Ireland Film Screenings in Cork
As part of the Bastille Day celebrations in Ireland, the French Embassy in association with Irish cultural partners, presents a special French Film Programme from 1st to 14th July 2025 in Cork, Dublin, Galway, and online.
All screenings are free!
Cork International Film Festival is delighted to participate in this initiative by the French Embassy, celebrating French culture and marking the close friendship between Ireland and France. Discover the full programme of Bastille Day Ireland here.
Bastille Day Ireland Film programme is an initiative of the French Embassy in Ireland, presented in association with Alliance Française Irish network, Institut français, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin City Libraries, Fingal County Council’s Arts Office, Galway City Museum, and Cork International Film Festival.
Presented in association with the French Embassy in Ireland and Institut français.
FEATURES PROGRAMME
FREE but ticketed, Friday 11th – Sunday 13th July, UCC Library
From a 1923 silent film that sees a mad scientist immobilise Paris with a mysterious ray to a fake romantic cruise in a cinematic adventure that’s both hilarious and touching, you will have the chance to immerse yourself in French cinema – for free – at UCC Library.
Friday, 11th July, 5:30pm
PARIS ASLEEP (PARIS QUI DORT)
René Clair | 1923 | 59 mins | Silent Film
A mad scientist immobilises Paris with a mysterious ray. Paris is fixed, Paris falls asleep. Only the passengers of a plane, their pilot and the guard of the Eiffel Tower remain awake, and they are going to reconquer the capital. Improvised musical accompaniment by pianist, composer and musicologist Karol Beffa.
Watch the trailer for Paris Asleep here
Saturday, 12th July, 2:30pm
JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS (QUELQUES JOURS PAS PLUS)
Julie Navarro | 2023 | 103 mins | Subtitled
Arthur is a music critic for a famous magazine. After yet another malpractice, he is relegated to field reporting. While covering the evacuation of a migrant camp on the outskirts of Paris, he is victim of police violence and accidentally becomes the face of the refugee cause. Due to his new status, he gets to spend more time with the brilliant and attractive Mathilde, a former lawyer now head of an association supporting migrants, but also to welcome Daoud, a young Afghan, whom he agrees to accommodate until his asylum application is processed, which shouldn’t take more than a few days…
Watch the trailer for Just a Couple of Days here
Saturday, 12th July, 5pm
THE WRONG PLACE (BORGO)
Stéphane Demoustier | 2023 | 117 mins | Subtitled
When Melissa, a prison guard gets transferred to a new prison in Corsica, a young male inmate helps her get her bearings and offers her protection, but he expects help in return.
Watch the trailer for The Wrong Place here
Sunday, 13th July, 2:30pm
LOVE BOAT (LA PETITE VADROUILLE)
Bruno Podalydès | 2023 | 96 mins | Subtitled
Justine, her husband and their circle of friends find a solution to their money problems: they’ll organise a fake romantic cruise for Franck, a wealthy investor set on seduction. There’s just one problem: it’s to Justine that Franck proposes this lovers’ weekend…
Watch the trailer for Love Boat here
Love Boat will also be available to watch for free online 14th – 17th July as part of the Bastille Day celebrations. Book and watch here.
Sunday, 13th July, 5pm
FOREIGN LANGUAGE (LANGUE ESTRANGERE)
Claire Burger | 2023 | 106 mins | Subtitled
Fanny, a shy and lonely teenager, goes on a language exchange to Germany. In Leipzig, she meets her pen pal, Lena, a teenager eager to become politically active. Fanny is troubled. To win over Lena, she invents a life for herself, to the extent of becoming trapped in her lies.
Watch the trailer for Langue Etrangére here
ONLINE PROGRAMME
Friday 11th – Sunday 13th July, available nationwide
CIFF presents an incredible online programme of fun and beautiful shorts for your children, from French company, Miyu. It’s all free, but don’t forget to book!
BASTILLE DAY SHORTS
In celebration of France’s National Day, Cork International Film Festival is thrilled to present a magical hour of storytelling. We’ve teamed up with acclaimed French production and distribution company Miyu to bring you a delightful, dialogue-free programme of nine enchanting short films, specially curated for children aged six and up.
These captivating films – some of the very best from Miyu’s recent catalogue – have charmed young audiences in cinemas, at home, and at festivals around the globe. Now, it’s your turn to experience the wonder, right here with us!
KAYAK
Solène Bosseboeuf, Flore Dechorgnat, Tiphaine Klein, Auguste Lefort, Antoine Rossi | France | 2021 | 6 mins
A father and his baby’s kayak outing along a peaceful river turns out to be a real family adventure. On a peaceful summer day, a dad takes his baby son on a kayak day trip. Between the challenges of a first river outing and the baby’s whims the father will not have a relaxing day, especially when an eagle joins the adventure.
WINDY DAY (JOUR DE VENT)
Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding | France | 2024 | 7 mins
In a park, a family is enjoying a picnic, a businessman is working next to a grandpa playing with his dog, while two lovers are passionately kissing. The wind blows hard and disrupts their daily routine. It blows harder and harder, so hard that they all get swept away together. In the air, they meet and see their lives evolve toward new horizons.
HORS PISTE
Léo Brunel, Loris Cavalier, Camille Jalabert, Oscar Malet | France | 2018 | 6 mins
The two best rescue workers of the region are ready for their new mission. Despite their professionalism and their determination, it will not go as planned…
MR NIGHT HAS A DAY OFF
Ignas Meilūnas | Lithuania | 2017 | 2 mins
Why is the night changing the day? Well, when you don’t like something, you change it.
AAAAH!
Osman Cerfon | France | 2023 | 5 mins
Aaaah! is a cry of pain, surprise, fear, joy, songs, grumbling, laughter, anger… Aaaah! is the expression with which children, these primary and innocent beings, experience life in a community, framed by the whistles of adults.
BOOM
Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira De Figueiredo, Charles Di Cicco, Yannick Jaquin | France | 2022 | 6 mins
A couple of dumb birds try their best to protect their eggs from a volcano eruption.
MAESTRO
Illogic | France | 2019 | 2 mins
Deep into a forest, a gathering of wild animals starts a nocturnal opera, conducted by a squirrel.
LUCE AND THE ROCK
Britt Raes | Belgium | 2022 | 13 mins
One day, out of nowhere, a giant Rock lays in the middle of the peaceful little village where Luce lives. The villagers can’t even open the door to their houses anymore! Luce is angry: go away Rock, you don’t belong here! And why are you here anyway?
FILANTE
Marion Jamault | France | 2023 | 9 mins
Every night, Paulette observes the same shooting star in the sky. She makes her deepest wish : to find her mysteriously missing pet rat. The days go by, but the animal doesn’t return. Paulette wants to understand what’s wrong with her star.
