The Mullingar International Film Festival, inaugurated in 2020, celebrates, honours and promotes the art of storytelling through film from emerging and established Irish and International filmmakers.

The Festival was founded by Mullingar-based Noel McIntyre, award-recipient and Director of “I Created You” which profiles the work of renowned Westmeath Woodcarver, Richie Clarke. McIntyre’s film has been screened at Film Festivals in 11 countries across 5 continents, winning 6 awards on the International Film Festival circuit. It was premiered for local audiences at the 2020 Festival, to rapturous applause.

The inaugural Festival took place in February 2020, when seven award-winning short films were featured at a sold-out gala screening event, attended by 600 patrons. The screenings included an Irish Premiere from Hollywood and three films with strong Mullingar connections. The event also raised funds for T.E.A.M. (Temporary Emergency Accommodation Midlands), who deliver frontline support services for homeless women and children in the Irish Midlands.

Awards were presented by local Blizzards frontman, Bressie, who lauded the courage and creativity of the Filmmakers and the Festival team – who followed their dreams to “deliver something very special”. He went on to say:

“An event as huge as this requires a whole community to come together. You have someone like Noel McIntyre come up with a BIG vision, a group of people to deliver it, and the whole community to get behind it. People are choosing to support the arts by embracing something as creative as this, buying tickets, and even introducing their children to this artform. Mullingar is awash with creativity and energy at the moment, and to produce an event of this calibre in the first year is extraordinary. They have done something very special – and something that will grow from here”.

Plans are underway for the 2021 Mullingar International Film festival, which will take place in February 2021. An open call for film Submissions will be issued through Filmfreeway.com and other channels.

Mullingar International Film Festival/Motion Picture Media: