Rathmullan Film Festival: The Creative Film Challenge

New filmmakers rise to the challenge and create films inspired by the Digital Film Archive

Northern Ireland Screen has partnered with Rathmullan Film Festival since 2023. The partnership with the Digital Film Archive has two main areas: The screening of beautiful films in interesting venues and with local collaborators and the Film Challenge in which new filmmakers rummage in the archive and create their own unique takes on the stories it tells.

Established in 2017 and launched in 2018, the Rathmullan Film Festival is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit, participatory festival located in the seaside village of Rathmullan, Co. Donegal. The Festival screens popular films but is also a leading organisation in the development of film-making skills in the Donegal area. The participatory aspect of the Festival encourages people of all ages and skills to learn about the world of cinema and to be a real part of it, fostering talent and creating a legacy in the participants, many of whom have continued to make films.

This collection holds the films created locally within the Film Challenge project. 

The Challenge has varied year to year. In 2023, the challenge was to mix archive with film the participants made themselves In 2024, the participants could use only the archive films selected, and in 2025, using only the archive film provided, the participants created films in Irish. Every year, the standard of films has been amazing, thanks to the skills of our partners in Póca Productions who train and guide the participants to create new pieces within weeks.  

Enjoy this eclectic and creative selection of films.