Beat the Lotto is a rip-roaring tale about the mathematician who, along with a ragtag syndicate, plotted to fix Ireland's National Lottery in 1992, captivating the nation and sparking rabid debate. In Ireland, the public became obsessed when the National Lottery arrived, none more so than mathematician and avid stamp-collector Stefan Klincewicz. Using mathematical analysis, he reckoned the system could be beaten if he could just gather enough people to form a syndicate to buy every single ticket combination - and front up all the cash, of course. Director Ross hitaker fashions this unbelievable true story into a gripping thriller, mirroring the tension felt by the public as the lottery authorities caught wind of the plan. With insightful interviews and fantastic archival footage, Beat the Lotto is a look back at Ireland in the 1990s and a compelling tale of one man's attempt to outsmart the system.

Edward (James McArdle, Mary Queen of Scots, Mare of Easttown), a novelist saddled with caring for his elderly mother, Alma (Fionnula Flanagan, Waking Ned Devine) finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. With pressure to go on a US book tour mounting, the last thing Edward need s is his friends jetting off to Spain for an impromptu Pride holiday, leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies. An Irish twist on the acclaimed Italian hit Mid-August Lunch, this uplifting comedy and tender drama takes an unlikely found family on an emotionally charged journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Book your tickets now for this Irish charmer, winner of the BFI London Film Festival Audience Award!

The legendary Brian Cox makes his directorial debut with this compelling family drama, set in the stunning Scottish Highlands and co-starring Alan Cumming. When his beloved Chicago blues club burns down, Donal (Cumming) returns to his family-owned whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands for the first time in nearly 40 years. Donal didn't leave Scotland on the best terms, having wound up in a violent exchange with his brother Sandy (Cox) and their father on the day of their mother's funeral. Joined by his daughter Amy (Alexandra Shipp, Barbie), Donal r eturns to his homeland in the hopes of making amends with his brother. But with old wounds running deep and the fate of the family business on the line, can inner peace finally be found before it's too late? Written by David Ashton (The Last King of Scotland) and accomplished TV writer Jeff Murphy (Hinterland), Glenrothan explores the complexities of familial bonds, set against the proud and timeless tradition of whisky making.

A Room With a View captured the attention of the world upon its release, bringing the novel by E.M. Forster to dazzling life in the Florentine countryside and in the well-appointed homes of the English Edwardian upper classes. A comedy of manners with a quick wit and impeccable comic timing, A Room With A View is also a portrait of the quiet solitude that lies beneath Forster's characters, and of the need for human connection in a world of rigid convention. The young Englishwoman Lucy Honeychurch (played by Helena Bonham Carter), arrives in Florence on a Baedecker-style grand tour with her aunt Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith). Through a series of events involving English expatriates Miss Eleanor Lavish, an unflappable novelist (Judi Dench), and the Emersons, a free-thinking father and son (played by Denholm Elliot and Julian, Lucy's life is changed forever under a loggia in Florence and in the Tuscan countryside. Ivory's delicate and playful direction spirits us from an adventure in the back alleys of Florence, lost with Dench and Smith, to the lace-parasolled rigidity of English lawn parties.

Part courtroom drama, part true crime documentary, the extraordinarily inventive Re-Creation delves into one of Ireland's most shocking unsolved crimes. In 1996, French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was murdered at her holiday home in West Cork. English journalist Ian Bailey was investigated by Irish authorities, but never faced trial in Ireland-despite the fact he was tried and convicted in absentia by the French government. Re-Creation directors Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) and David Merriman have constructed a fascinating mix of fiction and reality that explores the question: what if Bailey had been tried in Ireland? The film skilfully brings audiences into the room as a fictional jury sorts through the facts, inconsistencies and inconvenient truths that make the case so intriguing to this day. With spectacular performances from the ensemble cast, headed by the remarkable Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Re-Creation is an unmissable entry in this year's line-up.

Dating back to neolithic times, few culinary traditions have survived as long as the hearty bowl of morning porridge. Despite its simple recipe of oats, salt and water there is a lot that can vary. Each year the sleepy highland village of Carrbridge awakens with excitement as locals and competitors from around the globe vie for the honour of winning The Golden Spurtle in the World Porridge Making Championships. For ageing, charismatic, and soon-to-retire protagonist Charlie Miller, this competition means so much more than just a bowl of steaming oats. With ailing health but a responsibility to his fellow porridge committee members, Charlie is on a mission to secure the future of the championships - and his own legacy. Against the backdrop of the breathtaking Scottish Highlands and infused with whimsical humour of an eclectic cast, The Golden Spurtle captures the humanity of village life and those who visit with spurtle in hand.

From visionary British director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Blinded By The Light), Christmas Karma sees ones of history's greatest novels -Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol transformed into a joyous, colourful, feel-good Christmas musical that celebrates modern-day London and all of its vibrant communities and cultures. With an all-star cast and music from Gary Barlow, Nitin Sawhney and Shaznay Lewis, the film features an eclectic soundtrack influenced by gospel, bhangra, carols, rap and classic pop songs. Christmas Karma is a festive British classic for our times, and for generations to come, that promotes a strong message to be kind, choose love and celebrate the present.

Prepare to be transported to the striking beauty of the Scottish wilderness in The North, a visceral journey through sheets of rain, craggy cliffs and lonesome beaches. A decade after being best friends and roommates, Chris and Lluis set out on a 600 kilometre hike through the Scottish Highlands. Following the West Highland Way and The Cape Wrath Trail, they spend 30 days tog ether in nature-hoping to rekindle their once-powerful friendship. But while Chris remains preoccupied with work and life back at home, Lluis is determined to finish the trail to prove he can do it. The solitude and silence of the Highlands forces them to confront harsh truths about themselves, their friendship, and what it truly means to stand still and listen. Set against the pace and demands of long-distance hiking, The North depicts the intricacies and challenges of both riendship and internal huma n struggles against the backdrop of the beautifully stark landscapes of the Highlands.

Broken English is a bold and imaginative documentary portrait of the inimitable singer, songwriter and icon Marianne Faithfull. A survivor, provocateur and true original, Marianne spent more than six decades defying expect ations, releasing over thirty-five albums while constantly reinventing herself. Made with her full involvement, Broken English is an intimate and unflinching exploration of a fractured yet unbreakable life shaped by fame, creativity and relentless public scrutiny. The film unfolds within the "Ministry of Not Forgetting", an imagined, cinematic nstitution where memory and mythology collide. The Ministry is presided over by Tilda Swinton as The Overseer, and George MacKay (also starring in & Sons at this year's Festival) serves as The Record Keeper, poring over Faithfull's life and career. Broken English is a genre-defying act of resilience and rebellion — Marianne Faithfull's final fearless declaration, her defiant swan song.

Ellie Bamber (also starring in Words of War at this year's Festival) and Derek Jacobi bring the respective supermodel and painter to life in this exquisite drama. Set in 2002, Kate Moss is at the height of her success and at a moment of transition as she prepares for motherhood. After revealing that one of her life goals is to have her portrait painted by Lucian Freud, the enigmatic artist invites Moss to his studio. Infamously private and fiercely guarded, Freud begins to unravel Moss'hidden depths, and as the two British cultural icons converge, a lasting bond is formed. As their mesme rising rapport develops, Kate discovers her true self, and Freud finds his eternal muse.

Seventeen-year-old Christy is at a crossroads. He's just been thrown out of his pleasant suburban foster home and moved in with his estranged older brother Shane. As far as Shane is concerned this is a temporary arrangement, but Christy begins to feel at home on Cork's working class north side. As he makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his past through his seemingly more corrupting extended family, despite Shane's efforts to steer him away from this crowd. Shane wants something better for Christy at any cost - even if it means he has to push him away. After so many years apart, the brothers need to now reconcile their turbulent past whilst deciding what the future looks like.

Tom (Sam Riley, Control) is the tennis coach at a luxurious island hotel, filling his time between lessons with booze and brief affairs. The arrival of the Maguire family pulls Tom out of his normal routine and he strikes up a relationship with Anne (Stacy Martin, The Brutalist), her husband Dave (Jack Farthing, Spencer) and their son Anton. Tom is unable to shake the feeling that he has met Anne before, and this tension grows between them until one night, Dave goes missing and the police investigation poin ts to both Anne and Tom as suspects. With Islands, Festival audiences are in for a "scorching, sun-frazzled Hitchcockian delight" (The Standard).

An intimate, star-studded dive into the birth of an icon, and everything that followed, Twiggy is a look at the life of the greatest‘ it-girl' of all time. Director Sadie Frost follows up her 2021 documentary Quant with another deep dive into the story of a fashion legend. This time it's the model and cultural icon Dame Lesley Lawson - better known as Twiggy. This slick documentary features a combination of fascinating archival footage and new interviews with stars such as Dustin Hoffman, Paul McCartney, Charlotte Tilbury, Joanna Lumley, and many more. Telling her story for the first time herself, Twiggy is an exploration of the model's upbringing,career, relationships, and everything else that has made her the woman she is today.

Maxine Peake (also starring in I Swear at this year's Festival) expertly portrays Politkovskaya's brave crusade, putting her life in jeopardy by fighting to be an indepe ndent voice of truth for the Russian people. She refused to give up reporting on the war in Chechnya despite numerous acts of intimidation and violence, including being poisoned. Sparring with Peake on the silver screen is Jason Isaacs, in the role of Politkovskaya's husband Sasha - a TV journalist who can barely hide his jealousy of his wife's success. Irish screen legend Ciarán Hinds also joins the cast as Dmitry Muratov, Anna's editor of the independent paper Novaya Gazeta. Politkovskaya's legacy on, and her story serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting the right to report the news without fear of death or reprisal.

In this absorbing drama, Posy Sterling (The Outrun) delivers a powerful performance as Molly, a young mum from East London who has lost everything while in prison. After serving four months, Molly assumes it will be a matter of hours before she can collect her kids from foster care - but she now faces a longer ordeal than anticipated... Molly finds herself in the mother of all catch-22s: she can't get housing because she doesn't have her kids living with her; but she can't get them back without a roof over her head. Molly has just six months to get housing and turn her life around before a judge in the family court makes the final determination whether her children will remain in long-term foster care, or return to live with her. A glimmer of hope in Molly's world is reconnecting with her best friend from school, Amina, who also finds herself on hard times. Leaning on their friendship, can Molly and Amina beat the system and take destiny into their own hands?

Irish republican leader Gerry Adams is one of the most controversial political leaders and visionaries of our time, having led the people of the North of Ireland from conflict to peace. Adams was a critical voice in the decision taken independently by the IRA to lay down their arms after their twenty-five-year war against the British. Imprisoned and shot, he was demonised and censored by dominant media as a subversive and a terrorist. Ultimately, the British and their allies were forced to recognize his legitimacy and negotiate with him - and his party Sinn Féin - the Irish peace accord known as‘ The Good Friday Agreement'. Today, Adams supports the next generations on their peaceful and inclusive path toward Irish unity. An intensely private man, protecting his family from the public eye, Adams tell his story for the first time in this eye-opening documentary. Interwoven with his words, a wealth of imagery of what is one of the most documented conflicts of our time gives an insight into Adams' world-relaxed, informal, and uncensored.

When she's unexpectedly hit by a blizzard, grief-stricken loner Barb (Thompson) gets lost among the backroads near a Minnesotan lake. While stopping to ask for help at a remote cabin in the woods, Barb discovers a young woman (Laurel Marsden), who has been kidnapped by an armed and desperate couple (Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca), intent on murder. Isolated in the desolate frozen wilds and without cell service, Barb realises she is this woman's only hope of survival. From Irish director Brian Kirk (My Boy Jack) and featuring a career-best performance from Thompson, this gritty, pulse-pounding trip is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.

As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral's ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes) - driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together. With a knockout performance from the always - reliable Fiennes, and a compelling story to boot, The Choral is guaranteed to be a hit at this year's Festival. Book your tickets quickly to avoid disappointment!

Maggie Smith earned her first Academy Award for this beloved period drama, originally released in 1969. Smith plays the titular Jean Brodie, a headstrong and liberated young teacher at a private school in 1930s Edinburgh. Eccentric but inspirational, Miss Brodie prefers to avoid any sort of curriculum in favour of what she feels her young female charges should know about life. Outside of class, a small group of girls compete for her favour, but their initial devotion eventually leads to jealousies, betrayal and tragedy. Based on the acclaimed novel and stage play by Muriel Spark, make time during this year's Festival to revisit Maggie Smith's award-winning performance.

The long-awaited sequel to the comedy classic This is Spinal Tap is here to turn the Festival up to 11! Forty-one years after the release of the original groundbreaking mockumentary, the now estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer) are forced to reunite for one final concert. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues also marks the resurrection of documentarian Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner), who once again tries to capture his favourite metal gods as they contemplate mortality — and the hope that their 12th drummer doesn't join them in The Great Beyond. Joined by music royalty Paul McCartney and Elton John, Spinal Tap wrestles with their checkered past to put on a concert that they hope will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock'n' roll.

Based on the acclaimed book by Ben Shattuck, PaulMescal (Aftersun, All of Us Strangers) and Josh O'Connor (The Crown, Challengers) play star-crossed lovers in this sweeping, moving and tender romance from Oliver Hermanus (Living). In 1917, Lionel (Mescal) — a young, talented music student — meets David (O'Connor) at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course of Lionel's life far beyond his own awareness. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor's star turns received rave reviews when The History of Sound premiered at the Cannes Film Fest ival earlier this year, making this quiet but powerful drama a must-see at the British and Irish Film Festival 2025.

Bill Nighy plays an aging literary superstar in this adaptation of David Gilbert's critically acclaimed novel, co-written by Oscar-winner Sarah Polley (Women Talking). Andrew Dyer (Nighy) hasn't written a word - or left the house - in 20 years. In that time he's fathered a child outside of his marriage, lost his wife (Imelda Staunton) and become estranged from his other sons. Struggling with alcoholism, Andrew's sense of his own mortality sets in, especially following the news of the death of an old friend. In an attempt to right his relationship with his sons with the time he has left, Andrew decides to bring together all of his children for the first, and likely last time. Elder brothers Richard (Johnny Flynn, One Life) and Jamie (George MacKay, 1917) reluctantly return home to make amends, only for their father to reveal a secret about their half brother Andy Jr. (Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place) that rewrites their family history in a fascinating way.