The Belfast Film Festival will return for its 26th edition from October 29 to November 7, opening with the world premiere of “Lost City” at Cineworld Belfast. The new crime drama marks the first feature drama from award-winning Belfast filmmaker Seán Murray and stars Martin McCann as Paul, a boxer whose attempt to rebuild his life draws him into Belfast’s criminal underworld. The festival’s 2026 programme brings the local story together with Irish and international cinema across venues throughout the city.
“Lost City” represents a new chapter for Seán Murray, who is best known for his documentary filmmaking, including his award-winning film “Unquiet Graves.” Moving into fiction, Murray directs an intricate crime drama rooted in Belfast, with the city providing the setting for a story centred on a character whose attempt to move forward is disrupted by circumstances beyond his control.
Martin McCann plays Paul, whose life appears to be moving in a new direction when he begins dating a woman with a troubled past. Her violent former partner, described as a notorious Limerick gangster, follows her to Belfast, drawing Paul into a dangerous situation. As he tries to protect her, Paul becomes increasingly caught up in Belfast’s criminal underworld, turning what begins as an attempt to rebuild his life into a much more complicated struggle.
The film brings together a strong Irish cast alongside McCann, including Stephen Rea, John Connors, Geraldine Hughes, Jade Jordan, Graham Earley and Jade O’Neill. Seán Murray and members of the cast are scheduled to attend the world premiere screening, giving the festival’s opening night a direct connection to the filmmakers and performers behind the new Belfast-set story.
Stephen Rea will also have a major role in the festival beyond his appearance in “Lost City.” Belfast Film Festival will present the 2026 Réalta Award to the acclaimed Irish actor, recognising a career spanning five decades across film, television and theatre. Rea’s screen credits include “The Crying Game,” “Michael Collins,” “The Butcher Boy,” “Interview with the Vampire” and “Breakfast on Pluto.”
As part of the festival programme, Rea will take part in an In Conversation event at Queen’s Film Theatre before receiving the Réalta Award. Audiences will also have the opportunity to see him in “Lost City,” connecting the career celebration with the festival’s opening-night film.
The wider 26th Belfast Film Festival programme places the world premiere within a broader celebration of cinema. The festival combines local and international films with shorts, special screenings, filmmaker events and industry-focused sessions. The programme continues the festival’s established role in bringing different strands of filmmaking together, giving Northern Irish work space alongside cinema from beyond the region.
That international reach is matched by a strong focus on Irish filmmaking. The programme includes New Irish Shorts, featuring a selection of emerging filmmakers and stories that range from family and identity to dark comedy and animation. The festival will also host director masterclasses, live commentary screenings and opportunities for audiences to engage directly with filmmakers, adding both an industry and community dimension to the programme.
The range of events extends across premieres, repertory screenings, documentaries, genre cinema and conversations with artists. As a result, the world premiere of “Lost City” is positioned as part of a wider programme rather than an isolated opening-night attraction. The festival’s 2026 edition places Belfast voices in conversation with filmmakers and films from elsewhere, while maintaining a focus on fresh work for local audiences.
The festival will close on November 7 with the Irish premiere of “I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” at Cineworld. Directed by Clio Barnard and written by Enda Walsh, the film follows five childhood friends as they enter their thirties amid the UK housing crisis. Its ensemble includes Belfast actors Lola Petticrew and Anthony Boyle, alongside Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo and Daryl McCormack.
The closing-night film shifts the festival’s focus from a distinctly Belfast-set opening story to a wider British setting while maintaining a strong connection to Northern Irish talent through its cast. The inclusion of Petticrew and Boyle adds another link between the festival’s local identity and its broader programme of Irish and international cinema.
With “Lost City” opening the festival through a story rooted in Belfast and “I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” closing the 2026 edition with its Irish premiere, the programme creates a clear bridge between local filmmaking and cinema from further afield. The two films frame a festival edition that places Belfast at its centre while creating space for filmmakers, actors and stories from across Ireland and beyond.
For Seán Murray, the world premiere of “Lost City” marks his move from award-winning documentary filmmaking into feature drama. For Stephen Rea, the festival provides an opportunity to celebrate five decades of work through the Réalta Award, an In Conversation event and a role in the opening-night film. For audiences, the programme combines premieres and established cinema with shorts, documentaries, masterclasses and filmmaker events.
The 26th Belfast Film Festival will run from October 29 to November 7, with “Lost City” opening the festival at Cineworld Belfast and “I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning” closing the event on November 7. The 2026 programme brings together Belfast filmmaking, Irish cinema and international work while keeping new films, filmmakers and local audiences at the heart of the festival.
