All submissions are screened and evaluated by the FFF Preview and Selection Committees, appointed by the festival steering committee. Their reports are final and confidential.

All films entered into the competition categories are judged on the same criteria by the Selection Judges, Overall Impact, Script, Direction, Cinematography, Sound Design, Original Music and Editing.  Each criteria is scored out of 10 points, which could earn each film a maximum of 70 points from each judge.  The scores are collated from each one of the selection judges and fed into a master.  Only the Top 150 scoring films will be selected from entries received into all competition categories: Best Irish, Best International, Best in Cork, Best Young Filmmaker (U19), Best Irish Student of Film and Media Studies and from the Best Irish Language Category.  After the films have been evaluated and scored by the Selection Judges, submitters will be advised as to whether or not their film has been selected to go further in the competition.   These films will be screened in our main venues, The Parish Hall and/or Schull Harbour Hotel and our Distributed Cinemas multiple times throughout the festival. **

The competition short list in each category, to be announced late on Thursday 22nd May 2025, will be chosen by the Category Judges who are industry experts, and will be posted on our website, on our Facebook page and in the Box Office window. The winning films in each category will then be chosen from the short list and announced at our prize giving ceremony.

Both the winning and Shortlisted films will be screened on Sunday 26th May 2025 from 9am to 4pm around the town in as many of our venues as possible.

2025 SELECTION Judges

Paul Burke, Eda Colbert, Pauline Cotter, Gráinne D'Alton, Fabian Doyle, Olivia Enos, Liz Flatman, Garry Frost, Tom Hiscock, Gavin Jeffery, Hilary Lane, Roisin Little, Monica Lynott, Carmel McAllister, Hugh McAllister, Hilary McCarthy, Niamh Morris, Gordon Teasdale and Helen Wells

2025 CATEGORY Judges

Best Irish Film: Panel: To be Advised.
Best International Short Film: Panel: To be Advised.
Best Irish Language Short Film: To be Advised.
Best Junior Filmmaker (U19): To be Advised.
Best Irish Student of Media & Film Studies: To be Advised.
Best in Cork: To be Advised.
Best Drama: To be Advised.
Best Comedy: To be Advised.
Best Documentary: To be Advised.
Best Art House: To be Advised.
Best Animation: To be Advised.
Best Direction: To be Advised.
Best Screenplay: To be Advised.
Best Original Music: To be Advised.
Best Sound Design: To be Advised.
Best Cinematography: To be Advised.
Best Editing: To be Advised.

The An-Sophie Fontaine Human Rights Award in Documentary Film: Students from London College of Communication, University of the Arts London