Dublin Smartphone Film Festival Returns for Its 9th Year With a Programme That Hits Close to Home

The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival (DubSmartFF) returns for its 9th year on April 11th, 2026, at The Pearse Centre, bringing together Ireland’s most distinctive and daring mobile filmmakers under one roof, and this year, the programme has something to say.

Headlining the 2026 festival is the Irish premiere of Once Was Too Much, a new documentary from Dublin director Ray Hegarty that offers an unflinching window into the activism of Flames Not Flowers, a Dublin-based feminist collective dedicated to raising awareness of Gender-Based Domestic Violence and honouring the women who have lost their lives to it in Ireland.

“We’ve always believed that mobile filmmaking democratises storytelling,” says Festival Director Robert Fitzhugh. “This year, Once Was Too Much is the embodiment of that belief. These are Irish stories, Irish women, and a Dublin filmmaker using the most accessible tool available to give them a voice. That’s exactly what this festival exists to amplify.”

The 2026 programme also includes the European Premiere of Squashbox, the award-winning short documentary from acclaimed South African filmmaker SJ Van Breda. The film, shot entirely on mobile devices across KwaZulu-Natal and Ireland, tells the story of SAMA-winning Maskandi duo Qadasi & Maqhinga, and made its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House in January, where it took home five major awards. Its European debut in Dublin is a testament to the global reach of mobile cinema.

Now in its 9th year, DubSmartFF remains Ireland’s only international film festival dedicated exclusively to mobile filmmaking. The 2026 programme features over 25 short films across categories, including Best Documentary, Animation, Music Video, and more

Dublin Smartphone Film Festival Event Details

• The Pearse Centre, Dublin
• April 11th, 2026
• 12 pm – 5 pm
• Tickets from €16 — www.dublinsmartphonefilmfestival.com