10 March 2026
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie
Fastnet Film Festival will return to Schull, West Cork from 20 to 24 May 2026, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences for five days of screenings, masterclasses and conversations. Known for its welcoming atmosphere and strong focus on emerging and established talent, the festival continues to highlight innovative voices in film and visual storytelling.
This year’s programme will include a special in conversation event with director Hugh Mulhern, whose distinctive approach to filmmaking blends surreal imagination with meticulous visual design.
Titled Absurdity and Precision – The Hugh Mulhern Method, the discussion will explore Mulhern’s creative framework, which incorporates generative AI and high concept absurdity alongside the technical precision of modern filmmaking. His work often balances bizarre and sometimes grotesque imagery with carefully constructed narrative structures and a strong visual aesthetic, frequently drawing on stylised studio environments reminiscent of the classic television series The Twilight Zone.
Mulhern has directed notable music videos for artists including Fontaines D.C., Hak Baker, Porter Robinson and Sega Bodega. His commercial work has also seen him collaborate with major brands such as John Lewis, H&M and EA Sports, as well as with acclaimed designer Simone Rocha. Over the course of his career Mulhern has received numerous accolades including Gold for Best Music Video at the British Arrows, recognition at the Young Arrows, the Young Director Award at Cannes Lions, multiple Kinsale Shark Awards and two UK Music Video Awards including Best New Director.
Mulhern began his career working as a spark on film sets at the age of sixteen before transitioning into editing and eventually directing, where he developed a passion for organised chaos and inventive storytelling. He holds an undergraduate degree from IADT in Dublin and a master’s degree in Directing Fiction from the National Film and Television School in London.
His appearance at Fastnet Film Festival promises to be an engaging and insightful conversation exploring creative risk taking, new technologies and the craft of bold visual storytelling.
More guest announcements for the 2026 Fastnet Film Festival will be revealed in the coming weeks.
For further information on the festival, visit https://www.