There were over 4000 people went to the first festival of British films back in 1985 which was started by a group of cinema lovers and the director of Club 6, the local cinema. This festival has since become a regular event in Cherbourg’s cultural calendar.

The festival has become a important event, in the discovery and promotion of new Irish and British films and also by it tributes and retrospective to older films.


The Cherbourg Festival has a competition for first or second time director feature films that have not been distributed in France. Over the years many new and talented directors have been discovered and appreciated by the local community.


During one week the Festival welcomes directors, producers, and distributors in addition to well known members of the cinema world come to Cherbourg. Seven thousand people attended last year’s festival and took part in the many debates after the showings.


The festival in Cherbourg-Octeville is above all a competition open to new Irish and British directors but it also has first showings, tributes to the professionals who have made a mark on the Irish and British cinema and conferences and workshops.


Travelling has a year round team of about 20 volunteers.


And every year these are joined by 40 volunteers for the week of the festival to help out with the smooth running of the festival.