FrameFest 2026

Frame Fest 2026 was the inaugural edition of Ireland’s first festival dedicated to stop-motion animation. Held on 29 - 30 August in Leitir Móir (Lettermore), Connemara, on Ireland’s Atlantic coast, it was created and produced by Stiúideo Fia, a working studio specialising in puppet fabrication, modelmaking, practical screen craft and animation. Frame Fest celebrates not only finished films but also the artists, materials and skills behind them. Its programme connects storytelling with the physical craft of animation: the making of puppets, miniature sets, characters and worlds, and the painstaking work of bringing them to life one frame at a time. 

The festival offers a meeting place for filmmakers, artists, craftspeople, students, families and people discovering the medium for the first time. The 2026 programme presented 47 short films and one feature from 16 countries, alongside six talks and three hands-on workshops. Screenings brought together Irish and international work, established practitioners and emerging voices, including experimental and independently produced animation. Artists and industry professionals shared their experience through discussions, demonstrations and informal exchanges, while visitors could encounter puppets, sets and working processes up close at Stiúideo Fia. A family-focused programme encouraged children and young people to explore animation, including Irish-language screenings and creative activities. The POTA Café 48-hour stop-motion challenge invited teams to make new work inspired by Connemara. Festival awards recognised outstanding stop-motion filmmaking, craftsmanship and audience favourites, with a TG4-supported award celebrating Irish animation. Place and language are central to Frame Fest. The festival takes place in the Connemara Gaeltacht, where Irish remains a living community language, and is presented bilingually in Irish and English. Events were held between the Tír an Fhia Community Hall and Stiúideo Fia, bringing international film culture into a rural community that is often distant from major arts and industry events. The programme also made room for informal gatherings and connections between visiting artists and local audiences. 

Access is equally important. The festival was free to attend, making specialist animation and professional knowledge available beyond established industry circles. Its first edition attracted 247 bookings, with approximately 200 people attending and a waiting list of more than 100, showing strong demand for this kind of cultural event in the west of Ireland. Visiting delegates connected to the UNESCO Cities of Film network added an international dimension and opportunities for future collaboration. Frame Fest was established to do more than screen films for a weekend. It aims to support emerging makers, encourage skills exchange, connect rural and international creative communities, and help build a lasting home for stop-motion and screen craft in Connemara. The first edition demonstrated how a small, locally rooted festival can bring together artistic ambition, practical learning, international exchange and a strong sense of place.