Amy Goodman to headline Docs Ireland 2026 as festival honours Manchán Magan

This year Docs Ireland pays tribute to author, traveller, broadcaster and documentary maker Manchán Magan by posthumously awarding him the Docs Ireland 2026 Outstanding Contribution to Irish Documentary.

Following a cancer diagnosis, in October last year, Manchán Magan, sadly passed away at the age of 55. This year Docs Ireland recognises the immense contribution Manchán made to Irish culture. 

Docs Ireland will screen his last ever documentary, Listen to the Land Speak directed by Maurice O’Brien which follows Manchán on a journey across Ireland’s sacred sites, uncovering wisdom encoded in our land, language, and myths.

Manchán’s brother and collaborator, Ruàn Magan, will be in attendance and take part in a conversation alongside director Maurice O’Brien and writer Kerri ní Dochartaigh.

The eighth Docs Ireland festival returns to Belfast from June 16–21, presenting a bold and globally resonant programme exploring truth, power and storytelling in a rapidly changing world.

Across the wider programme, Docs Ireland will showcase a diverse range of films and events spanning music, climate, conflict, identity and culture, alongside a strong line-up of new Irish work and a growing international industry presence.

Docs Ireland film festival will open this year with Steal This Story, Please! (dir. Tia Lessin and Carl Deal), a gripping portrait of award-winning independent journalist and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, whose fearless reporting has made her one of the most influential voices in global media. The film explores the role of independent journalism in holding power to account at a time when press freedom is increasingly under threat.

Amy Goodman will travel to Belfast to attend the opening night screening at Cineworld on Tuesday, June 16 and stay for a special post-screening Q&A, giving audiences the opportunity to hear directly from the internationally renowned broadcaster, investigative journalist and author about her decades-long career covering conflict, politics and social justice movements around the world.

Closing the festival is Magilligan directed by Ross McClean, a powerful feature debut from the Belfast filmmaker. The film offers an intimate portrait of a young man navigating life after prison, following its international premiere at Swiss festival, Visions du Réel. McClean was previously a participant in the Docs Ireland Ignite training and development programme Marketplace in 2021, and winner of  the Docs Ireland Short Film Competition in 2025 with No Mean City. 

Docs Ireland 2026 presents a range of special screenings and live events connecting film with wider cultural and social conversations. Highlights include The Road to Mexico, charting Northern Ireland’s unforgettable 1986 World Cup qualification campaign, with a post-screening Q&A featuring football legends Pat Jennings and Gerry Armstrong. 

A special screening of No Stone Unturned, directed by Alex Gibney, will take place to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland reporting into the massacre at Loughinisland in June, 1994. Drawing on his experience as Police Ombudsman, Investigator Dr. Michael Maguire will talk at the event about his ground breaking report and the importance of holding the police to account.

The full Docs Ireland programme can be found here: https://docsireland.ie/programme/whats-on/