Rubbish Film Festival 2026

TY students from across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown took part in the 2026 Rubbish Film Festival and had their films premiere in front of a sell-out crowd at the Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield. The standard of creativity and passion for environmental issues was off the charts and each school presented their film in front of an audience including schools from all across dublin. 

St. Josephs of Cluny Secondary School were awarded the top prize at the Rubbish Film Festival in dlr LexIcon this week, with Rockford Manor awarded runner up, and Cabinteely Community School won in the Best Poster category. The students from St. Josephs of Cluny will now progress to the national awards where 150 schools will compete for the top prize.

Challenged to create one-minute films tackling key environmental issues such as climate change, sustainability, and waste reduction, students from 6 schools in dlr took part in workshops during the year where they developed their filmmaking, editing, and storytelling skills under the guidance of industry professionals.

Other winners included

An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Jim Gildea said: 

“These students have demonstrated exceptional filmmaking talent and a deep understanding of the environmental challenges facing our county. Through the creative power of film, they have crafted compelling messages that not only raise awareness but also inspire our community to take action to protect environment.””

A showcase of all the films entered in the competition is available to view below.