Gays Against Guns clinches coveted Audience Award at Dublin International Film Festival

Paul Rowley’s powerful documentary Gays Against Guns has clinched the coveted Audience Award at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF), earning additional recognition with a special mention in the documentary category.

The film, which made waves with audiences throughout the festival, traces Rowley’s journey as an Irish activist who emigrated to the United States at a time when being gay was still criminalised at home. But the America he encountered was far from the ideal he had imagined. Through the lens of the Gays Against Guns activist movement, the documentary examines the country’s entrenched gun violence crisis and its impact on LGBTQ+ communities. 

Gays Against Guns follows Rowley across a decade of advocacy, from the aftermath of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre - a pivotal event that galvanised queer gun-reform activism - through years of protest, organising, and resistance. The film also features legendary filmmaker John Waters, adding further cultural weight to its portrait of community resilience and collective action. 

This year’s DIFF wrapped on 1 March following an expanded 11‑day programme showcasing Irish and international cinema, culminating in the world premiere of John Carney’s Power Ballad, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. Festival organisers reported an 11% rise in admissions year-on-year, underscoring growing public engagement with the event. 

Other major honours included the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Human Rights Film Award, presented to Felipe Bustos Sierra’s Everybody To Kenmure Street, and the Best Documentary Award, which went to Rachel Fleit’s The Slightest Touch. Meanwhile, Fang Liang’s Water Can Go Anywhere took home the Avolon World Cinema Award. 

Festival director Gráinne Humphreys described 2026 as “an incredible year for DIFF”, highlighting its expanded international reach and the largest showing of Irish features to date. The festival now looks ahead to its milestone 25th anniversary edition in 2027.