An Inside Look: 'The Three Urns' Premiere and 'Gorky Resort' at the Dublin International Film Festival

The Three Urns

The Three Urns had its world premiere on 23 February at the Light House Cinema, with lead actor Ciarán Hinds in attendance, following his recent IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award. Produced by Eamon Hughes and David Collins, the film marks Hughes’ first feature as producer.

Directed by Stephen Warbeck and John-Paul Davidson, the film is a gentle road-trip comedy centred on a widower travelling to scatter his late wife’s ashes. Along the way, what begins as a solitary journey becomes something quietly transformative, shaped by unexpected encounters, small kindnesses and moments of reconnection with both strangers and old friends. Seeing as the film was shot in Donegal, it was important to the producers to share the World Premiere of the film in its home country of Ireland. 

Led by Hinds, the ensemble cast includes Stephen Dillane, Olga Kurylenko, Ingeborga Dapkunaite and Stephen Fry with Hélène Patarot, Lisa Dwan, Una Palliser and Jimena Larraguivel in attendance for the premiere. Balancing humour with tenderness, The Three Urns finds levity in grief and warmth in human connection - embracing, as David Collins reflected, “a sense of lightness in a world that can often feel dark.”

Gorky Resort

Directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Łukasz Palkowski, Gorky Resort is a gripping historical two-hander starring Aidan Gillen and Jakub Gierszal. Shot in Poland and released across 250 cinemas in Poland alone, the film premiered in Warsaw to strong local reception before making its Irish premiere on February 28.

A tense and timely drama, the film explores moral courage and personal reckoning set against the backdrop of political upheaval. Produced by Marek Nowowiejski, with Irish producer David Collins and Ukrainian producer Serge Lavrenyuk, the project stands as a testament to international collaboration under challenging circumstances. With the ongoing war in Ukraine preventing the production from taking place there as originally intended, Samson remained committed to bringing the film to fruition - recognising that its themes of resistance and responsibility resonate now more than ever.

With cinematography by Piotr Sobociński Jr., Gorky Resort combines muscular storytelling with striking visual scale, underscoring Samson Films’ continued commitment to ambitious European co-productions with global relevance.

Thank you to the team at the Dublin International Film Festival for selecting these films and looking forward to showcasing what's next soon!