The Galway Film Fleadh has announced the addition of The Negotiator to its 2025 programme—a timely, powerful, and deeply personal feature documentary that brings a vital new perspective to this year’s festival.
Marking a significant highlight of the 37th edition, The Negotiator tells the extraordinary story of Senator George J. Mitchell, whose leadership and vision were instrumental in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Thirty years after his first visit to Northern Ireland as President Bill Clinton’s special economic envoy, this compelling film explores the art of political negotiation and the quest for lasting peace.
Directed by journalist and filmmaker Trevor Birney—best known for producing the Oscar-shortlisted Kneecap—The Negotiator traces Mitchell’s journey across Northern Ireland, Washington, D.C., and Maine. It poses timely questions about the role of the United States in conflict resolution and international diplomacy, and about what is truly required to turn the impossible into the possible.
Produced by Stephen Douds and Andrew Tully, The Negotiator is more than a portrait of a peacemaker—it’s a meditation on patience, compromise, and hope in a world still torn by division. Its inclusion in this year’s Fleadh speaks directly to the festival’s commitment to showcasing bold, socially resonant storytelling.
The Negotiator will screen at the Pálás Cinema on Friday, 11 July at 9:30am, and is expected to generate significant interest among audiences and media alike.
Book tickets for The Negotiator at galwayfilmfleadh.com, or explore the full programme—including screenings, Q&As, filmmaker interviews, panel discussions, and more—at galwayfilmfleadh.com, or contact the Town Hall Theatre box office at 091 569777.
The Galway Film Fleadh is Ireland’s leading film festival, bringing together audiences, filmmakers, and industry professionals for a week of discovery, discussion, and celebration.
The festival is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, TG4, Coimisiún na Meán, Galway City Council, and Fáilte Ireland.