Irish actor Aidan Gillen, known internationally for roles in the TV series Game of Thrones, The Wire, and Peaky Blinders, will attend this year’s Zlín Film Festival as one of the event’s headline international guests. Festival organizers confirmed that Gillen will personally present the Irish feature Trad, which will screen in international premiere at the festival later this month.
The actor, who portrayed Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish in Game of Thrones, is expected to appear at multiple festival events, including screenings, audience discussions, and the festival’s red carpet ceremony on May 31. His visit adds another high-profile international name to the 66th edition of the festival, which runs from May 28 to June 3 and remains one of the world’s oldest film festivals dedicated to children and youth audiences.
Directed by Lance Daly, Trad was previously announced as part of the festival’s International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category. The coming-of-age drama combines themes of identity and generational conflict with Irish traditional music, continuing Daly’s long relationship with the Zlín festival after earlier appearances more than a decade ago.
Gillen’s appearance also marks a return to the Czech Republic for the actor, who spent several months in Prague during the 2002 production of Shanghai Knights, starring Jackie Chan.
Irish star strengthens festival’s global profile
Festival artistic director Markéta Pášmová described Gillen as one of the most respected contemporary Irish actors, noting his reputation for portraying psychologically layered and morally ambiguous characters across television and film.
Over the course of his career, Gillen has built an international profile through projects ranging from Queer as Folk and The Wire to feature films including Bohemian Rhapsody, Sing Street, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. He has received multiple Irish Film & Television Awards and earned a BAFTA nomination early in his television career.
In statements released by the festival, Gillen said film festivals remain among his favorite parts of working in cinema, particularly for independent productions that rely on festival exposure to reach audiences internationally.
“It’s always a great opportunity to discover other cultures and see how a film works within them,” the actor said ahead of his Zlín appearance.
Director Daly also praised Gillen’s contribution to Trad, describing the actor’s performance as bringing “inner energy and subtle irony” to the film. The project is being positioned by festival organizers as one of the standout titles in this year’s youth competition lineup, which includes productions from Europe, South Korea, Brazil, Iraq, and the United States.
The inclusion of Trad continues the festival’s broader emphasis on auteur-driven films exploring adolescence, identity, and social pressures through culturally specific storytelling. Earlier announcements for this year’s program highlighted a strong presence of European co-productions and independent features aimed at teenage audiences.
Zlín festival expands international reach
Founded in 1961, the Zlín Film Festival has increasingly positioned itself as both a public-facing cultural event and an industry platform connecting international filmmakers, producers, and emerging talent. This year’s edition will feature nearly 300 films from 56 countries alongside expanded professional programming.
Gillen will attend screenings of Trad at the Golden Apple Cinema in central Zlín alongside co-star Dallán Woods and director Lance Daly. Festival organizers scheduled screenings for May 30 and June 1, with accompanying audience discussions expected as part of the presentations.
The actor’s participation also reflects the festival’s growing ability to attract internationally recognized performers connected to independent and European cinema. While Zlín has historically focused on children’s and youth filmmaking, recent editions have increasingly highlighted crossover titles capable of appealing to broader arthouse and festival audiences.
This year’s lineup is led by several Czech productions and co-productions, including the fantasy feature When Parents Turn Divine and the animated film The Crystal Planet, both receiving world premieres during the festival. Organizers have framed the overall selection around themes of friendship, resilience, identity, and hope, with films addressing the challenges facing younger generations in rapidly changing societies.
