The Red Umbrella is famed for being an international symbol of sex workers. What most don’t realise, is that it is actually a symbol of pride – an unwavering token of determination and perseverance. The umbrella in the logo stands for protection, and the colour red symbolises love. This description epitomises the maxim of Red Umbrella Éireann – a film festival which, in its very nature, can elicit gasps: four days dedicated solely to the celebration of sex workers and advocacy for their rights. It’s a festival of love, passion and female community in its purest form. But it is also a loud and crucial outcry against the dehumanising policies criminalising sex work around the globe.
Between October 16th and October 19th, various Dublin venues saw the second edition of the Red Umbrella Film Festival (RUFF), which opened with the Irish premiere of Fucktoys (Annapurna Sriram, 2025) in collaboration with the Light House Cinema and TITE: Trans Image/Trans Experience. The event included personalised Tarot readings, inspired by the plot of the film – a camp, comical story of AP – sex worker who goes on a quest to lift a curse put upon her.
This absurd yet exceptional inauguration of the festival varied, however, in tone from the rest of the events. Most films screened during Red Umbrella depicted the less glamorous, but brutally realistic aspects of the sex work industry. From porn short films to documentaries centering the struggles of life, each screening was a portrait of a personal experience from a member of the community, and each offered an equally important perspective on sex, body and human rights.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the screening of Womxn: Working (Shanelle Jewnarain, 2025) – a documentary on the fight for decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa. Fuelled by their own voices, Womxn: Working looked at a community of activists and sex workers of the SWEAT (Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce) organisation, fighting for destigmatisation and sex workers’ rights in a country notoriously plagued by the femicide crisis. The film’s main objective was to shine light on sex work as a conscious choice of profession and to advocate for the recognition of sex workers’ labour rights. Under the motto of a luta continua, the women discussed their experiences of being sex workers as mothers, sharing the pain of having their children disrespected in the local community before eventually being taken away from them.
One of the activists in Womxn: Working – Dudu Dlamini – was also a member of the Care and Resistance panel which took place following the film screening. Dlamini, a mother of four and a sex worker, is the face behind the Mother For the Future programme which seeks support for mothers who do sex work. Joined by organisers from Transgress the NGS and other activists, she focused the discussion on the significance of community, and sustenance through mutual aid and care.
Other events of the festival included panels on unionising and organisation of sex workers’ protests, as well as decriminalisation in all its contexts (sex work, drugs, and abortion). Workshops, which ran throughout the weekend, were centred around different aspects of sex work and more – from beginner boxing classes to BDSM workshops.
Despite being branded a film festival, Red Umbrella Éireann was much more than that. Filled with incredible pieces of independent cinema and equally noteworthy discussions from experts, the occasion brimmed with the atmosphere of a warm, welcoming community. With accessibly priced tickets, a truly safe space, and an important cause, the Red Umbrella Film Festival was worthy of all the uproar.
