Stephen Bradley and Deirdre O’Kane will be honored for their film, Noble, at this year’s Irish Film Festival, Boston, running from March 20 to 23 at the Somerville Theatre.

Following a one-year hiatus, Irish Film Festival, Boston, sponsored by B.A. Event Promotions/Rás na hÉireann, will run from March 20 to 23 at the historic Somerville Theatre and will screen approximately 30 films. This year’s lineup will offer a host of contemporary Irish films, receptions with visiting Irish filmmakers, cocktail parties and a few surprises.

On opening night, director and Academy Award nominee Steph Green and actress Ruth McCabe (Philomena) will be present to accept the Best Breakthrough Feature award for Run & Jump, along with director Brian Deane of Volkswagen Joe, who will receive the award for Most Inspiring Best Short. On Friday, Kelly Thornton, the 16-year-old actress recently nominated for an Irish Film Academy Award for her role in director Lance Daly’s Life’s a Breeze, will be in attendance. Other honorees appearing at the festival will include director Ian Fitzgibbon and actor Dylan Moran (Run Fatboy Run, Shaun of the Dead), accepting the Director’s Choice Short Film award for Breakfast Wine; director Donald Taylor Black of Skin in the Game for Global Vision Best Documentary award; and director Stephen Bradley and actress Deirdre O’Kane (Intermission), who will be accepting a special jury prize for their film, Noble.

“We’ve received an unprecedented number of film submissions this time around, and the quality of the work is going from strength to strength,” Dawn Morrissey, director of the Irish Film Festival, Boston said. “From a political documentary examining the current crisis in Ireland to a life-affirming film starring celebrity comedian Will Forte, this year’s festival offers something for everyone.”

The Irish Film Festival will run from Thursday, March 20, through Sunday, March 23, at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. Tickets to each screening are $14 for opening night in advance ($15 at the box office) and $11 for all other screenings ($12 at the box office). Ticket prices include entry to all pre-and post-event receptions. A special All Access Festival Pass (allowing entrance to all screenings and receptions) is available for $85.

For ticket purchases and further information on the festival, including a complete schedule of all screenings and events, visit www.irishfilmfestival.com

Founded in 1999, The Irish Film Festival, Boston is the largest event of its kind outside of Ireland. The festival has screened over 400 Irish films in Boston, including highly acclaimed films such as In America, Intermission and Sunday Bloody Sunday, and it was the first American film festival to recognize the 2007 Oscar winner, Once. The festival is also the go-to for sneak peeks and U.S.- distributor sponsored screenings. Deemed one of the “Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals” worldwide by MovieMaker Magazine, the festival celebrates the very best of Ireland and the Irish on screen – past, present and future. The festival has played host to some of the greatest names in Irish cinema, including Jim Sheridan, Gabriel Byrne, Brendan Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Terry George, Colm Meaney, Fionnula Flannagan, John Boorman, Aidan Quinn and Stephen Rea.