Members of the Jury: Clare McArdle (Head of Acquisitions, Notorious Pictures), Giovanni Robbiano (director and screenwriter)
☘️ DRAMA☘️
BABY STEPS (Ireland, 2023) 9’29”
directed by Hannah Mamalis – producer: Zoë Brennan-Whitmore
with Hannah Mamalis, Gavin Drea, Tara Flynn
Em is 7-months pregnant and feels no connection to the baby inside her. She tries to follow the instructions of an outdated tape called How to Connect with your Unborn Child – chaos ensues.
CALF (Ireland, 2023) 14’48”
directed by Jamie O’Rourke – producers: Ronan Cassidy, Gregory Burrowes
with Isabelle Connolly, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Stephen Hogan
A sinister farm accident leaves Cáit with a terrible decision to make.
CANTATA (Ireland, 2023) 11’44”
directed by Dave Fox – producers: Rob Earley, Mark Griffin
with Fionn Foley, Bryan Quinn, Hannah Mamalis, Morgan C Jones, Faye O’Rourke, Rory Musgrave
Darren needs help. His fears and anxieties are manifesting themselves in the most unusual of ways – through the medium of opera. He visits his therapist to find a quick solution, but sometimes restoring harmony is about facing the music.
ONCE A BEIGE DAY (Ireland, 2023) 11’30”
directed by Seán Mullan – producer: Seán Mullan
An empty room is full of memories.
SIMON (Ireland, 2022) 13’16”
directed by Peter J McCarthy, Ben Conway – producer: Rob Earley
with Aaron Monaghan
A desperate call for help pushes Simon to his breaking point.
WHAT NOW? (Ireland, 2023) 15’45”
directed by Jack Olohan – producer: Kate Stanley Brennan
with John Olohan, Aoibheann McCaul, Jack Olohan
After the death of his mother, Davy starts to notice small changes in his father’s behaviour.
WRECKER (Ireland, 2023) 14’13”
directed by Martina McGlynn – producer: Garret Daly
with Sam Keeley, Cameron Barron
In 1849, as famine tears through her community, a young girl discovers her father made a controversial decision to provide for their family. The young girl will confront his choices and fight for what she believes in.
YOU, I KNOW (Northern Ireland, 2023) 18’53”
directed by Lisa Service, John Carlin – producers: Adam Wilkinson, Gavin Kelly, Sam Sripps, Welland Scripps, Kylo Freeman, Phillip McGonigle
with Shane McNaughton, Katherine Devlin, Nigel O’Neill
This is the true story of one man’s wish for a new life, and a woman’s fight to hold onto hers.
☘️ DOCUMENTARY☘️
CUMHA (Ireland, 2023) 6’16”
directed by Elena Horgan
An experimental documentary that explores the intersections of language, land, and identity.
KNOCKSER (Ireland, 2023) 9’46”
directed by Darragh Foy – producers: Steve Sheehy, Colin Brady
with Donal Bligh, Josh Winters
The journey of Bohemian FC amputee squad player Donal Bligh and how football can connect people in unexpected ways.
THE FINAL CHAPTER (Ireland, 2023) 11’38”
directed by Terence White – producers: Kevin Gildea, Terence White
with Kevin Gildea
The last days of a unique bookshop in Dún Laoghaire, run by comedian Kevin Gildea.
☘️ ANIMATION☘️
EVERY OTHER WEEKEND (Ireland, 2023) 4’59”
directed by James Naughton – producer: The National Film School at IADT
Desperate to escape from a routine of biweekly visits, a recently divorced father drags his two children camping to the west of Ireland.
RUFF PATCH (Ireland, 2023) 8’20”
directed by Nico Rylands – producer: Ballyfermot College of Further Education
with Donal Bligh, Josh Winters
A rescue greyhound tries to get along with their new owner “Alex”, as their mental illness manifests itself in the form of the “Beasties”.
TEACUPS (Australia, 2023) 7’35”
directed by Alec Green, Finbar Watson – producers: Alan Holly, Alec Green, Finbar Watson, Carla Vulpiani
with Hugo Weaving
Can a simple act of kindness save a life? For almost half a century, Don Ritchie would approach people contemplating suicide at the edge of a cliff, just 100 feet from his home.
WORRY WORLD (Ireland, 2023) 8’40”
directed by Jessica Patterson – producer: Shauna Cullen
with Domhnall Gleeson, Florence Adebambo
In a regimented world of black-and-white, where all thought is on display, a rebellious young factory worker who thinks in colour makes an unexpected connection.
Out of Competition:
SHAKES VERSUS SHAV (Ireland, 2023) 18′
directed by Damian Farrell, Gerry Hoban – producers: Damian Farrell, Elaine Gallagher, Martha Moloney
with Colm Meaney, Derek Jacobi
The short is based on the last play completed by legendary Irish playwright and Nobel Prizewinner, George Bernard Shaw, where he himself engages in a war of words with William Shakespeare to decide who is the greater writer.