The 15th IRISH FILM FESTA will take place from April 4th to 7th, at the Casa del Cinema in Rome.
Our competitive section, for short films produced or co-produced in Ireland, gathered nearly 200 submissions: reaching the final selection of fifteen shorts (plus one out-of-competition), was incredibly tough.
Heartfelt thanks to all the Irish filmmakers who shared their work with us, and congratulations to the ones who are going to screen at the festival.
IRISH FILM FESTA full programme is to be announced soon.
SHORT FILM COMPETITION
DRAMA
BABY STEPS, Hannah Mamalis
Ireland 2024, 9’29”
produced by da 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 She tries to follow the instructions of an outdated tape called How to Connect with your Unborn Child – chaos ensues.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, Jamie O’Rourke
Ireland 2023, 14’48’’
produced by 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, Dave Fox
Ireland 2023, 11’44’’
produced by 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, Seán Mullan
Ireland 2023, 11’30’’
produced by Seán Mullan
with Oisin McCool, Colm Herron
An empty room is full of memories.
SIMON, Peter J McCarthy & Ben Conway
Ireland 2022, 13’16’’
produced by Rob Earley
with Aaron Monaghan
A desperate call for help pushes Simon to his breaking point.
WHAT NOW?, Jack Olohan
Ireland 2023, 15’45’’
produced by 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 behavior.
WRECKER, Martina McGlynn
Ireland 2023, 14’13’’
produced by 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, Lisa Service & John Carlin
Ireland 2023, 18’53’’
produced by 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, Elena Horgan
Ireland 2024, 6’16’’
An experimental documentary that explores the intersections of language, land, and identity.
KNOCKSER, Darragh Foy
Ireland 2023, 9’46’’
produced by 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, Terence White
Ireland 2023, 11’38’’
produced by 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, James Naughton
Ireland 2023, 4’59’’
produced by The National Film School – 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, Nico Rylands
Ireland 2023, 8’20’’
produced by Ballyfermot College of Further Education
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, Alec Green & Finbar Watson
Australia/Ireland 2024, 7’35’’
produced by Alan Holly, Alec Green, Finbar Watson, Carla Vulpiani
with the voice of 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, Jessica Patterson
Ireland 2023, 8’40’’
produced by Shauna Cullen
with the voices of Domhnall Gleeson and 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, Damian Farrell & Gerry Hoban
Ireland 2023, 18′
produced by 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.