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Presents: John Butler, Writer/Director of These Sacred Vows06 Feb 202600:50:16

In this Film Ireland Podcast, supported by Screen Ireland, we’re delighted to be chatting once again with director, screenwriter and novelist John Butler.


John is behind the popular feature films The Stag, Handsome Devil and Papi Chulo, and was a writer and second director on Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws for BBC One and Amazon Studios. His latest series, These Sacred Vows, is now airing on RTÉ, with the first two episodes available to watch on the RTÉ Player, and episode three airing at 9.30pm this Sunday on RTÉ One.


This episode has been made possible with the support of the Screen Ireland Stakeholders Fund.


Secrets of love, lies, and betrayal unravel at an Irish wedding in Tenerife after the body of a priest is found floating face-down in the swimming pool of the young guests' villa.


John Butler Biography


John is a novelist and an RTS and IFTA award-winning director and writer for TV and film. He wrote on and directed Stephen Merchant’s “The Outlaws” (BBC/Amazon), starring Christopher Walken, Darren Boyd and Eleanor Tomlinson In 2019, “Papi Chulo” (which John wrote and directed) premiered as special presentation at TIFF. Other premieres included DIFF19 (Dublin), TFF (Torino), Palm Springs, LFF (London), BFI Flare, Guadalajara, Glasgow, Prague and Sydney. Prior to that, John wrote and directed “Handsome Devil”, which sold to Netflix worldwide and picked up awards including the DIFF Critic’s Circle Award, the Miami Film Festival audience award and best drama at the Celtic Film and TV Festival. In 2014, John directed and co-wrote “The Stag” which premiered at TIFF, TriBeCa, Turin and elsewhere. In 2012, John’s debut novel “The Tenderloin” was published by Picador and shortlisted at the Irish Book Awards. John’s other writing has appeared in Esquire magazine, The Irish Times, The Dublin Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, FilmMaker magazine, Shot List, and on NPR.


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Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Emmy-winning Filmmaker Marissa Aroy30 Jan 202600:34:27

In this Film Ireland Podcast, we are delighted to welcome a very special guest host, Mark Hernandez. He will be speaking with Emmy-winning filmmaker Marissa Aroy, discussing her inspiration, career and creative processes. 


Marissa’s short film Recipe is screening at Imbolg: Women Who Terrify on 31st January, while her latest short film, The Parting (funded by the National Talent Academies), is about to have its world premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival on 20th February.


Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


Marissa Aroy


Marissa is an award-winning filmmaker whose work spans over two decades in documentary storytelling. She received an Emmy for her PBS documentary Sikhs in America and an Emmy nomination for The Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers, which highlights the critical yet overlooked role of Filipinos in the American labour movement. A Fulbright Scholar, Aroy was honoured with the inaugural Hatsuye Yamasaki Award for Visionary Leadership by the College of William and Mary, where she also served as the Asian Centennial Distinguished Film Fellow in Residence.


Her work extends beyond filmmaking to teaching and mentorship, having taught film at Trinity College Dublin, Berkeley City College, and The New School in New York, and now teaching New Media Studies at IADT in Dún Laoghaire. She has also contributed to Irish cinema through her leadership roles with Irish Screen America, the San Francisco Irish Film Festival, and as a board member of Women in Film and Television Ireland. She served as producer on the award-winning short film The Ferry that was shown on RTÉ and long-listed for the Oscars. Aroy’s projects reflect her commitment to amplifying marginalised voices and cultural heritage. She was commissioned by the Smithsonian Museum of American History in the US to create short films for the exhibition “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories.”


Her short film Recipe, previously titled (Losing Cock/Talunang Manok), is a suspenseful short film shot in the Philippines and edited by award-winning editor John Murphy (The Quiet Girl). This film will be shown at Imbolg: Women Who Terrify film festival, in Strand C at 2.30 pm on Saturday 31st January at Griffith College. She has another short film called The Parting that she directed, which will be in the Dublin International Film Festival on 20th February. She is currently working on another short film called Birthday Swim, for which she received funding from Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown’s First Frames.

Now based in Wicklow, Ireland, with her husband and filmmaking partner Niall McKay, Aroy continues to develop independent projects including the radio drama The Morrigan, a fictional radio drama about Ella Young that combines fantasy and history in early 20th century Ireland, which was broadcast on Dublin FM. They are also developing a historical documentary on the Philippine-American War. Her work reflects her passion for storytelling that bridges her Filipino, Irish and American identities. “I want someone to see our brown faces on the screen or behind the scenes and feel proud of who we are as a people,” she says, underscoring her dedication to creating art that inspires, entertains and empowers.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: DICFF Festival Director Mo O'Connell & Filmmaker Laoisa Sexton21 Nov 202500:45:27

In this Film Ireland Podcast, we’re shining a spotlight on the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival (DICFF), which returns for its sixth edition from 27th - 30th November, to Tailors’ Hall, The Liberties.

First up, festival director Mo O’Connell talks through this year’s jam-packed programme.

Then we have a live recording from the first heat of the DICFF stand-up competition, held earlier this year in collaboration with Culture 8 and the Dublin Liberties Distillery.

Finally, Film Ireland contributor Rachel Melita is in conversation with actor, writer, and filmmaker Laoisa Sexton. Laoisa’s short I Can't Go On screens as part of Shorts Block F on Friday, 29th November.

Listen to this podcast now on AppleSpotifyAmazonSoundcloudAcast or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


This episode has been made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán and the Screen Ireland Stakeholder’s Scheme.


As Mo mentions in the podcast, here is the GoFundMe link to support Haneen Koraz, as she empowers the children of Gaza through art. 

Here's the link to support Aisling & her three boys, Ted, Sonny & Max. 


Festival Director Mo O’Connell 

The festival is the brainchild of Maureen “Mo” O’Connell, an award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer. Mo is co-producer on the dramedy Horseshoe, which will be released in cinemas this December. The filmmaking duo behind Horseshoe first met Mo through DICFF, after submitting their short to the festival.

Mo’s own debut comedy feature, Spa Weekend, has been a hit both at home and internationally, screening at festivals across the UK, Europe, the US, Canada, and Ireland. It won the ‘She Is On Fire’ Award at the Female Filmmakers Festival in Berlin. She has also received multiple awards for directing shorts including HavenBruise, and Hum.

Mo is the founder and head of the multi–award-winning company 3 Hot Whiskeys Productions Ltd., and was recently nominated for the TU Dublin TrailblazHer Awards in the Future Leader 2025 category.


Laoisa Sexton

Laoisa is an actress, writer and filmmaker originally from County Clare. She won a green card in school lotto which took her to study drama in New York City. Onstage, she has worked extensively in prominent Off Broadway theaters including Irish Repertory Theater (where she is a company member), Irish Arts Center, Labyrinth, The Actor's Studio, Symphony Space, 59E59 and more. She has also appeared in prestigious regional theaters across the US amongst them The Guthrie, Minneapolis and Studio Theater, Washington DC. She wrote and performed three of her own plays, all of them received Off Broadway productions in New York: For Love and The Last Days of Cleopatra (both received 5* NY Times Critics Picks), and The Pigeon in The Taj Mahal with further productions in Ireland and Canada. Her fourth play Blessed Art Thou Amongst Women received the Agility Award from the Arts Council.Laoisa has appeared in many independent films and TV appearances in the US and Ireland.  Laoisa wrote, acted and directed the short films- I didn’t... I wasn’t ...I amn’t, featuring veteran Irish actor Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) . The film premiered at Cork International Film Festival and picked up multiple awards internationally, and was nominated for a ZEBBIE Award by the Writer's Guild. The Lucky Man premiered at Galway Film Fleadh and won multiple awards at Bafta recognized LOCO London Comedy Film Festival picking up Best Short, Best Script and Best Actor in 2023, and was broadcast on RTE ShortScreen. Laoisa received Screen Ireland funding for her third short film I Can't Go On which premiered at Galway Film Fleadh. Laoisa is represented by RBM Actors in London. 


This year’s line-up includes over 50 comedy films, sketches, live stand-up, script readings, Q&As, competitions, and a brilliant final awards ceremony. Explore the full programme at dublininternationalcomedyfilmfest.com or buy your festival pass here.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Michael Kinirons, Writer/Director & Alicia Ní Ghráinne, Producer of The Sparrow05 Jul 202401:03:34

In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Michael Kinirons, Writer/Director and Alicia Ní Ghráinne, Producer of ‘The Sparrow’.

Listen now on SoundCloudAppleSpotifyAcast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.

In cinemas from 5th July 2024.

Starring: Ollie West, David O’Hara, Éanna Hardwicke, Aisling O’Sullivan, Isabelle Connolly, Dara Devaney and Mark O’Halloran 

Wild teen Kevin Coyle grapples with guilt over a deadly secret. As his world unravels and consequences mount, Kevin is pushed to confront the truth in a heart-wrenching climax that will change him forever.

AWARDS 

  • Best First Irish Feature, 34th Galway Film Fleadh
  • Punto Enuentro Audience Award, Seminici Film Festival, Valladolid
  • Best Sound, IFTA winner
  • Best Lead Actor, Ollie West IFTA nominee

Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland in association with RTÉ and Coimisiún na Meán / Broadcasting Authority of Ireland


Michael Kinirons is an Irish screenwriter and director. He studied, amongst other places, at the National Film and Television School, (NFTS) London and the Torino Film Lab, and is an alumnus of the Berlin Talent Campus. His first produced feature as screenwriter - STRANGERLAND (an Australian set mystery drama starring NICOLE KIDMAN, HUGO WEAVING and JOE FIENNES) had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2015.

In 2022, Michael made THE SPARROW, his debut film as writer/director. The film won Best First Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh, the audience award at Seminci FF, Valladolid and went on to win an IFTA. Kinirons’ short films have mostly been funded through Screen Ireland and have had successful runs on the international festival circuit with LOWLAND FELL winning the Special Jury Prize at the Seattle Int’l Film Festival in 2009 among other awards.

Producer, writer, and director Alicia Ní Ghráinne is founder and CEO of Tiger Darling since 2016. She has produced four shorts and two features: The Sparrow (2022) and Five and a Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius (2023), a Lithuanian-Latvian co-production. Both features won European awards, including Best First Feature at Galway Film Fleadh and Best Film in The Rebel With a Cause section at Black Nights, Tallinn. Alicia is developing a slate for 2024/25 and was selected for the Rotterdam Film Lab 2024.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Steven McKenna, Writer & Director and Jaro Waldeck DOP of ‘Dreamtown’28 Jun 202400:49:11
In this podcast in partnership with the Galway Film Fleadh, Gemma Creagh talks to Steven McKenna, Writer & Director and Jaro Waldeck DOP of Dreamtown, which is screening at this year's festival (9-14 July 2024).An aging rocker who never realised his dreams is forced to come to terms with his failures as he tries to start a relationship with his estranged son. A coming of age drama in the mind of a 56 year old.Dreamtown screens at Galway Film Fleadh 2024 on Saturday 13th July at 2pm.  https://www.galwayfilmfleadh.comSteven McKennaSteven McKenna is an award-winning filmmaker based in Dublin, Ireland. Since graduating from college, he has been crafting his own films, earning numerous accolades at festivals nationwide. His debut feature film, Dreamtown, which he wrote, produced, and directed, will premiere at the prestigious 36th Galway Film Festival. His recent short films, Rum & Raisin and The Work Party, have won him Best Irish Short and Best Comedy awards, respectively, while his other works have garnered multiple nominations. Another short film, Lover Boy, became an online sensation, amassing over a million views. Steven's passion for film shines through in his creation of compelling, larger-than-life characters whose tragic stories resonate deeply with audiences and leave a lasting impression. An avid movie collector, he brings a rich understanding of cinema to his work. In addition to writing and directing, Steven has composed music for all his films and has been sought after for other projects. Notably, he composed the entire score for the indie feature Follow The Dead.Jaro WaldeckJaro earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Cinematography from Columbia College Chicago and Film and TV Academy of Performing Arts Prague (FAMU), respectively. Her main body of work consists of low budget short live-action films as well as music videos and longer form documentaries. In 2023, Jaro transitioned into features, having worked on the Screen Ireland funded documentary Housewife of the Year and independent drama Dreamtown.Listen to our former chat with Jaro here: https://filmireland.net/2019/07/01/jaro-waldeck-cinematographer/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Screen Sessions: Mark O’Halloran & Katie McNeice on Writing25 Jun 202400:52:27
In partnership with Screen Ireland, we are delighted to launch our inaugural Screen Sessions - a series of in-depth conversations on craft between emerging and established talent from the Irish Screen industries. Our first podcast of the series will tackle the art of writing for the screen. It's been 20 years since the iconic Adam and Paul took the nation by storm and redefined Irish cinema for the next generation. Join actor and writer Mark O'Halloran in conversation with writer/filmmaker Katie McNeice as they delve into their creative journeys as well as the twists and turns they faced along the way.This discussion has been made possible with the support of Screen Ireland.The next Screen Sessions podcast will be available in July and the series will culminate in a live event later this year.Subscribe to our newsletter here and never miss another event: https://filmireland.net/newsletter/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Marian Quinn, Writer/Director of Twig21 Jun 202400:42:34
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Marian Quinn, Writer/Director of Twig. Twig, a powerful retelling of the Greek tragedy Antigone, is set in Dublin’s inner city where an ancient city wall cordons off a neighbourhood which is rife with drugs. When the local crime lord, Leon (O’Byrne) vows to let her brother Paulie’s body rot in the street, Twig (Malone), young and iron-willed, defiantly sets out to do the right thing. The tragedy which unfolds inexorably, pits the two figures against each other, building relentlessly as grief, love, hope and despair collide in a dramatic conclusion against the backdrop of Dublin’s docklands.Written and directed by Marian Quinn, Twig stars Sade Malone (Tin Star, Pistol) opposite BAFTA-winning, Tony Award-winning and Emmy nominated Brían F. O’Byrne (Little Boy Blue, Million Dollar Baby). Quinn previously wrote and directed the coming-of-age feature 32A which won the Best First Feature Award at the Galway Film Fleadh.Produced by Ruth Carter for Blue Ink Films (Lies We Tell, Damo & Ivor – The Movie) and Tommy Weir for Janey Pictures (32A), Twig is funded byFís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, RTÉ and Wildcard Distribution.In cinemas from 21st June 2024.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film Ireland Presents: Virpi Suutari, Director of Once Upon A Time In A Forest17 Jun 202400:39:53
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Virpi Suutari, Director of Once Upon A Time In A Forest, which is screening at Docs Ireland (18 – 23 June 2024).A modern fairy tale in the enchanting embrace of the Finnish forest makes its Irish premiere.We witness young people seamlessly woven into the fabric of nature, swimming in crystalline lakes and revelling in the calm presence of the ancient trees. This idyllic harmony is imperilled as the forest faces man-made extinction. Driven by her love for the forest, 22-year-old Ida becomes the leader of the new Forest Movement, coming face to face with Finnish forest industry giants and confronting generational bias. Breathtaking visuals take viewers into the heart of the forest and the centre of the conflict. The film is a hopeful ode to nature and its protectors.A film both peaceful and inspiring, it successfully evokes the complex feelings that are very common in a generation that is living with the heavy consequences of it’s ancestor’s actions.Once Upon A Time In A Forest screens as part of the Maysles Brothers observational documentary competition on 20th June 2024 at Docs Ireland. Ticketshttps://queensfilmtheatre.com/Whats-On/Once-Upon-a-Time-in-a-ForestSee the full programmehttps://docsireland.ie/programme/whats-on/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Yousef Srouji, Director of Three Promises07 Jun 202400:26:43
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Yousef Srouji about his film Three Promises, which is screening at Docs Ireland (18 - 23 June 2024).While the Israeli army retaliates against the second intifada in the West Bank in the early 2000s, a mother films her family’s daily life, punctuated by time spent sheltering in the basement. Her son revisits this past, delivering a heart-breaking film that conveys the anguish of children and their parents who are forced to choose between safety and emotional upheaval.The devastating and intimate film revolves around three critical moments when Suha negotiates her family’s safety with God amid the abandonment of dear friends, her son’s fleeting childhood, her daughter’s mistrust, and directly facing her own mortality.Three Promises screens as part of a double bill alongside Between Two Crossings on 19th June 2024 at Docs Ireland.Ticketshttps://docsireland.ie/programme/whats-on/https://filmireland.net/Subscribe to the Film Ireland podcast on your favourite platform at. https://linktr.ee/filmireland

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Eleanor McSherry, UCC Programme Coordinator of Autism Studies31 May 202400:33:42
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Eleanor McSherry, a highly qualified Programme Coordinator/designer, researcher and lecturer with UCC (ACE). She lectures and gives workshops, in the areas of neurodiversity in the screen industry, autism studies, disability studies, mental health, film scriptwriting, creative writing, film and media. She is currently doing her PhD with in Maynooth University’s Media Department.Check out the available courses here:Diploma in Autism Studies: https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace-daus/Cert in Continuing Professional Development in Advocacy: https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace-ccpdad/Cert in Continuing Professional Development in Neurodiversity for the Screen Industry: https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace-ccpdns/Cert in Continuing Professional Development in Neurodiversity in the Arts and Creative Industries: Sept 2024Cert in Continuing Professional Development in Wellbeing Coordination (for the Arts and Creative Industries): Sept 2024Cert in Continuing Professional Development in Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Sept 2024https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DocArena: Colm Quinn, Ransom ’7929 May 202400:41:15

In this episode of The DocArena Podcast, Ross Whitaker talks to Colm Quinnabout his documentary Ransom '79.

Listen now on SoundCloudAppleSpotifyAcast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


Welcome to The DocArena Podcast in association with Film Ireland. My name is Ross Whitaker and every fortnight, I want to dig deeply into the motivations of documentary filmmakers – how do they choose their subject material and what approaches and strategies do they employ to fund, craft and distribute their work…


Ransom '79 tells the story of legendary Irish reporter Charlie Bird and his determination to break one final story before his life is cut short by Motor Neurone Disease. Charlie's sources have given him an extraordinary true crime story, one that had remained secret for decades - the attempt by a criminal gang to extort millions from the Irish government. The disease has already taken Charlie's voice. But clever use of technology means he can still do interviews - using a voice app on his ipad - and, even as his strength falters, he keeps chasing the story.Ransom '79 charts Charlie’s investigation and reconstructs a scarcely-believable sequence of events that led from farce to tragedy, in a very different Ireland. But beneath it all, the film is an exploration of how one man confronting his own mortality can find respite in doing the thing he loves, even in the most terrible of circumstances.

Ransom '79 is directed by Colm Quinn and is produced by John Kelleher and David Power with backing from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, Virgin Media, Derrin Group and S481.

In cinemas 24th May 2024.


Check out DocArena episodes here

Ross Whitaker is a documentary filmmaker (Katie, The Boys in Green, Between Land and Sea) and is a former editor of Film Ireland Magazine and programmer of the IFI Dublin Documentary Film Festival @RossWhitakerTV

Podcast music composed by michaelflemingmusic.com


Ross Whitaker is a producer and/or director of the feature documentaries Beat the Lotto (2025), Katie (2018), Between Land and Sea (2016), Unbreakable (2014) and Saviours (2007). His recent work includes the TV documentaries This Is Open Country (2025) for NBC/Sky, Birdsong (2024) for RTÉ (+ BBC, ARTE), Rachael Blackmore: A Grand Year (2021) for ITV/RTÉ, Barney Curley Beat the Bookies (2021) for BBC/RTÉ and The Boys in Green (2020) for RTÉ. His short documentaries include the award-winning Bye Bye Now (2009) and Home Turf (2011), as well as the documentary commercial Sleeping Flags (2019), which won prestigious D&AD and Cannes Lions Awards. He is a former festival director of IFI DocFest and editor of Film Ireland magazine.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Gary Lennon, Director of Piano Dreams23 May 202400:36:47
Delving into this story with families at the core, in this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Gary Lennon, Director of Piano Dreams.There are currently 40 million piano students in China. With many practising up to ten hours a day, pianomania has truly gripped the nation. We follow three young hopefuls and their dedicated families as they chase their dreams in the ultra-competitive world of piano education. This is both an intimate portrait of remarkably talented young musicians and a glimpse into the lives of the new Chinese middle class: their aspirations, their sacrifices and their sheer drive to succeed.In cinemas 24th May 2024.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Laura McGann, Writer/Director of The Deepest Breath23 May 202400:26:40

A big congratulations to director Laura McGann as her powerful documentary The Deepest Breath has just won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary. Listen back to our Film Ireland podcast, where Gemma Creagh talks to Laura McGann about her beautiful film.

Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


The Deepest Breath follows champion freediver Alessia Zecchini, who fell in love with the sport as a child growing up in Italy, astounding coaches with her raw talent and determination in pool swims and open water contests before she was even old enough to legally compete. Irish adventurer turned expert safety diver Stephen Keenan, meanwhile, was raised near the sea, but as a young man he set out on a quest to find himself, traveling across Africa before landing in Dahab, Egypt and establishing a dive school. Despite their very different paths, the two would meet at the pinnacle of the competitive freediving world, discovering a shared passion for pushing their limits and forming a powerful relationship that felt like fate.


From Irish director Laura McGann, this thrilling documentary takes a look inside one of the most dangerous sports in the world, using everything from raw underwater dive footage to childhood home movies to chronicle Zecchini and Keenan’s lives and careers. The bond between them propels the film's emotional journey into the stunning, silent depths of the ocean, a breathtaking place unseen by all but the fortunate few – where exhilarating accomplishments and unavoidable risks await.

The Deepest Breath is in cinemas from 14th July 2023 and is available to stream on Netflix now.



Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State of the Arts: Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus: House of Ashur) with host Des Doyle18 Nov 202501:09:10

In the latest episode of the State of the Arts Podcast, host, filmmaker and writer Des Doyle chats with Steven S.DeKnight, acclaimed screenwriter, director, producer, and creator/showrunner behind some of the most influential genre series of the past two decades.

Produced in partnership with Film Ireland and supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, the State of the Arts series explores the creative processes, industry challenges, and new opportunities that both Irish and international creatives face in today’s ever-evolving artistic landscapes.

In this conversation, DeKnight reflects on his journey breaking into the entertainment industry as a writer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He discusses his work writing, directing, and producing on iconic series such as AngelSmallville, and Dollhouse, before creating the hit show Spartacus for Starz and showrunning season one of Marvel’s Daredevil. He also talks about making his feature directorial debut with Pacific Rim: Uprising and his return to the Spartacus universe with the upcoming Spartacus: House of Ashur


Listen to this podcast now on AppleSpotifySoundcloudPodbeanDeezerAcast or wherever you get your podcasts here


Steven S. DeKnight

Steven attended the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and went on to earn an M.F.A. in playwriting from UCLA. He got his start in the entertainment industry as a staff writer on the groundbreaking television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He then wrote, directed, and produced on the series AngelSmallville, and Dollhousebefore creating and running the hit series Spartacus for the premium cable channel Starz. From there he went on to executive produce and showrun season one of the acclaimed Marvel/Netflix series Daredevil. He made his feature directorial debut with Pacific Rim: Uprising, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s international hit. He is currently the creator/executive producer of Spartacus: House of Ashur, a Spartacus spinoff series for Lionsgate/Starz. 

A lover of comic books since before he could read, DeKnight has penned issues of Wolverine, Black Widow, and Conan the Barbarian for Marvel. He has also recently published his first two original graphic novels: Hard Bargain, a 1940’s supernatural detective noir for the acclaimed French comic book company Humanoids and, Beneath, a tense, socially relevant horror story for Comixology/Amazon.


Des Doyle

Des is a D.I.T. graduate who spent fifteen years working in the Camera Department in the Irish film industry before moving into directing. He is the writer/director of the critically acclaimed feature documentary Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show, featuring JJ Abrams (AliasLostFringe), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Ronald D. Moore (OutlanderBattlestar Galactica) and Bill Prady (he Big Bang Theory) amongst others. He has created a number of courses in conjunction with Screen Ireland over the last few years, which provide breakdowns of all the major US and international streaming networks and what their evolving programming needs may be. He also initiated the Pitching Programme for TV Drama and Comedy with Screen Ireland, giving a selected group of writers the opportunity to pitch directly to some of the major Irish production companies based on briefs they provide, and created the LA Writers Room Placements scheme, which allowed Irish writers to travel to LA and spend time in real-world US TV series writers’ rooms.He has also lectured on Showrunning, US TV Production and the Future of Content at USC Los Angeles, Rowan University Philadelphia, Scriptmakers Berlin, APIT TV Producers Conference Lisbon, Northern Ireland Screen, IADT Dublin, Writers Guild of Ireland and as part of the recent Greenlight Screenwriting Labs in Galway.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Presents: Tanya Doyle, Director of Eat / Sleep / Cheer / Repeat17 May 202400:45:06
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Tanya Doyle, Director of 'Eat / Sleep / Cheer / Repeat'.Subscribe to the Film Ireland podcast on your favourite platform at https://linktr.ee/filmirelandTeam captain, glamour queen Jessica; star athlete, Covid anti-vaxer Jayleesa; dyslexic, athletic Blathnaid; out-n-proud, fun-loving Dean; freedom-seeking Taylor; and lost boy Rickie are each searching for their place in the world through the sport they love.  As their anxiety-crippled coach, Hilton, battles to keep the team on track through a season of ill-discipline and injuries, we follow our underdog athletes’ journey to the World Championships in America.This surprising and uplifting coming-of-age movie follows the young female…and male athletes of Team Ireland to intimately explore questions of gender, strength, performance, sexuality and what it’s like growing up in the world today.  Can Team Ireland reach their goal of top ten in the world, and can cheerleading give these athletes a space to find themselves?From award-winning director Tanya Doyle (The House) with music by Stephen Rennicks & Hugh Drumm (Room, The Quiet Girl), Eat / Sleep / Cheer / Repeat is a feel-good documentary exploring the worlds of the young misfits finding a place where they belong.  Battling self-doubt while figuring out their place in the world, this is a story of athletes who don’t just want to stand out.  They want to fit in.Eat/Sleep/Cheer/Repeat is in cinemas from 17th May 2024.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Film Ireland Presents: Simon Chambers, Director of Much Ado About Dying10 May 202400:56:45
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Simon Chambers, the Director of Screen Ireland supported documentary 'Much Ado About Dying.Filmmaker Simon finds his life drastically interrupted when he is called back to London from India to care for his retired bohemian gay actor Uncle David. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. David's anarchic spirit is unbreakable. He fights with Simon, refusing to go into a care home, insisting on dying in the squalor of his unheated tumble-down house. He can't remember where he put his false teeth but he still knows nearly all the lines from his beloved Shakespeare plays. David's real life starts to echo "King Lear", the play about an old man going mad and giving his kingdom away, as David starts giving away thousands of pounds to a hot sexy "helper". How do we deal with and care for our relatives who are living longer than ever? How does Simon help David to have a good death?Much Ado About Dying is in cinemas from 10th May2024.The special event screenings taking place are the followingIrish Film Institute, Dublin - Q&A 10th MayPalás Cinema, Galway - Q&A 11th MayLighthouse Cinema, Dublin - Q&A 12th MayOmniplex Limerick - Q&A 13th MayOmniplex Cork - Q&A 14th MayOmniplex Rathmines, Dublin - Q&A 17th MayOmniplex Belfast - Q&A 18th MayQueens Film Theatre, Belfast - Q&A 19th MayCentury Cinema, Letterkenny - Q&A 19th MayOmniplex Derry - Q&A 20th May

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Film Ireland Presents: Andrew Baird, Director of Sunrise04 May 202400:57:25
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh welcomes back Andrew Baird to talk about his latest film, Sunrise. Then we hear from Director Michael Showalter about his Rom Com The Idea of You. When a former cop named Fallon returns to the scene of a horrific crime, the residents of a rural town discover the dark visitor is really a vampire who feeds on blood and fear. Befriended by a kind immigrant family, the instinctive killer soon faces a choice of revenge or redemption.Sunrise was directed by Andrew Baird from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Ronan Blaney, and stars Guy Pearce and Alex Pettyfer.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking Film: What's happening in Japanese Cinema?24 Apr 202400:59:52
In this Japanese Film Festival Roundtable, Gemma Creagh talks to Andrew Partridge, founder of Anime Limited, Emmy Shigeta, a Japanese DJ working in the industry in Ireland, and Stephen McNeice, co-programmer of the Japanese Film Festival Ireland.https://www.jff.ie/https://filmireland.net/ The Japanese Film Festival Ireland is organised by access CINEMA & The Embassy of Japan.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Shorts Focus: Young Critics from YIFM @ DIFF22 Apr 202401:11:29
In this special Young Irish Film Makers at Dublin International Film Festival podcast, 5 young critics interview 2 filmmakers whose shorts screened at this year's festival.Adelaide Kane interviews Hannah Mamalis DIFF Podcast 2024Chloe O'Malley and Assil Ksiksi interview Ciaran Maggin interview Ciaran Maginn, whose film Screamer screened at the the festival.Adelaide Kane, Fionn O'Mahony and Pia Roycroft interview Hannah Mamalis, whose film Baby Steps scooped the Shorts Audience Award at the festival.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Presents: Alan Gilsenan, Director of The Days Of Trees17 Apr 202400:48:39

In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Alan Gilsenan about his latest film, 'The Days Of Trees'.

Listen now on SoundCloud, AppleSpotifyAcast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


In this highly orig­i­nal fea­ture doc­u­men­tary, Tomás, a middle-​aged film pro­ducer, embarks on a jour­ney of dis­cov­ery with his friend and col­league, film direc­tor, Alan. As they progress, we wit­ness first-​hand Tomás’s unearthing of fresh and star­tling child­hood hap­pen­ings which had some­how eluded his mem­ory. What fol­lows is a pro­found pil­grim­age towards uncov­er­ing how spo­radic crises in adult­hood, amidst an oth­er­wise ‘nor­mal’ life, had their roots in sophis­ti­cated sex­ual abuse by Chris­t­ian Broth­ers in the late 1960s.

There is con­sid­er­able beauty in this psy­cho­log­i­cal exca­va­tion, the shad­owy black and white palette lend­ing inti­macy to the unflinch­ingly hon­est tes­ti­mony. This is the story of a man, not seek­ing vengeance, but seek­ing to tran­scend the trauma of his trou­bled past, ulti­mately find­ing redemption.

The Days of Trees reunites direc­tor Alan Gilse­nan and pro­ducer Tomás Hardi­man to com­plete the third in their loose tril­ogy with the acclaimed Meet­ings with Ivor and The Meet­ing.The Days Of Trees is in cinemas from 12th April 2024.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DocArena: Director Andrew Gallimore, 'One Night In Millstreet'15 Apr 202400:37:37

In this episode of The DocArena Podcast, Ross Whitaker talks to Andrew Gallimore about his documentary One Night In Millstreet.

DocArena Podcast S2 Ep05: Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to The DocArena Podcast in association with Film Ireland. My name is Ross Whitaker and every fortnight, I want to dig deeply into the motivations of documentary filmmakers – how do they choose their subject material and what approaches and strategies do they employ to fund, craft and distribute their work…


One Night In Millstreet is the story of Ireland in 1995, a snapshot of a country told through a high stakes prize fight in Millstreet, Cork between the then unknown underdog Steve ‘The Celtic Warrior’ Collins and the larger-than-life champion Chris ‘Simply The Best’ Eubank - an against-all-odds sporting event that had an entire nation gripped and on the edge of its seat.

The film, which won the Audience Award at the Cork International Film Festival and the Best Documentary award at the Irish Film Festival London, features interviews with the rivals themselves Steve Collins and Chris Eubank along with Irish boxing legend Barry McGuigan, Chris Eubank’s former manager Barry Hearn, writer Paul Howard and Tony Quinn, Steve Collins’ Mind Trainer.

One Night In Millstreet was produced by Morgan Bushe and Peter Murnaghan for Fastnet Films and Proposition Films with funding from Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Coimisiún Na Meán and RTÉ.

One Night In Millstreet is released in cinemas on 5th April 2024



Andrew Gallimore

Andrew was educated at the University of Wales College of Cardiff and the University of Oxford where he was part of the Reuter Foundation Fellowship Programme for International Journalism. A former print journalist, he became a television reporter working on several news and current affairs programmes in the United Kingdom. In 1996 Andrew set up an independent production house that produces documentary films for the international market. The company’s programmes have been distributed to over forty countries.

Andrew has directed The Devil’s Gardens – a series on the history of landmines; The War Detectives – a history of war crimes trials, and Journeys Into Genocide – a series on the history of genocide. He recently directed a second series on war crimes investigations for the Discovery network in the United States. He is also the author of several books: The Devil’s Gardens, a history of landmines, to accompany the landmines series, Occupation Prizefighter: The Freddie Welsh Story and A BloodyCanvas. A feature-length documentary based on A Bloody Canvas has been screened at film festivals in the United States and Europe, and a film to accompany Babyface Goes to Hollywood has also been completed.

Check out DocArena episodes here

Ross Whitaker is a documentary filmmaker (Katie, The Boys in Green, Between Land and Sea) and is a former editor of Film Ireland Magazine and programmer of the IFI Dublin Documentary Film Festival @RossWhitakerTV

Podcast music composed by michaelflemingmusic.com

Ross Whitaker is a producer and/or director of the feature documentaries Beat the Lotto (2025), Katie (2018), Between Land and Sea (2016), Unbreakable (2014) and Saviours (2007). His recent work includes the TV documentaries This Is Open Country (2025) for NBC/Sky, Birdsong (2024) for RTÉ (+ BBC, ARTE), Rachael Blackmore: A Grand Year (2021) for ITV/RTÉ, Barney Curley Beat the Bookies (2021) for BBC/RTÉ and The Boys in Green (2020) for RTÉ. His short documentaries include the award-winning Bye Bye Now (2009) and Home Turf (2011), as well as the documentary commercial Sleeping Flags (2019), which won prestigious D&AD and Cannes Lions Awards. He is a former festival director of IFI DocFest and editor of Film Ireland magazine.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presents: Distributer Adam Torel, Third Window Films & Maeve Cook, Access Cinema13 Apr 202400:56:42

As the Japanese Film Festival Ireland, returns, Gemma Creagh speaks to Adam Torel, the driving force behind Third Window Films, about bringing bold and distinctive Japanese cinema to global audiences. Two of his titles, Shadow of Fireand Typhoon Club, feature in this year’s line-up.

Gemma is also joined by Maeve Cooke of access>CINEMA, who co-organise the festival with the Embassy of Japan, to give an overview of what audiences can expect.


Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


About Adam Torel 

Adam Torel is a British-based film distributor and producer, best known as the founder and managing director of Third Window Films. Established in the mid-2000s, the company specialises in bringing East Asian cinema—particularly Japanese films - to Western audiences, helping to broaden access beyond the “Asia Extreme” boom of the early 2000s. Torel began his career in the United States, studying film history before working in video retail and later moving to the UK, where he worked for Tartan Films. He founded Third Window Films shortly afterwards, building it into a key independent label that has released over 100 titles from Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In addition to distribution, Torel has moved into film production, collaborating with directors such as Eiji Uchida and Sion Sono, and supporting independent filmmaking through alternative financing models like crowdfunding. His work has played a significant role in promoting contemporary Asian cinema internationally, and he has also contributed to film festival programming around the world.



Japanese Film Festival Ireland

The Japanese Film Festival Ireland returns for its 15th edition this April, with a line-up of films that will bring the best of Japanese cinema to towns & cities across Ireland.

Ireland’s only truly national film festival will showcase 19 films across 49 screenings this year, featuring everything from the latest anime hits to exciting indie discoveries. The festival will run from April 9 - 27, with screenings in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Waterford, Dundalk, Wexford and - for the first time - Bray. This year’s line-up will bring Irish audiences everything from acclaimed dramas to crowd pleasing anime hits. This year’s programme includes the Irish premieres of exceptional new dramas such as Egoist, Great Absence, Ichiko, Remembering Every Night and Shadow of Fire. Those searching for more light-hearted fare should seek out time-loop office satire Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week! and the playful horror-comedy Love Will Tear Us Apart. Anime fans won’t want to miss the first Irish screenings of new titles Lonely Castle in the Mirror and Komada: A Whisky Family. Audiences will also be able to enjoy a special insight into Japanese culture and traditions with films such as Tsugaru Lacquer Girl and Yudo: The Way of the Bath.

The festival pays tribute to the late, great Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto with a special double bill in Dublin of his beautiful final concert film Opus and Hirokazu Koreeda’s award-winning Monster (which features Sakamoto’s final film score). Opus will also play in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford during the festival.

Audiences in Dublin and Galway will also be able to catch this year’s classic screening - Shinji Somai’s coming-of-age drama Typhoon Club, which has been widely celebrated as one of the greatest Japanese films of the 1980s.


Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film Ireland Presents: Christine Molloy & Joe Lawlor, Co-Directors & Writers of Baltimore27 Mar 202400:40:50
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Christine Molloy & Joe Lawlor, about their film Baltimore.Based on the infamous true story of the English heiress who became a revolutionary. Debutante Rose Dugdale (Imogen Poots) enjoys a life of wealth and privilege, but her rebellious nature soon leads her down a militant path. Amongst the political turmoil of the 1970s, her sympathy towards the IRA’s conflict evolves into radicalisation, culminating in an armed raid on an Irish estate with three comrades. However, when her simple heist turns violent, is Rose prepared to face the devastating consequences?Baltimore is in cinemas from 22nd March 2024.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film Ireland Presents: Leandro Arouca, Colourist17 Mar 202400:48:46
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Leandro Arouca, Colourist at Raygun, a boutique post-production house located on Baggot Street in Dublin’s city centre. Leandro brings over fifteen years international experience in the craft of colour grading to the t Raygun team. Beginning his career with O2 Filmes in Sao Paolo, Leandro has worked alongside some of the best directors and cinematographers in Brazil such as Fernando Meirelles, César Charlone & Adriano Goldman. He brings creativity and passion to each and every project and thrives on bringing his director’s and cinematographer’s visions to life.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Presents: Actor Bríd Brennan (Aontas) & Enter Yes Vicki Rock & Kris Kelly14 Nov 202500:55:21
In today’s Film Ireland podcast, we are delighted to partner with two wonderful film festivals. Last month at the Dinard British & Irish Film Festival, we caught up with acclaimed actor Bríd Brennan to talk about her extraordinary career on stage and screen, as well as her powerful performance as Cait in her latest film, Aontas.We’ll also be reporting live next week from the Foyle Film Festival, running in Derry from the 19th to the 30th of November (where Aontas will also be screening). Later in the episode (Timecode: 15:30), we hear from Vicki Rock and Kris Kelly, the husband-and-wife team behind the award-winning boutique creative studio Enter Yes. Their bold coming-of-age short Bulls in Water - directed and written by Kris and produced by Vicki - is about to have its premiere at Foyle.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DocArena: Kevin Macdonald, High & Low: John Galliano13 Mar 202400:57:53

In this episode of The DocArena Podcast, we are grateful to Dublin International Film Festival and Volta Pictures for sharing this masterclass with Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald on directing in conversation with Ross Whitaker.

Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.


Welcome to The DocArena Podcast in association with Film Ireland. My name is Ross Whitaker and every fortnight, I want to dig deeply into the motivations of documentary filmmakers – how do they choose their subject material and what approaches and strategies do they employ to fund, craft and distribute their work…



The DocArena Podcast S2 Ep04: This masterclass took place on 25th February 2024.

HIGH & LOW – JOHN GALLIANO is the gripping and thought-provoking new documentary from Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald, charting the rise-and-fall story of fashion designer John Galliano.

Galliano was widely recognized as one of the most successful names in 1990s and 2000s couture, until his career abruptly ended in 2011 when he was caught on camera hurling antisemitic and racist insults at bystanders in Paris.

Macdonald’s compelling documentary traces Galliano’s working and private life through the decades, candidly exploring his struggles with addiction and the immense pressure he faced within the fashion industry.

Featuring conversations with Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Penélope Cruz, Charlize Theron, Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful, and more.

The Oscar-winning director is known for his feature and documentary films, including One Day in September (1999), Touching the Void (2003), the drama The Last King of Scotland (2006), and the Whitney Houston documentary Whitney (2018). His most recent film, High & Low: John Galliano, featured in this year’s DIFF programme and is currently in cinemas following its general release on 8th March 2024.



Check out DocArena episodes here

Podcast music composed by michaelflemingmusic.com

Ross Whitaker is a documentary filmmaker and is a former editor of Film Ireland Magazine and programmer of the IFI Dublin Documentary Film Festival @RossWhitakerTV

Ross is a producer and/or director of the feature documentaries Beat the Lotto (2025), Katie (2018), Between Land and Sea (2016), Unbreakable (2014) and Saviours (2007). His recent work includes the TV documentaries This Is Open Country (2025) for NBC/Sky, Birdsong (2024) for RTÉ (+ BBC, ARTE), Rachael Blackmore: A Grand Year (2021) for ITV/RTÉ, Barney Curley Beat the Bookies (2021) for BBC/RTÉ and The Boys in Green (2020) for RTÉ. His short documentaries include the award-winning Bye Bye Now (2009) and Home Turf (2011), as well as the documentary commercial Sleeping Flags (2019), which won prestigious D&AD and Cannes Lions Awards.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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The DocArena Podcast S2 Ep03: Rachel Ramsay And James Erskine (Copa 71)12 Mar 202400:33:18
In this episode of The DocArena Podcast, Ross Whitaker talks to Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine about their documentary Copa 71.It is August 1971. Football teams from England, Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark and Italy are gathering at Mexico City’s sun-drenched Azteca Stadium. The scale of the tournament is monumental: lavish sponsorship, extensive TV coverage, merchandise on every street corner and crowds of over 100,000 hollering fans turn this historic stadium into ‘a cauldron of noise and heat’ match after match. A fawning media treat the players like rock stars. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the greatest moments in international footballing history.But this is a tournament unlike anything that’s happened before. The players on the pitch are all women. And it’s likely you’ve never even heard of it. This is Copa 71, the unofficial Women’s World Cup. Dismissed by both FIFA and domestic football associations around the world, this event has been entirely written out of history. Until now.Copa 71 is in cinemas from 8th March 2024https://filmireland.net/wp-admin/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Pav Grochola, FX & Look of Picture Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks29 Feb 202400:46:02
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Pav Grochola, FX and Look of Picture Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Pav Grochola is in Belfast to give a talk at RENDR Festival on 1st March 2024.RENDR Festival is a unique evening event, celebrating creative craft and artistry in a fully immersive two-day festival exploring the space between Creativity and Technology. Ignite your imagination with inspiring speakers from the worlds of Film, Gaming, Animation, Immersive, and more! Learn from the best, with 30+ creatives from the likes of Netflix, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios and Epic Games among others.Witness creative uses of new technology, explore the gallery of digital art, chow down at the food village or play in the arcade. We want to transport you to the future, and provide you with unforgettable and inspirational nights. Like nothing you have experienced before, our unique combination is guaranteed to provide two nights you can’t miss.RENDR Festival takes place 29th Feb - 1st March 2024https://www.rendrfestival.com/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Nadim Cheikhrouha, Producer of Four Daughters at DIFF27 Feb 202400:40:53
We are delighted to be partnering with Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) to bring you a series of podcasts with filmmakers featuring in this year’s programme. DIFF 2024 runs 22nd February – 2nd March. Explore the programme and get your tickets here.In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Nadim Cheikhrouha, Producer of Four Daughters.The life of Olfa, a Tunisian woman and mother of four daughters, oscillates between light and shadow. After the disappearance of her two eldest daughters, Ben Hania calls upon professional actors to fill their absence, setting up an extraordinary film mechanism and unveiling an intimate story of womanhood. This hybrid documentary premiered at Cannes and was awarded the L’Œil d’or for best documentary.Directed & written by Kaouther Ben HaniaFour Daughters screens on 1st March at The Lighthouse Cinema at 18:30https://diff.ie/movie/four-daughters/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Talking Film: Silver Screen Critics Round Table at DIFF23 Feb 202401:06:15
We are thrilled to be partnering with Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) to bring you a series of podcasts with filmmakers featuring in this year’s programme. DIFF 2024 runs 22nd February – 2nd March. Explore the programme and get tickets here.In this Film Ireland Podcast, DIFF's Silver Screen Critics: Lorna Cady, Mutale Kampuni, Maureen Bushe, and Eileen Murphy discuss two of the films they watched as part of the programme. After a programme of features and shorts, the group discuss two documentaries, Bye Bye Tiberias and Brendan Gleeson's Farewell to Hughes's.Bye Bye Tiberias screens on  1st Mar at The Lighthouse Cinema at 11:00Brendan Gleeson's Farewell to Hughes's screens on Fri 1st Mar at the Irish Film Institute at 18:30https://diff.ie/https://filmireland.net

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Oge Obasi, Producer of Mami Wata at DIFF19 Feb 202400:36:37
In this Dublin International Film Festival podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Oge Obasi, Producer of Mami Wata. Set in the matriarchal ocean village of Iyi, where West African water deity Mami Wata reigns via the village leader, this genre-bending tale brings to life a futuristic fable that fuses spiritual beliefs with inter-generational tensions.Written and directed by C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi.Mami Wata screens on 24th February at The Lighthouse CinemaDIFF 2024 runs 22nd February – 2nd Marchhttps://diff.ie/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Mark Adams, Co-Writer of Cannes Uncut at DIFF16 Feb 202400:44:04
In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Mark Adams, co-writer with Christopher Pickard of Cannes Uncut. Directed by Roger Penny and Richard Blanshard.The story of the glorious excesses, triumphs and failures of Cannes is one that demands to be told. Penny and Blanshard’s documentary revels in the glamour, red carpets, parties and personalities which see the business of cinema implant itself on the French Riviera for two weeks every year. It ofers an exciting high-adrenaline, roller-coaster experience of what the film festival has come to represent over the years and what it might ofer in the future.Cannes Uncut screens on 27th February at The Lighthouse Cinema as pasrt of the Dublin International Film Festival.https://diff.ie/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Ian Hunt-Duffy, Director of Double Blind14 Feb 202401:06:30
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Ian Hunt-Duffy about his debut feature Double Blind.Double Blind is in Irish cinemas from Friday 9th February and is available on demand and digital February from 13th.Directed by Ian Hunt-Duffy and written by the award-winning screenwriter Darach McGarrigle and starring British actress Millie Brady (The Last Kingdom, The Queen’s Gambit, Roadkill) alongside horror icon Pollyanna McIntosh (Vikings: Valhalla, The Walking Dead, The Woman), Double Blind follows seven young test subjects who must face a terrifying side effect when an experimental drug trial goes horribly wrong – if you fall asleep you die.  Trapped in an isolated medical facility, they must find a way to escape, and somehow manage to stay awake.The feature which was filmed in Limerick and Dublin had its world premiere Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) last year and has gone on to screen at numerous festivals across the globe including Leeds Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh and Belfast Film Festival.Produced by Simon James Doyle for Dublin-based production company Failsafe Films in association with Los Angeles-based indie genre production company Epic Pictures Group and Screen Ireland.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Kathleen Harris, Director of Birdsong12 Feb 202400:31:27
We are thrilled to be partnering with Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) to bring you a series of podcasts with filmmakers featuring in this year's programme. DIFF 2024 runs 22nd February – 2nd March. Explore the programme and get tickets here.In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Kathleen Harris, Director of the documentary Birdsong.Ornithologist Seán Ronayne is on a mission to record the call of every bird species in Ireland – that’s nearly 200 birds. At once inspiring and cautionary, his journey reveals the beauty and importance of sound, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world.Birdsong screens on Thursday, 29th February at The Lighthouse Cinema.https://diff.ie/https://www.kathleencharris.com/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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The DocArena Podcast S2 Ep02: Jeanie Finlay (Your Fat Friend)09 Feb 202400:40:52
Welcome to The DocArena Podcast in association with Film Ireland. My name is Ross Whitaker and every fortnight, I want to dig deeply into the motivations of documentary filmmakers – how do they choose their subject material and what approaches and strategies do they employ to fund, craft and distribute their work…In this episode of The DocArena Podcast, Ross Whitaker talks to Jeanie Finlay about her documentary Your Fat Friend.Your Fat Friend opens in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday 9th February 2024, following a preview Q&A tour which saw Finlay and subject Aubrey Gordon travel across the UK and Ireland and attend sold out screenings.Tickets are available at www.yrfatfriendfilm.comMade over 6 years, acclaimed director Jeanie Finlay charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best-selling author and beloved podcaster. Her aim? A paradigm shift in the way we see fat people and the fat on our own bodies. Her life-changing work has brought her an ardent, international audience but also threats to her life. One of her biggest challenges is getting her parents to listen. Your Fat Friend, a film about fatness, family, the complexities of change and the deep, messy feelings we hold about our bodies. Your Fat Friend had its world premiere at the Tribeca film festival and has also screened at a number of other festivals including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in Seoul, South Korea and Sheffield DocFest where it won the coveted Audience Award.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Presents: Filmmakers Brendan Canty & David Kittredge & CIFF Programming Director07 Nov 202501:14:03
In this Film Ireland Podcast, we're delighted to partner with the Cork International Film Festival, which runs until the 16th of November. In this very special episode, we highlight some of the standout films in this year’s line-up. First, IMRO Award-winning journalist and reviewer Yuliia Riabova speaks with Aurélie Godet, Cork International Film Festival’s Director of Programming, about this year’s themes, approach, and the strong line up Irish and international films on offer.Then filmmaker and actor Oscar O’Sullivan chats with Brendan Canty about his Irish-language documentary Gealtra.Finally, festival correspondent Shane McDevitt sits down with director David Kittredge to discuss his film Boorman and the Devil, which documents John Boorman’s experience making The Exorcist II in Ireland. This chat was recorded after the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.This podcast has been made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán.Check out the full festival line up at corkfilmfest.org.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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The DocArena Podcast S2 Ep01: Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins (American Nightmare)06 Feb 202400:37:03
Welcome to a new series of The DocArena Podcast. In this episode Ross Whitaker talks to Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins about their documentary American Nightmare.After a home invasion and kidnapping, a young couple's recounting of the events is too far-fetched for the police to believe. You'll never suspect the truth.Watch American Nightmare only on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/81620853

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Shorts Focus: DIFF 2024 Filmmakers' Roundtable27 Jan 202401:06:28
We are delighted to be partnering with Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) to bring you a series of podcasts with filmmakers featuring in this year's programme. DIFF 2024 runs 22nd February – 2nd March. Explore the programme and get tickets at https://diff.ie/In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks DIFF short films with Tania Notaro,  Derek Ugochukwu, Jessica Patterson and Dennis Harvey.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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On the Ground: Film Ireland at IndieCork Film Festival24 Jan 202400:19:38
Gemma Creagh was at IndieCork 2023 Film Festival and met up with Festival Director Úna Feely , Hungry Hill Co-Director Mieke Vanmechelen and Unseen Guest Director Sarah Corcoran.IndieCork is devoted to celebrating independent cinema & giving a platform to emerging filmmakers.IndieCork 2023 Film Festival took place 15-22 December 2023.https://indiecork.com/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Indie Cinema: Nick Roth, Writer & Co-director of Hanky Panky22 Dec 202300:42:36
In this Film Ireland podcast, Smrithika Majukar talks to Nick Roth, the Co-director with Lindsey Haun and writer of indie horror-comedy Hanky Panky.A man and his sentient napkin friend save the world from a dark evil in a cabin deep in the Utah mountains, and also learn to love.Hanky Panky premièred at the at LA Comedy Film Festival on 9th December 2023.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Shorts Focus: Dublin Comedy International Film Festival Roundtable24 Nov 202300:56:25
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to three filmmakers whose films are screening in this year’s Dublin Comedy International Film Festival: Zoë Brennan-Whitmore (Unhinged), Jeda de Bri (Ghosted) and Aoife O’ Kelly (Panic).The Dublin Comedy International Film Festival takes place from 29th November – 2nd December 2023.Unhinged (DIR: Zoë Brennan-Whitmore • WRI: Mary Kirwan)Following a recent sighting of her office crush on a dating app on the eve of his leaving party, an overthinking millennial searches for reassurance that her feelings are reciprocated before it’s too late.Ghosted (DIR: Jeda de Brí • WRI: Sarah Jane Scott)When Corina is ghosted by the charming Paul, she calls her best friend for comfort. But serial killer-obsessed Anne Marie is suspicious as to the whereabouts of Paul and convinces Corina to go on a mission to find out where he went.Panic (WRI/DIR: Aoife O’ Kelly)After finishing up her demanding Job, Emma, an isolated thirty-something, finally has time to focus on her ambition of writing a book and sure how hard could that be, when you have all the time in the world…?

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Ken Wardrop, Director of So This Is Christmas17 Nov 202300:43:46
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Ken Wardrop, Director of So This Is Christmas.It’s late November and across the country expectations of the impending festive season are growing. Christmas trees are being bought, festive music turned up and presents scrambled for. It’s all getting very bright and loud, excessive and expensive. Directed by acclaimed director Ken Wardrop, So This Is Christmas takes us on a heartening and emotional journey with five ordinary characters as they navigate personal dilemmas triggered by this overwhelming time of year. Amid their everyday lives and struggles, we discover stories of extraordinary resilience and humble bravery. The story is brought to life in a creative documentary form, where characters’ lives interweave with a colourful tapestry of Christmas scenes. Beyond the façade of tinsel and celebration, the film explores the deeper complexities that emerge when expectations collide with reality. What transpires is an important social commentary, filled with humour yet tinged with tragedy that will leave audiences questioning the true meaning of Christmas. So This Is Christmas is in cinemas from 17th November 2023.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Paul Mercier, Writer & Director of Prospect House15 Nov 202300:48:19
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Paul Mercier, Writer & Director of Prospect House ahead of its screening at this year’s Cork International Film Festival.Prospect House is a satirical film about a group of protestors who stage a period re- enactment in a dilapidated 18th century house in a last ditch effort to save the building from demolition. The film deals with the final days of the illegal occupation of the house by the protestors. They are a motley crew of artists, actors and activists who want to bring the building’s plight to the attention of the world and to rescue it from the claws of aggressive property developers. The protestors believe that they can save the building by telling its story. But the project is rife with discord, as no-one can agree what story they are telling. Set in Ireland in the present day, the film challenges conventional understandings and perceptions of heritage, historical narrative and truth.Prospect House screens at the Cork International Film Festival at Everyman Theatre, Cork, at 8.30pm on Friday 17th November.https://corkfilmfest.org/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Joe Lee, Director of 406 Days at Still Voices 202313 Nov 202300:43:53
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to filmmaker Joe Lee about 406 Days, which is screening at this year’s Still Voices Film Festival (November 15th – 19th 2023).The film tells the story of the 1,000 Irish Debenhams workers who were made redundant through a generic email on the 9th of April 2020 after Debenhams UK Retail Ltd closed all 11 Irish stores including their flagship store on Henry St. Dublin 1. The workforce, 95% female, had been denied an earlier agreed redundancy package.They voted to go on official strike and blocked stock being removed from the 11 stores by the liquidator. The workers remained on the picket lines, through the Covid 19 pandemic for 406 days, making it the longest industrial dispute in Irish labour history. It finally ended in May 2021 through a compromise government-sponsored proposal based on a retraining fund.But the telling of the very human stories of courage, determination, and friendship that lay behind the conflict are told here for the first time in ‘406 days-The Debenhams Picket Line’.406 Days is screening at Still Voices 23 on 10th November at 2pm the Bog Lane Theatre Ballymahon. Followed by a Q&A between director Joe Lee and film critic Tara Brady.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Ireland Presents: Laura Moss Co-Writer & Director of Birth/Rebirth10 Nov 202300:32:47
In this Still Voices 23 Podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Co-Writer (alongside Brendan J. O’Brien) & Director of Birth/Rebirth which is screening at this year’s Still Voices Film Festival (November 15th – 19th 2023).A morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but she must harvest biological materials from pregnant women to keep the child breathing. When the girl’s mother, a nurse, discovers her baby is alive, the two enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path.Birth/Rebirth is screening at Still Voices 23 on 17th November at 7:45pm in the Bog Lane Theatre Ballymahon.https://stillvoicesfilmfestival.com/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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Shorts Focus: Cork International Film Festival Filmmakers Roundtable08 Nov 202301:06:44
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to 4 filmmakers whose films are screening at the Cork International Film Festival (Nov 9th - 26th, 2023). Martina Glynn (Wrecker), Aduda Hera & Lia Campbell (Shee) and TJ O’Grady-Peyton (Room Taken).https://filmireland.net/https://corkfilmfest.org/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


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On the Ground: Filmmakers Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor & Damian McCann at Dinard British & Irish Film Festival02 Nov 202501:10:29

In this episode of the Film Ireland Podcast, we are delighted to once again partner with the Dinard British and Irish Film Festival, which held its 36th edition last month in the picturesque seaside town of Dinard, Brittany.

First, we chat with Dominique Green, Artistic Director of Dinard, who shares insights into the festival’s vision, programming, and what makes it such a unique event on the film calendar.

At the festival, Associate Editor Gemma Creagh caught up with writer/director Damian McCann to talk about his gripping feature Aontas, where three unlikely women rob a rural Irish Credit Union. Listen back to their conversation for a deep dive into the film’s themes and creative process.

Finally, we sit down with writer/director Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor to discuss her powerful debut feature Dreamers, exploring ambition, belonging, and the pursuit of hope.

You can listen to this podcast directly on AppleSpotifyAcast, and Soundcloudor subscribe to Film Ireland on this list of other hosting platforms.


Aontas

Three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish Credit Union. Opening in the tragic aftermath of the heist-gone-wrong, the story uses reverse chronology to unravel the events that led to this point. What starts as a poorly executed robbery becomes a portrait of a wilful woman trapped in her own past. Aontas is about the choices that change our path, the moments we get trapped in, and how we are prisoners of our memories.


Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor 

Joy founded Joi Productions in 2016. In 2019, she produced the breakout hit BLUE STORY, which became the highest-grossing film of its genre. That same year, she was recognised as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow and a BAFTA Breakthrough. In 2021, she produced Aml Ameen’s rom-com debut BOXING DAY, the UK’s first all-Black Christmas film.

In 2022 Joy produced CHAMPION for BBC and Netflix. In 2024, she made her debut as a writer-director with DREAMERS, backed by BBC Film. The film premiered at the 75th Berlinale Film Festival in 2025, earning a Teddy Award nomination for Best Feature Film. Additionally, she produced FLORID and ANIMOL, further cementing Joy's reputation for producing groundbreaking storytelling.

About Dinard British and Irish Film Festival

The Dinard British and Irish Film Festival is an annual celebration of cinema that takes place in the coastal town of Dinard, Brittany. Now in its 36th year, the festival showcases the best of contemporary British and Irish filmmaking, highlighting emerging talent alongside established voices. Known for its warm hospitality and discerning audiences, Dinard provides a unique platform for filmmakers to connect with international industry figures and audiences in France.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


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Film Briefs: Molly Manning Walker, Writer/Director of How to Have Sex06 Nov 202300:11:06
In this Film Ireland podcast, Smrithika Majukar talks to Molly Manning Walker, Writer/Director of ‘How to Have Sex’Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday, drinking, clubbing and hooking up in what should be the best summer of their lives. As they dance their way across the sun-drenched streets of Malia, they find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent and self-discovery. Captured with luminous visuals and a pitch-perfect soundtrack, Manning Walker’s directorial debut paints a painfully familiar portrait of young adulthood, and how first sexual experiences should – or shouldn’t – play out.How To Have Sex stars Screen Stars of Tomorrow 2023 Mia McKenna-Bruce (Persuasion, Kindling) and BAFTA-nominated Samuel Bottomley (Somewhere Boy, Ladhood), alongside Lara Peake (Mood, Brave New World), Shaun Thomas (Ali & Ava, The Long Shadow), and newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler. Screen Star of Tomorrow 2021 Molly Manning Walker trained at NFTS in England and holds an MA in Cinematography. Her previous work as a cinematographer includes shooting Charlotte Regan’s debut feature Scrapper and the multi-BAFTA-nominated Mood. Molly also won the Next Step prize at Cannes 2022 for the How to Have Sex script.Opens in Cinemas in the Uk & Ireland on 3rd November 2023.

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On The Ground: An Irish Film Music Journey20 Oct 202300:52:33
In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to event organiser Tim Burden about From The Quiet Man to The Quiet Girl – An Irish Film Music Journey, a celebration of Irish film music, and the role played by music in telling the great stories of Irish cinema over the past 100 years at Belfast’s iconic Strand Arts Centre. Followed by Pius Ojo talking to Composer Sarah Lynch, who features among the panel of speakers at the event.From The Quiet Man to The Quiet Girl – An Irish Film Music Journey takes place on Thursday, 26 October 2023 as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.https://belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/event/from-the-quiet-man-to-the-quiet-girl-an-irish-film-music-journey/Join top award-winning composers from the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland and host Hugh Odling-Smee (Film Hub NI) as they explore seminal Irish films, and how their scores reflected the culture of the day. Featuring the music of Stephen Rennicks, John Williams, Mark Gordon, James Horner, Sarah Lynch, Elmer Bernstein, Cater Burwell, Van Morrison, Henry Mancini, Hannah Peel and Glen Hansard.https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film Ireland Presents: Trish McAdam, Director of Songs Of Blood And Destiny19 Oct 202300:50:21
Ahead of its screening at the Kerry Film Festival, Gemma Creagh talks to Trish McAdam, Director of Songs Of Blood And Destiny.Based on the epic poem, iGirl, by Marina Carr. A narrator unravels her own life like some knotted ball of string, reflects with dark humour and heavenly wit on humanities destiny and evokes voices past and future. ​The filmmaker takes the semi-autobiographic words of Marina Carr’s epic poem, as if they were her own, encouraging the audience to do the same. Using her unique visual language, the filmmaker mirrors the slippery nature of Carr’s work, fire, earth, air, water, crash and bump, contradictory truths told by a dynamic troupe of actors, banging on the forth wall. Visuals untangle, re-tangle in multi-layered collages to augment performances of Eileen Walsh, Cathy Belton, Brian Gleeson, Brian Quinn and new-comers Ella Lilly Hyland and Holly Sturton. The present day narrator is curious, funny but unforgiving, evoking voices, past and future. Joan of Arc, the warrior, Antigone, the truth teller, and the incestuous Jocasta and her son Oedipus, victims of homosapiens tragic fate of our own making. Looking forward from our contemporary, messy domesticity, back to the extinction of the Neanderthals, the film reminds us of the potential extinction of the planet, and ourselves, driven by our very desire to avoid it, fuelled by sci-fi fantasies of somewhere better in the beyond, transhumants of the future.Composer: Paddy Mulcahy: Casting Director: Maureen Hughes Production Manager Grace Sexton, Studio shoot Cinematographer Fiona Graham, Anna O’Carroll camera operator, Sound Peter Nicell, Hair, Makeup Sarah O’Rourke, Edited with Connie Farrell in Oughterard, Post Production Gorilla Post. Niche Films would like to acknowledge the support of The Arts Council | and Cliona Maher as producer for An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Clonmel Junction Arts Festival.Songs Of Blood And Destiny screens on Friday 20th October as part of the at the Kerry Film Festival (19-22 October 2023.https://kerryfilmfestival.com/https://filmireland.net/

Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.


So make sure to subscribe and listen back!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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