Irish Shorts 1: In Competition
An eclectic and exciting mix of Irish and World Premiere shorts.
CLODAGH [C]
Portia A. Buckley | Ireland | 2024 | 17 mins
A lonely priest’s housekeeper encounters a young Irish girl of exceptional talent.
SKIRMISH
Julia Wysocka | Ireland | 2024 | 18 mins
Annie, a young woman living in a quaint Irish town, finds herself in a dead-end job, with the lingering pain of her failed relationship. Annie decides to attend a western-themed night in her local bar she knows her ex-girlfriend Clara will be there…and so will she. As the night progresses, Annie’s fortune takes a turn for the worse. In her pursuit of love, she navigates the unexpected and neglects the inevitable, ultimately transforming her night into one she will never forget.
ÉIST LIOM
Maud Lee, Zoe Ní Riordáin | Ireland | 2024 | 17 mins
Éist Liom (Listen to Me) is the story of Carmen. It has been performed many times before. It happens everywhere. On stages all over the world. In this story, Carmen betrays her partner, Don José. He loves her but she doesn’t feel the same. After running away, Don José tracks Carmen down to where she is hiding out. He tries to convince her to change her mind. She won’t. So, he kills her. Nobody wins. The audience typically stands up. Éist Liom is an experimental short film that fuses this iconic operatic story with new music, the Irish language and surreal imagery.
INSIDE, THE VALLEY SINGS [D]
Nathan Fagan | Ireland | 2024 | 15 mins
Trapped in the never-ending horror of prolonged solitary confinement, three prisoners seek comfort and escape in the boundless vistas of their own imaginations.
FARMERS!?
Freddie Leyden | Ireland, United Kingdom | 2024 | 15 mins
A farmer in the west of Ireland tries to connect with a local young man over their shared artistic interests. When he is rebuffed, it devastates him. In his anguish, he returns home and performs a song in his office, ending with an explosive emotional outburst, and his death. Later, a group of his farmer friends gather at the auction of his estate. These men find themselves completely unable to connect or express their grief. Intense repression leads to further explosions, and the emotional release they desperately need finally comes through ceremonial dance and primal screams, conjured by the ghost of their deceased friend.
HIT THE WALL [D]
Ailill Martin | Ireland | 2024 | 26 mins
In the landscape of Irish sport, Handball is an island within an island. Once hugely popular, it has since fallen into obscurity. Today the countryside is littered with abandoned alleys and crumbling old walls, the remains of a once great game whose time would appear to have passed. Less than 10,000 players remain. These athletes strive for immortality in a game most consider "dead".
Films in competition are eligible for the Grand Prix Irish Short Award, and where stated [GP]. Films eligible for the Grand Prix Documentary Short Award [D] and Pure Cork Award [C] where stated.
Awards presentation supported by Murphy’s (enjoy responsibly).