Galway Film Fleadh announce award winners as stunning festival comes to a close

Revitalised by being back in-person again, the Galway Film Fleadh came to a stunning end on Sunday night with an awards ceremony held before the closing film, the Ukrainian-made Carol of the Bells.

Carol of the Bells is the story of three families – Ukrainian, Polish, and Jewish – who lived in the same building in Stanislaviv in Ukraine between 1938 and 1944. All three families disappeared one by one, leaving their children in the building. The last one to disappear was a Ukrainian woman who was a teacher of music.

The winner of Best Irish Film, in association with Danu Media was Lakelands, written, directed and produced by Robert Higgins & Patrick McGivney. Lakelands won the Fleadh’s Best Marketplace Project Award in 2021 and returned to the Fleadh this year for its World Premiere.

Lakelands follows Cian, a young Gaelic footballer who struggles to comes to terms with a career-ending injury after an attack on a night out. Cian undertakes a search for his own identity in a small town where Gaelic football is a religion, and identity is defined by what you can do on the pitch.

Featuring the directorial debuts of Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney, and a cast of emerging Irish stars including Éanna Hardwicke (Vivarium, Normal People ) and Danielle Galligan (Netflix’s Shadow and Bone ).

Winning Best Irish First Feature was The Sparrow, written AND directed by Michael Kinirons produced by Alicia Ní Ghráinne. The Sparrow follows Kevin Coyne (15 ) who lives in a dysfunctional household where grieving the death of his mother is forbidden by his father Larry, an ex-soldier. Kevin is also used to living in his brother Robbie’s (18 ) shadow, so he is surprised when Hanna (16 ), a newcomer to this West Cork parish, seems to prefer his company

Nothing Compares, won the best Irish documentary award on the night, directed by Kathryn Ferguson. The film charts Sinéad O?Connor?s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and examines how she used her voice at the height of her stardom. Focusing on Sinéad’s prophetic words and deeds across a five-year period (1987–1992 ), Nothing Compares presents an authored, cinematic portrait of a musical icon through a contemporary feminist lens.

The winners are as follows –

BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION SHORT

Zoon

Directed by Jonathan Schwenk

BEST INTERNATIONAL FICTION SHORT

Too Rough

Directed by Sean Lionadh

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Nuisance Bear

Directed by Jack Weisman & Gabriela Oslo Vanden

BEST FIRST ANIMATION SHORT in association with Brown Bag Films

Soul Office

Directed by Ryan Loughran

Produced by Fiona McLaughlin, Tom Getty and Grace Loughrey

BEST IRISH FIRST SHORT FICTION

Homebird

Directed by Caleb J. Roberts

Produced by Brian J. Falconer, Callum Harrison and Jonathan Beer

THE DONAL GILLIGAN AWARD FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A SHORT FILM in association with the Irish Society Cinematographers (ISC ) supported by Celtic Grips presented by JOHN LEAHY

Burn It All

Directed by Jack Hickey

Produced by Lara Hickey

Cinematography by Phillip Blake

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN AN IRISH FILM in association with Teach Solais - presented BY CIAN DE BUTLÈIR

Tarrac

Cinematography by Patrick Jordan

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

The Score

Written & Directed by Malachi Smyth

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY

The Job of Song

Directed by Lila Schmitz

Produced by Fengy Xu and Anika Kan Grevstad

PERIPHERAL VISIONS AWARD

Bad Women

Directed by Niklas Lindgren

Written by Niklas Lindgren and Karolina Lindgren

Produced by Mila Haavisto

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FILM in association with Amnesty international Presented BY Siddhi Joshi

Afghan Dreamers

Directed by David Greenwald

Produced by Beth Murphy & David Cowan

YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD

Stay Awake

Director: Jamie Sisley

Writer: Jamie Sisley

Producers: Shrihari Sathe, Eric Schultz, Kelly Thomas & David Ariniello

PITCHING AWARD

Haven by Maureen O’Connell

BEST MARKETPLACE PROJECT AWARD in association with Bankside Films

Shoal

Clare Strong, Director

Jeanie Igoe, Producer

THE BIGHAM RAY NEW TALENT AWARD: in association with Magnolia Pictures PRESENTED BY KATE O’TOOLE

Joint Winners: Éanna Hardwicke and Danielle Galligan, Lakelands

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY in association with TG4 Presented by -

Special Mentions:

Where Do All the Old Gays Go

Directed by Cathy Dunne

Produced by Maggie Ryan and Cathy Dunne

For the Birds

Directed by Ciarán O’ Connor

Produced by Nuala Cunningham and Jen Dunbar

Winner:

Call Me Mommy

Directed by Tara O’Callaghan

Produced by Aaron McEnaney, Louise Byrne and Ross Killeen

THE JAMES HORGAN AWARD FOR SHORT ANIMATION

Soul Office

Directed by Ryan Loughran

Produced by Fiona McLaughlin, Tom Getty and Grace Loughrey

THE TIERNAN MCBRIDE AWARD FOR BEST FICTION SHORT Drama in association with Network Ireland Television PRESENTED BY DERRY O’BRIEN

Wednesday’s Child

Directed by Laura O’Shea

Produced by Caroline Harvey and Charleigh Baileigh

BEST IRISH DOCUMENTARY

Nothing Compares

Director: Kathryn Ferguson

Writers: Kathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage & Michael Mallie

Producers: Eleanor Emptage & Michael Mallie

BEST IRISH FIRST FEATURE in association with Saffery Champness – PRESENTED BY John Gleeson

The Sparrow

Written & Directed by Michael Kinirons

Produced by Alicia Ní Ghráinne

BEST IRISH FILM in association with Danu Media – PRESENTED BY SIOBHAN NI GHADHRA

Lakelands

Written, Directed and Produced by Robert Higgins & Patrick McGivney

 

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