Irish Shorts 4: Out of Competition

Enjoy a selection of some of our favourite Irish short films from the past year, featuring some mostly familiar names to Cork audiences. Mostly fiction, but documentary and animation are also represented. 

Meet the extraordinary Cork dog who is part of the fight against poaching in Namibia. Witness the importance of timing at a Connemara wake. Experience the cycle of life at its most elemental in Famine Ireland. A familiar world is seen anew in an enigmatic and haunting animation, and we sit in on a wary interview. To end, we present the latest work by two of our recent Grand Prix winners, in the shape of Aisling Byrne (Headspace, CIFF2022), in collaboration with Cork-based filmmaker Sinéad O’Loughlin, and filmmaking duo Nathan Fagan and Luke Daly (Flicker, CIFF2020).

CANINE

Paul Webster | 2023 | 16 mins | Ireland

Conservation has become a war. On one side are the rangers protecting vulnerable wildlife. On the other, ruthless poaching gangs.

DEAD MAN NO GOOD

Linda Bhreathnach | 2023 | 19 mins | Ireland

When a man dies in Connemara his village mourns, except for a neighbour who loves the widow. This film is a window into the culturally rich and endangered world of old Gaelic Connemara.

MYCELIUM

Maria-Elena Doyle | 2023 | 16 Mins | Ireland | Subtitled

A mother and daughter embark on a perilous journey across a famine landscape in the hope of making it to the boat alive.

2% BABY

Róisín Sinai Kelly | 2023 | 4 mins | Ireland

On a stormy night a little girl takes cover in an old fridge and finds herself in a once familiar home, but the rain is seeping in and the house is changing.

FINDLATER

Allyn Quigley | 2023 | 12 mins | Ireland

In an apartment in Dublin City, two women meet in front of a microphone to discuss a shared past.

MISREAD

Aisling Byrne, Sinéad O’Loughlin | 2023 | 14 mins | Ireland

Recently released from prison, Gary is back living with his mother and struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. Tasked with driving his brother to college every day, he soon begins to question his choices and misconceptions.

MUD QUEEN

Nathan Fagan, Luke Daly | 2023 | 18 mins | Ireland

Ryan is determined to celebrate his 12th birthday with glamour and style. But will Mam's erratic behaviour derail the night?