The 36th edition of the Galway Film Fleadh came to an end last night after another outstanding year. With sold-out screenings across the festival programme, the Fleadh featured 94 feature films and over 100 short films featuring the best Irish and World cinema.
The annual awards ceremony took place on Sunday 14th July before the closing film, To A Land Unknown from director Mahdi Fleifel, which follows Chatila and Reda who are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens.
Best Irish Film went to the buzz title of the festival KNEECAP, written and directed by Rich Peppiat and produced by Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill. In this fiercely original sex, drugs, and hip-hop biopic, the band KNEECAP play themselves, with Academy- Award-nominee® Michael Fassbender in tow, laying down a global rallying cry for the defence of native cultures. In an overwhelming response from the voting public, KNEECAP also won the Audience Award and the Irish Language Feature Film Award, a feat that has never happened at the Fleadh in 36 years.
Best Irish First Feature was awarded to Fidil Ghorm directed by Anne McCabe, written by Patricia Forde and produced by Pierce Boyce and Bríd Seoighe. A captivating drama, Fidil Ghorm tells the story of 10-year-old Molly, who believes that if she learns to play the fiddle like her dad, she can wake him up from a coma.
Housewife of the Year won the Best Irish Documentary award. Directed by Ciaran Cassidy and produced by Maria Horgan and Colum McKeown, Housewife of the Year tells the story of Ireland’s treatment of women through the prism of a unique, surreal, live-televised competition, that has to be seen to be believed.
AWARDS:
Galway Hooker Award – Brian Cox – For his contribution on the stage, the small screen and the big screen
Best International Short Animation – LIZZIE AND THE SEA| Director/Writer: Mariacarla Norall Producers: Maria Carolina Terzi, Lorenza Stella, Carlo Stella. Lead animators: Ivana Verze, Viola Cecere
Best International Short Fiction – THE MASTERPIECE | Director: Alex Lora / Producers: Josemaria Martinez, Álex Lora Cercos, Néstor López, Lluis Quilez / Writers: Lluis Quilez, Alfonso Amador
Best International Short Documentary – FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE| Director/Writer: Annabel Moodie / Producer: Lea Luiz de Oliveira
Best First Short Animation Award with Brown Bag Films – HEADING HOME | Director/Producer/Writer: Holly Langan / Lead animator: Holly Langan
James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama – WIFE OF THE FUTURE| Director/Writer: Rory Hanrahan / Producer: Louise Byrne
Donal Gilligan Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film with the Irish Society Cinematographers (ISC) – ALL THAT’S CARRIED | Cinematographer, Albert Hooi / Director: Rosie Barrett Producers: Laura Rigney, Eimear Reilly / Writer: Eimear Reilly
Peripheral Visions Award with Galway Cultural Company (presented by Marilyn Gaughan) – POISON| Director: Désirée Nosbusch (Luxemburg, Netherlands, UK) / Producers: Alexandra Hoesdorff, Désirée Nosbusch, Petra Goedings, Maaike Benschop, Vivien Müller-Rommel / Writer: Lot Vekemans
Generation Jury Award – AMAL | Director Jawad Rhalib (Belgium) / Producers – Geneviève Lemal, Ellen de Waele / Writers – Jawad Rhalib, David Lambert, Chloé Leonil
Best International Film – THE TEACHER | Director/Writer: Farah Nabulsi / Producer: Sawsan Asfari Himani
Best International Documentary – INTERCEPTED | Director/Writer: Oksana Karpovych (Canada, France, Ukraine) / Producers: Giacomo Nudi, Rocío B. Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel, Olha Beskhmelnytsina
Best Cinematography in an Irish Film with Teach Solais (presented by Cian de Buitléar) – ODDITY | Cinematographer, Colm Hogan
Best Marketplace Project Award with Bankside Films – FAIRIES DON’T EXIST – Michael O’Neill & Jude Sharvin, Armchair & Rocket – Northern Ireland
Bingham Ray New Talent Award with Magnolia Pictures – EVA BIRTHISTLE for her directorial debut Kathleen Is Here
Best Irish Language Feature Film – KNEECAP| Director/Writer – Rich Peppiatt / Producers – Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
The Pitching Award with Wild Atlantic Pictures – DONS LIFE GOES ON – Zoe Gibney
James Horgan Award for Best Animation with Animation Ireland (presented by Moe Honan) – TO BREAK A CIRCLE | Director: Kalia Firester / Producers: Tim Bryans, Andrea McQuade, Lee McQuade / Writers: Kalia Firester, Dara McWade / Lead animator: Cora McKenna
Best Independent Film Award – THE SONG CYCLE | Director/Writer/Producer: Nick Kelly
Best Short Documentary Award with TG4 (presented by Lís Ní Dhálaigh) JOINT AWARD – WE BEG TO DIFFER| Director/Writer: Ruairi Bradley / Producers: Thomas Purdy, Ruairi Bradley
AND
AFTER THE BOMB | Director/Writer/Producer: Heather Brumley
Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama – TURNAROUND | Director/Writer: Aisling Byrne / Producer: Killian Coyle
Best Irish Feature Documentary – HOUSEWIFE OF THE YEAR | Director Ciaran Cassidy / Producers – Maria Horgan, Colum McKeown
Best Irish First Feature with Element Pictures (presented by Charlene Lydon) – FIDIL GHORM | Director Anne McCabe / Producers: Pierce Boyce, Bríd Seoighe /Writer: Patricia Forde
Best Irish Film with Danu Media (presented by Louise Richardson) – KNEECAP| Director/Writer Rich Peppiatt / Producers – Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
Best Audience Award – KNEECAP| Director/Writer Rich Peppiatt / Producers – Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
The Galway Film Fleadh is supported by the Arts Council, Screen Ireland, Creative Europe Media, TG4, Coimisiún na Meán, Northern Ireland Screen, Failte Ireland and Galway City Council.