Winners on all sides at successful Film Fleadh

It was a remarkably successful year for the Galway Film Fleadh with sell-out screenings and increased ticket sales for its programme of Irish and international premieres.

The event closed on Sunday night with its award ceremony, following a screening of Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Dunkirk.

The Best Irish Feature Documentary had strong local interest, being won by Rocky Ros Muc, based on the life of Connemara boxer, Seán Mannion.

Based on the best-selling book by Rónán Mac Con Iomaire it was directed by Michael Fanning who also co-produced with Máire Bhreathnach. Such was the interest in this documentary that it had three screenings, one in Seán’s hometown of Rosmuc, and all of them attended by the boxing legend.

The winner of the Best Irish Feature was Michael Inside. Written and directed by Frank Berry and starring Dafhyd Flynn and Lalor Roddy, it’s based on real-life experiences of Irish prisoners.

Galway director Mia Mullarkey was joint winner of the Best Short Documentary award for Throwline about a group of taxi drivers in Kilkenny who help prevent suicide. The co-winner was Mairéad Ní Thréinir, who directed for Tit for Tat which two women reclaim their femininity by tattooing over the scars left by their breast cancer.

The Galway Film Fleadh is a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards and of the James Horgan Award for Best Animation and Tiernan MacBride Award for Best Short Drama qualified for Oscar nomination.

The short animation award went to An Béal Bocht, directed by Tom Collins and the short drama award was won by The Date, directed by the Gate Theatre’s new artistic director Selina Cartmell.

An Béal Bocht also won the award for Animation in a Short Film, while Best Cinematography in a Short Film went to Burschi Wojner for Wave. That film also won the award for Best Short Drama.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.