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Naked Lights

When a masked stranger threatens to burn down a 24-hour petrol station, disaffected night shift attendant Emma is all that stands in his way.

Speaking about production on the film, director Jeda de Brí said:

Making Naked Lights was an utter joy from start to finish. I wanted to reflect my experience of growing up in the middle of nowhere, the nearest form of civilization being the local petrol station. For that to happen, we shot in a rural station in Rathkeale, Limerick. We did extensive location scouting and eventually found the perfect station but it didn’t have a night hatch, which was crucial to the story. So our producer, Greg Burrowes negotiated with the very obliging owner of the station to take her window out and replace it with a perspex pane which we installed with a night hatch. I have no idea how he convinced her, but it was perfect. Once the shoot was done, the window was replaced with actual glass.

My favourite part of the beautiful production design by Ellen Kirk was a Slushie Machine she got to reflect the two strongest colours in the film, red and blue. We couldn’t have it turned on during the shoot because it was too loud for sound. But when we wrapped on the final night, myself and Hannah Mamalis, who plays Emma in the film, decided we would hang our heads under the Slushie machine and drink the melted slush. It tasted exactly how you think it would. It was a messy celebration at 6am and a fitting wrap to a brilliant shoot. I'm so excited for people to see the film we made.

Follow Naked Lights on its festival journey on Carbonated Comet Productions' Instagram, Facebook and X pages.

Amy, a beauty therapist, and Darren, a street sweeper, are a young Dublin couple struggling to conceive. After failed IVF attempts and financial strain, Amy borrows €5000 from her ex, Keith while Darren is keeping his own secrets. At a party, lies are exposed, leading to a highly charged argument.

Follow One More Round on its festival journey on the film's Instagram page and website.

Mero makes her way into the city by train. It feels like this might be her first time out in some time. She ducks into her favourite café where a mug of coffee and an encounter with a kindred spirit put her at ease.

Speaking about Mero, the short film's team said:

With just over two minutes to play with, we set ourselves the challenge of making an open, airy piece that doesn't try to tell a complete story.

Follow Mero on its festival journey on Fictions Pictures' Instagram.

Cat is at work in the local diner. She is contemplating robbing the place when a man in a mouse costume enters with the same intentions.

Speaking about the film, director Michael-David McKernan said:

Cat & Mouse is a cost-of-living-crisis comedy set in a fictional and dysfunctional diner called Uptown Grill. We had a blast creating a world that felt grungy, eccentric and dramatic. And despite the presence of firearms, no cats or mice were harmed in the making of this film."

Follow Cat & Mouse on its festival journey through the film's Instagram page.

Ogham

Bereaved father Eoin struggles to survive in a mountainside cave until an injury leaves him lame and starving. Desperation drives him to abandon his solitude and descend into a perilous, famine-stricken landscape. Now, he must navigate a dangerous world where he isn’t the only one seeking salvation.

Speaking of her experience on the set of the film, make-up designer Hannah Sullivan said:

What really stood out for me when making this film was how beautiful and unique the locations that were chosen were. While each brought an interesting challenge in terms of transport and logistics I could tell even on the day that it was worth it in terms of pure aesthetic value and bringing the story to life.”

Follow Ogham on its festival journey on Hal Pictures' Instagram page.

Tadhana

In an afternoon of preparations and packing to leave her parents’ home, Camille wanders in a midst of feelings and memories of her past through which she finds the strength to face her future.

Speaking about the film, the directors said:

Tadhana is a girl’s name of Filipino origin meaning “destiny” or “fate.” Camille’s journey towards her reconciliation is a journey of Tadhana of accepting her past and finding a way to integrate it into her present. A message that resonates universally.

Follow Tadhana on its festival journey on and maps and plans' Instagram, X and Facebook pages.

Peat

Anne Byrne, recently widowed, lives with her useless adult son, Petey. Left juggling housework and the bog, she's run ragged until her witchy neighbour Helen suggests building a Golem - a creature built for labour. But when Anne develops feelings for it, Petey fiercely rejects this new father figure.

Speaking about Peat, director and writer Paudie Baggott said:

Peat is a very special film to me as it's the first that I've both written and directed and I feel like it captures my sensibility in the purest way possible. I tend to use dark humour and magic realism to tell personal stories because that's what I use to process them. I also adore special effects, especially practical ones so it was a joy to work with all of the SFX artists on this film - Odyssey Studios on the creature effects and Dec Boyle, Cassette Vision, Element Post & VFX, Tony McFadden & Isis Cortes Sauza on the SIXTY visual effects shots! I think that list will show how ambitious the vision we've put on screen is, and I'm so excited to share this weird, funny slice of my brain with the world."

Photo credit: David Copeland

Follow Peat on its festival journey on the film's Instagram page.

I Can't Go On

Trapped inside polyester fur, dizzy and sweating to death, a children’s party entertainer’s day goes from bad to worse. As events spiral into chaos and panic, a tense battle for survival ensues.

Follow I Can't Go On on its festival journey on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Turnaround

Following a sudden, tragic bereavement, Mags uncovers a tightly held secret as she navigates the fast-paced pressures of a West of Ireland tourist property turnaround. Grief-stricken and under mounting pressure, Mags must decide if she will risk everything to help a friend.

Written and directed by Aisling Byrne, produced by Killian Coyle. Kilian Walters (Editor) and Daniel Keane (DOP) worked across production through Arcade Film.

Speaking about Turnaround, director/writer Aisling Byrne said:

At its core, Turnaround explores themes of class, economic struggle, and the redemptive power offemale friendship. Visually and tonally, I wanted to make a film that would juxtapose the cinematic magnificence of the West of Ireland landscape with an intimate portrayal of the ordinary lives within it.

Follow Turnaround on its festival journey through the film's Instagram page.

In the throes of his overstimulated, energy-poor midlife, Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has “the time”. He will pursue his curiosities, challenge his limiting beliefs, embrace fear, beauty, even the complexities of wine culture.

Follow Retirement Plan on its festival journey on the film's Instagram page.