Discover the Fleadh Forum at the 38th Galway Film Fleadh
Posted: 3rd July 2026
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is proud to support the Film Forum at the 38th Galway Film Fleadh - an annual platform to explore, discuss and share ideas about what is happening in the audiovisual industry.
Sundance Senior Programmer and Director of Strategy John Nein will be the keynote speaker at the 2026 Fleadh.
Register for the Fleadh Film Forum here.
Panels
10.30am - 15:15pm
Veranda Chat with John Nein (Sundance Film Festival), interviewed by Keith Potter (Head of Feature Film, Screen Ireland)
For over 25 years, John Nein has been a driving force behind modern independent cinema and a key leader at the Sundance Institute. As Sundance’s Senior Programmer and Director of Strategy, he has shaped the global film landscape by discovering groundbreaking talent and championing diverse storytelling. In this conversation, John will share his thoughts on the state of independent film, the global festival ecosystem, and the future of cinema.
Market Saturation or Salvation? Horror’s New Moment and its Irish Stars
The critical and commercial success of legacy sequels like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, re-imaginings such as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, and independents like Obsession and Backrooms has changed the conversation around horror yet again. This panel brings together acclaimed visionaries Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Gound, Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy), Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) and producers John Keville (Wild Atlantic Pictures) and Daisy Allsop (Westend Films) to discuss recent horror successes at the box office. And from folklore-infused hauntings to bionic black comedies and razor-sharp period slashers, we examine how some of Ireland’s leading horror filmmakers are impacting the global genre landscape.
- Panelists: Lee Cronin, Director, (Lee Cronin’s The Mummy), John Keville, Producer (Wild Atlantic Pictures), Kate Dolan, Director (You Are Not My Mother), Daisy Allsop (Westend Films).
- Moderator: Keith Potter, Head of Film (Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland)
From Script to Screen: Case Study on The Yank and You'll Never Believe Who's Dead
There are many pivotal moments within the journey of making a debut film or TV project, from the first sparks of inspiration, to putting the complicated matrix of the financing together, working within locations across the country and finally bringing it to audiences. This discussion will focus on two upcoming Irish projects looking the challenges and opportunities faced along their paths to fruition and offering practical insights and know-how.
Panellists: Gar O’Brien-Collins (Chair), Yvonne Donohoe, Producer, (The Yank), Eithne Varling, Creator & Writer, (The Yank), Patrick O’Neill/Anna Mannion, Producer (You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead), Dallan Shovlin, Writer/Director (You’ll Never Believe Whose Dead).
Fact to Feature: Ethical Adaptation in The Lost Children of Tuam
This panel featuring the creative team behind historical drama The Lost Children of Tuam will explore how filmmakers balance historical investigative trauma, legal accountability, and community justice when translating sensitive Irish stories to the cinematic screen.
- Panelists: Director, Frank Berry, Director, Chelsea Morgan-Hoffman, Producer, Mark Byrne, Group Head of Legal, Element Pictures.
- Moderator: Sinéad O’Shea, Director and documentary filmmaker
Further panel details will be announced, alongside event timings, early next week.