Whackala’s short film Refuge has picked up two awards at the Scottish Independent Film Festival. The award for Best Director went to Leticia Agudo, while the title of Best Cinematography went to their long-time collaborator Jaro Waldeck.
Shot on location in Spain and starring Irish actor Tommy Harris and former asylum seeker Cletus Fonony, Refuge follows Ruairí, lost and alone in a foreign city, given help and shelter from an unlikely source. He struggles to understand the situation of his helper, Lawrence, who reflects the real stories of thousands who throw themselves to uncertainty in the Mediterranean. Two young men, worlds apart, are equals for one night.
Refuge has also screened at festivals around the world, including Foyle, Alcine, Chicago Irish and Brest.
See the trailer for Refuge here:
Leticia Agudo: Director/Co-Writer of ‘Refuge’
Author
Gemma
Gemma Creagh is a writer, filmmaker and journalist. In 2014 she graduated with a First from NUIG’s MA Writing programme. Gemma’s play Spoiling Sunset was staged in Galway as part of the Jerome Hynes One Act Play series in 2014. Gemma was one of eight playwrights selected for AboutFACE’s 2021 Transatlantic Tales and is presently developing a play with the Axis Theatre and with the support of the Arts Council. She has been commissioned to submit a play by Voyeur Theatre to potentially be performed in Summer 2023 as part of the local arts festival. Gemma was the writer and co-producer of the five-part comedy Rental Boys for RTÉ’s Storyland. She has gone on to write, direct and produce shorts which screened at festivals around the world. She was commissioned to direct the short film, After You, by Filmbase and TBCT. Gemma has penned articles for magazines, industry websites and national newspapers, she’s the assistant editor for Film Ireland and she contributes reviews to RTE Radio One’s Arena on occasion.
