In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to 4 filmmakers whose films are screening at the Cork International Film Festival. Martina Glynn (Wrecker), Aduda Hera & Lia Campbell (Shee) and TJ O’Grady-Peyton (Room Taken).
The Cork International Film Festival runs 9-26 November 2023.
Wrecker (DIR: Martina Glynn • WRI: Aoife Bradshaw)
A father and daughter struggle to survive in the midst of the famine in Ireland. Faced with the grim reality of eviction and starvation, the father has teamed up with a group of ‘wreckers’ – men who destroy the homes of evicted tenants on behalf of a landlord. Determined to discover the truth of how he has been providing for them despite the hardships they’ve been dealt, the young girl must confront his choices and fight for what she believes in.
Wrecker screens on Saturday. 11th November. as part of the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Shorts
Shee (DIR: Lia Campbell • WRI: Aduda Hera )
Shee (masculine presenting) and Magnus (femme), are a couple in a polyamorous relationship. On a night out, Magnus finds herself pulled toward Leo and they spend the night together. A few weeks later, Magnus discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant, with Leo’s child. With same-sex adoption currently illegal in their home in Kenya Magnus and Shee must try to negotiate the questions and rifts this brings into their relationship with Shee fearing they may not being able to be the father figure the child needs. Escaping to the Ngong hills they reflect on the situation; they must decide whether they should go ahead with the pregnancy and embrace their fate together, as this may be their only chance to have a family.
Shee screens on Saturday. 11th November. as part of the Irish Shorts 1: In Competition
Room Taken (DIR: TJ O’Grady-Peyton • WRI: Michael Whelan)
Having just arrived in Ireland, Isaac is part of the rapidly growing homeless population. One day, while charging his phone in a coffee shop, he meets Victoria, an elderly blind woman. After forgetting her bag in the cafe, Isaac returns it to her. Once inside her home and in desperate need of a place to stay, Isaac sneaks upstairs and begins to live there, unbeknownst to Victoria. This leads to a series of unknown interactions in which Isaac works to stay hidden from a woman who experiences the world through sound. Eventually, a strange bond develops between the two.
Room Taken screens on Saturday. 11th November. as part of the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Shorts
Martina McGlynn
Credits as TV Director/Producer include:
Martina has an extensive film and documentary career including the award winning Who is Dervla Murphy, The Secret Market and A Nightingale Falling.
Wrecker is her directorial debut.
Credits as TV Director/Producer include:
Wrecker (short film) Director
Nothing To Declare (short documentary IFTA winner 2022) Producer
You Are Enough Music Video Tolu Makay Director
The Secret Market (IFTA nominated short) Producer
Striking Out TV Series Shadow Director
A Nightingale Falling, Feature Film, Co-Director
‘A Grand Experience’ (Arts Documentary RTÉ) Producer
Who is Dervla Murphy? (Award Winning Documentary) Producer
Lia Campbell
After majoring in Direction at the Irish National Film School (Dún Laoghaire Institute of Arts, Technology and Design) and graduating in 2020, Lia is filmmaker across fiction and documentary film. Born in Northern Ireland, with a mixture of German and Irish heritage, she is particularly drawn to stories surrounding identity. Her National Film School graduation film ‘To All My Darlings’, won the Audience Award for best short film at the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2021 and was shortlisted for the EDA Student BAFTAs. Her short documentary film ‘Run With Her’ was commissioned by the Scottish Documentary Institute, produced by WalkOnAir Films and funded by NI Screen premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2021.
Aduda Hera
Aduda Hera is a Kenyan writer, director and producer based in Nairobi. She completed her Film Production qualification at Filamujuani Film Foundation in 2020, which involved working across various areas of production, direction, screenwriting and editing. Aduda now works as a Production Manager at White Rhino Films. Aduda is a passionate screenwriter, and has kept a writing blog since 2017 to document her own creative thoughts and short pieces. Aduda has also a background in activism, working for ‘Come Speak Easy’ as their LGBTQIA+ social media activist.
https://dumbworld.co.uk/project/shee/
Instagram: Shee_shortfilm2023
TJ O’Grady-Peyton
TJ O’Grady-Peyton gained recognition in 2013 as a Young Director Award finalist at Cannes. Subsequently, he has directed various international commercials for clients including Under Armour, Asics, Peloton, Volkswagen, BMW, and the European Union. He received the Discovery Award at the Dublin International Film Festival and the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at the Galway Film Fleadh. His short films have been showcased at prestigious festivals such as Tribeca, Clermont-Ferrand, and BFI London and have been featured in The New Yorker. His work has received recognition at numerous film festivals worldwide. Particularly notable is his film “Wave,” which won an Irish Film and Television Award in 2018. Additionally, “Silence” received a nomination in 2021. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America.
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