Podcast: Introducing StarGAZE Participants Alba Fernandez, Philip Emo & Hiram Harrington

In this podcast, Film Ireland is delighted to partner with the National Talent Academy for Film & TV and GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival as we’re joined by three participants from their fantastic starGAZE programme. This is a platform for LGBTQIA talent that provides access to Irish and international creatives, full festival access, and mentorship with an established LGBTQIA filmmaker.

Listen back as cinematographer Alba Fernandez, producer and screenwriter Philip Emo, and director and screenwriter Hiram Harrington talk about craft, career and what makes a film great.

starGAZE 2025 applications are now open

GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival has announced the second year of their professional development programme starGAZE, supporting by the National Talent Academies. The initiative which will support six emerging LGBTQIA filmmakers is now open for applications. starGAZE provides a platform for LGBTQIA talent through an internationally recognised film festival by giving participants access to Irish and international creatives, full festival access and a mentorship with an established LGBTQIA filmmaker.

starGAZE 2025 will accept applications from LGBTQIA people of all backgrounds, particularly encouraging applicants from the global majority, trans and non-binary people, people from working-class communities, the Travelling community, people with disabilities and all equity-seeking individuals facing additional challenges within the film industry. starGAZE is supported by the National Talent Academy Film & TV Drama and by the Arts Council of Ireland.

starGAZE’s ambition is to increase the number of Irish LGBTQIA stories on screen and showcase the next generation of Irish queer and trans voices.

Apply by Monday 14 April, 5pm.

Philip Emo

Philip Emo is an emerging film producer and screenwriter with a portfolio of award-winning short films featured at renowned international film festivals. A graduate of the NFS at IADT, he gained acclaim for producing Breastfriends, a short film that won Best Irish Short Film at the GAZE Film Festival and has amassed over a million views online. In 2023, Philip co-founded the production company All My Friends with Killian Casey. Their inaugural short film, This is Not An Attack on Your Parenting, has screened at film festivals worldwide. Their next project, His House, Home, has been selected for Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts Funding. He was also a recipient of the starGAZE programme, a new professional talent development initiative run by the GAZE Film Festival and the National Talent Academy. All My Friends’ first feature film, Fishing, has received early-stage development funding from the Incubator scheme run by X Pollinator. The company is currently building its feature film and television development slate.

Hiram Harrington

Hiram Harrington is a macabre screenwriter and director from North Dublin. Holding an MA in Directing from the MetFilm School Berlin, he currently works between a box office and his creative practice as a writer and director for short films and music videos. His horror/thriller short film, “GLORY,HOLE”, premiered at the GAZE International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2023 and is currently screening at festivals worldwide. In 2021, he was awarded a Virgin Media Discovers development fund, and in 2022, was a finalist writer in RTÉ’s Storyland for his queer heist dramedy script “Goodnight Girl”, co-created with award-winning director Janna Kemperman. It is now in the early stages of development as a limited series with Escape Pod Media and Screen Ireland, and was selected for the 2024 Torino Film Festival SeriesLab programme. In 2024, Hiram was selected for X-Pollinator (Screen Ireland’s network for female, trans, and non-binary filmmakers), Element Pictures’ inaugural StoryHouse LAB, and First Cut! Youth Film Festival’s Youth Music Video Competition. At present, Hiram is participating in the Transilvania International Film Festival Full Moon Creative Lab developing a horror mystery television series. He also writes episodes of RTÉ’s Fair City.

Alba Fernandez

Alba Fernandez is a cinematographer based in Dublin. Having graduated from the National Film School of Ireland in 2017 she has quickly become one of Ireland’s most prolific female cinematographers with a staggering 60 shorts in the past 5 years. In 2021, she won the Best Cinematography award at the Galway Film Fleadh for her work in FAITÍOS and has since garnered recognition at the European Cinematography Awards for her work on ANIMAL (2023), STABLE (2023), CALLUS (2023) and GILLYFISH (2024). Alba is currently being mentored by Irish cinematographer Kate McCullough (The Quiet Girl, 2022) and is the founder of Queer Crew Ireland, a directory that aims to spotlight below the line Irish queer talent.