Galway Film Fleadh Winners: ‘Apocalypse Clown’ And ‘Scrapper’ Take Top Prizes
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The 35th Galway Film Fleadh ended Sunday evening with the Competition jury handing the festival’s top prizes of Best Irish Film to Apocalypse Clown, directed by George Kane, and the Generation Jury Award to Scrapper by Charlotte Regan.
Written by Demian Fox, George Kane, Shane O’Brien, and James Walmsley and produced by Morgan Bushe and James Dean, Apocalypse Clown follows a troupe of failed clowns as they embark on a chaotic road trip of self-discovery after a mysterious solar event plunges the world into anarchy. Scrapper, which stars Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness), follows Georgie, a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Suddenly, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality.
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Also among the winners on the night was Lie of The Land, directed by John Carlin. Written by Tara Hegarty and produced by Chris Patterson and Margaret McGoldrick, the tense drama unfolds in this first feature as the Wards prepare to abandon their lives, escaping a dire financial situation when a last-minute change of heart leaves them fighting for survival.
The Graceless Age – The Ballad of John Murry won the Best Irish Documentary award on the night. Written and directed by Sarah Share and produced by Nuala Cunningham, John Galway, and Aeschylus Poulos, the film is the story of American singer-songwriter John Murry who was on the cusp of greatness after the release of his highly acclaimed album The Graceless Age (2013) when his world fell apart.
This year, Galway featured 95 feature films and 102 shorts. The festival ended with the closing night pic Let the Canary Sing, which chronicles Cyndi Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact that extends across her music, and ever-evolving punk style.
The full list of winners below:
Generation Jury Award
SCRAPPER | Director, Charlotte Regan
Producer, Theo Barrowclough
Best International Short Fiction
LAST CALL | Director, Harry Holland
Best International Short Animation
GLOBBY THE DRAGON | Directors, Xin Sun and Yun Li
Best International Short Documentary
MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU (Dipped In Black) | Directors, Matthew Thorne and Derik Lynch
Donal Gilligan Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film with the Irish Society Cinematographers (ISC) supported by Celtic Grips
TWO FOR THE ROAD | Cinematographer, Eoin McLoughlin
Best First Short Animation Award with Brown Bag Films
PINOKIDOKI
Director/Writer/Producer: Jack C.
Best Cinematography in an Irish Film with Teach Solais
LIES WE TELL | Cinematographer, Eleanor Bowman
World Cinema Competition
PAST LIVES | Director, Celine Song
Producers, David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler
Peripheral Visions Award with Galway Cultural Company
THE LAND WITHIN | Director, Fisnik Maxville
Producers, Thomas Reichlin, Britta Rindelaub and Valon Bajgora
Best International Film
HERE | Director, Bas Devos
Producer, Marc Goyens
Best International Documentary
ONE BULLET | Director, Carol Dysinger
Producers, Carol Dysinger, Su Kim, Ashim Bhalla and Jesper Jack.
The Pitching Award with Wild Atlantic Pictures
The winner is Eimear Morgan with her project ‘Billy Ruben + The Shunts’
The Galway Film Fair, in association with Bankside Films – Best Marketplace Project
BARFLY – Bridge Way Films, Chris Hees & Dan Thorburn
Best Irish Documentary
THE GRACELESS AGE – THE BALLAD OF JOHN MURRY | Director, Sarah Share
Producers, Nuala Cunningham, John Galway and Aeschylus Poulous
James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama
BABY STEPS | Hannah Mamalis – Director
James Horgan Award for Best Animation (short) with Animation Ireland
WORRY WORLD | Director: Jessica Patterson
Best Short Documentary with TG4
BEING PUT BACK TOGETHER | David McDonagh – Director
Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama
TWO FOR THE ROAD | Lochlainn McKenna – Director
Best Independent Film Award
VERDIGRIS | Director, Patricia Kelly
Producers, Paul Fitzsimons and Patricia Kelly
Bingham Ray New Talent Award with Magnolia Pictures
AGNES O’CASEY | (Lies We Tell/The Miracle Club)
Best Irish First Feature with Element Pictures
LIE OF THE LAND | Director, John Carlin
Producers, Chris Patterson and Margaret McGoldrick
Best Irish Film with Danu Media
APOCALYPSE CLOWN | Director, George Kane
Producers, Morgan Bushe
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