Tom Sullivan is an award-winning writer and director who was born in Dublin and studied Earth Science at University College Galway. After graduating in 1995, he began acting and has worked consistently in film and television since then. In 2010, Tom began writing and directing short films. His first short, ASAL(2011), premiered at the 2011 Galway Film Festival where it won the Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama. Tom has consistently created award-winning content since then, including his debut feature film ARRACHT (2019) which was nominated for 11 IFTAs (and won two), won The Critics Circle Award Virgin Dublin Film Festival, Audience award at Glasgow Int. Film Festival, Best Film at Kimolos Int. Film Festival and was chosen to represent Ireland in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy awards 2021.
Author: Sofie
Michael Kinirons
Award-winning Irish screenwriter and director. He studied English and Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and went on to study directing at the prestigious National Film and Television School, (NFTS) London. He has had projects selected for the Torino Film Lab, the Britlist, eQuinoxe, EAVE and is a Berlinale Talent Campus alumni. Michael’s first produced feature as screenwriter, STRANGERLAND, an Australian set mystery drama starring Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and Joe Fiennes, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, 2015. THE SPARROW, Michael’s feature film debut as writer/director, premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh 2022 where it won Best First Irish Feature. Subsequently, it won the meeting point audience award at Valladolid Film Festival and has been nominated for two Irish Film and Television Awards.
Caroline Grace-Cassidy
Caroline is The Irish Times bestselling author of nine novels and has been translated into various languages as well as being a Top 20 Kindle Bestseller. Caroline is a Screenwriter and Creative Director of Document Films. As a Screenwriter she has written and directed seven successful short films that have played at festivals all over the world, including a Galway Film Fleadh winning short and she was also the recipient of the Cineuropa award. Her films have been broadcast on RTÉ Television, Virgin Television, Aer Lingus and even screened at Glastonbury. Caroline has co-written her first feature film, BRIDE SQUAD, optioned by Vico Films, IRL and Myriad Pictures, US. Her second feature THE QUIET WOMAN is being developed with support from Screen Ireland. Caroline is currently writing her first TV drama, MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME – again with development funding from Screen Ireland. She adapted her novel, THE WEEK I RUINED MY LIFE, for TV supported by the BAI & Canadian Media Fund. Caroline has also written for Irelands longest running soap, FAIR CITY. She is also a regular panellist on Ireland’s popular all female talk show ‘Midday’.
Paul Burke
Paul has written some of the UK’s favourite and best known TV and radio commercials. He has won various awards for his writing including: D&AD, Creative Circle and the Aerials. He was also presented with a Radio Academy Fellowship at the House of Lords. In 2001, his first novel FATHER FRANK was published to great critical acclaim. He followed this with three more – UNTORN TICKETS in 2003, THE MAN WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS WIFE in 2005 and THE LIFE OF REILLY in 2007. More recently, he has turned to screenwriting. He is currently adapting UNTORN TICKETS into a screenplay and has THE HUTS, a TV comedy drama, in development with the BBC. He has also adapted FATHER FRANK for the screen with Mallinson Television Productions.
Conor McMahon
2022: NO WORRIES IF NOT –TV sketch series for RTÉ
Television; 2021: LET THE WRONG ONE IN – Comedy
Horror Feature Film starring Anthony Head; Winner of Jury
Prize at Screamfest 2021; Nominated for Best Director and
Best Screenplay at the Irish Film and Television Academy
Awards 2023; 2019: DARKLANDS – two episodes of TV
crime series produced by Parallel Films for Virgin Media;
2014: FROM THE DARK – Horror Feature Film Starring
Niamh Algar; premiered at Fantastic Fest 2014; 2012:
STITCHES – Comedy Horror Feature Film starring Ross
Noble; Winner of the Carmel Jove Jury Award at Sitges
2012; 2009: THE DISTURBED – Horror Feature Film
starring Carla McGlynn; premiered at Galway Film Fleadh
2009; 2004; DEAD MEAT – Comedy Horror Feature Film
starring Marian Araujo;
Conor McMahon
Ben Conway
2022: SIMON – Short Film directed by Ben Conway and
Peter J McCarthy and starring Moe Dunford; premiered at
Galway Film Fleadh 2022; 2021: BUGALOO – Short Film
directed by Ben Conway and Peter J MCarthy and starring
Moe Dunford; premiered at Galway Film Fleadh 2021
Conor McMahon
2021: LET THE WRONG ONE IN – Comedy Horror – Feature Film written and directed by Conor McMahon and starring Anthony Head; Winner of Jury Prize at Screamfest. 2021; Nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Irish Film and Television Academy Awards 2023. 2014: FROM THE DARK – Horror Feature Film written by Damian Fox and Conor McMahon, directed by Conor McMahon and Starring Niamh Algar; premiered at Fantastic Fest 2014. 2012: STITCHES – Comedy Horror – Feature Film written by David O’Brien and Conor McMahon, directed by Conor McMahon and starring Ross Noble; Winner of the Carmel Jove Jury Award at Sitges 2012. 2009: THE DISTURBED – Horror Feature Film written and directed by Conor McMahon and starring Carla McGlynn; premiered at Galway Film Fleadh 2009. 2004;
DEAD MEAT – Comedy Horror Feature Film written and directed by Conor McMahon and starring Marian Araujo.
Ben Conway
2022: ONE WAY – Feature Film directed by Andrew Baird
and starring Kevin Bacon and Travis Fimmel. International
Sales by Highland Film Group. 2021: NIGHTRIDE –
Feature Film directed by Stephen Fingleton and starring
Moe Dunford. Winner of Best Actor Award (Moe Dunford)
at Irish Film and Television Awards 2022); 2022: SIMON –
Short Film written and directed by Ben Conway and Peter J
McCarthy and starring Moe Dunford; premiered at Galway
Film Fleadh 2022; 2021: BUGALOO – Short Film written
and directed by Ben Conway and Peter J MCarthy and
starring Moe Dunford; premiered at Galway Film Fleadh
2021.
Mary Kate O Flanagan
Award-winning writer, journalist and story consultant working in the film and television industry. She has designed and delivered training in Storytelling On The Screen across the world and works as a credited co-writer and an uncredited script doctor. Several of Mary Kate’s projects have been award Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland development funding, including SPARTACUS RISING, a television series co-written with Gavin Ryan; HEART OF DARKNESS, an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novella; and the original feature screenplays for MY HUCKLEBERRY FRIEND, AIRLIFT TO BIAFRA (an adaptation of the true life story of Father Tony Byrne) and KICKING THE HABIT. Mary Kate was Ireland’s First Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth. She was also a Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth in Los Angeles and a Champion Storyteller at The Dublin StorySlam. You can hear one of her stories on The Moth Radio Hour – https://themoth.org/stories/carry-him-shoulder-high – and on Tik Tok, where it has amassed over one million views – https://www.tiktok.com/@mothstories/video/7245791769315609899.
Mary Kate has turned her true-life stories into a piece of theatre, MAKING A SHOW OF MYSELF, which she is currently rehearsing for a national tour –https://smockalley.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873638924/events.
Sinead O’Loughlin
2022: LAMB – Screen Ireland Focus Short; Winner of the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Cork International Film Festival 2022; Official Selection at Tribeca Film Festival 2022; Nominated for 2023 IFTA Award for Best Short Film; 2016: HOMECOMING – Winner of Best Narrative Short Film at Kerry International Film Festival 2016. 2023: VOCATION – Feature Film Screenplay in development with Screen Ireland and Coper Alley Productions.
Maureen O’Connell
A graduate of RADA, with a Diploma in Film Production,
Maureen (Mo) O’Connell has made several award-winning
shorts and an award-winning micro-budget slacker film,
SPA WEEKEND. 2022: HAVEN – Official Selection Kerry
International Film Festival 2022; 2022: BRUISE – Official
Selection Galway Film Fleadh 2022; 2020: HUM – Winner
of the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Emerging
Lens Film Festival 2021; 2019: SPA WEEKEND – Winner
of Best International Feature at Polish International Film
Festival 2020
Roisin Agnew
Roisin Agnew is a writer and filmmaker based in London.
She’s the recipient of Arts Council Ireland’s Next
Generation Artist Award in Literature 2020/21 and she’s
currently in development with HIT WHERE IT HURTS, her
first feature film with Screen Ireland, attached as
writer/director. Roisin’s writing has appeared in The
Guardian, The Irish Times, Elephant Magazine, Dazed &
Confused, and Vice. She’s recently written an exhibition
text for Jupiter Woods and has a forthcoming piece in
Another Gaze. Roisin is currently directing a documentary
for Erica Starling Productions with the support of Northern
Ireland Screen. Roisin has also written for Playstation
games and teaches screenwriting at the London Film
School.