Making my new short film ‘Debutante’ features as number 3 on the list of the most difficult (but ultimately rewarding) experiences in my life. The first two being leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses and giving birth to my daughter Zosia, in that order.
Making ‘Debutante,’ while pregnant in a pandemic world, was a very lonely process, riddled (like, RIDDLED) with self-doubt, anxiety and fear. My biggest fear was the nagging question – was all this mad effort worth it at all? I felt accountable to almost 400 people around the world who handed over their hard-earned cash, trusting me to tell this story well.
All this is to say that Debutante winning the BEST IRISH FICTION SHORT award at the Kerry International Film Festival means the world!
I’m so grateful to Festival Director Eibh Collins and the KIFF team – thank you for the love shown to this underdog of a film, to my cast and crew who worked so hard on it!
Cast: Úna O’Brien, Arthur Riordan, Richard Neville, Sam McGovern, Garry Mullan, Noelle Brown, Anthony O’Boyle
DOP: Barry Doyle
Editor: Eoin McDonagh
Audio Post: Killian Fitzgerald
Music: Natalia Tsupryk & Ray Harman
Featuring Tracks by Bear Worship and RUNAH
Executive Producers: Pierre Montigny, Dan Fitzgibbon, Chris Stuckmann, Scott Homan, Kosmos, Beniamin Enea
Massive congrats to all the winners!