AWARDS PRESENTED at the 37th edition of the GALWAY FILM FLEADH
The 37th edition of the Galway Film Fleadh has come to an end after another outstanding year. With sold out screenings across the festival programme the Fleadh featured 97 feature films and over 100 short films featuring the best of Irish and World cinema.
The annual awards ceremony took place on Sunday 13th of July before the closing film, THE LIFE OF CHUCK a life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella, adapted for the screen and directed by Mike Flanagan.
The winner of the Best Irish Film, in association with Element Pictures was CHRISTY, written by Alan O’Gorman, directed by Brendan Canty and produced by Marina Brackenbury, Meredith Duff and Rory Gilmartin.
Winning Best Irish First Feature was HORSESHOE directed by Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe written by Adam O’Keefe and produced by Mo O’Connell, Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe
SANATORIUM, won Best Irish documentary award, directed by Gar O’Rourke and produced by Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop and Samantha Corr.
Awards for 2025 are as follows:
Best International Short Animation
LUZ DIABLA
Directors/Writers: Patricio Plaza, Paula Boffo and Gervasio Canda
Producers: Gervasio Canda, Paula Boffo, Patricio Plaza andCourtney Wolfson
Joe McMahon Award for Best International Short Drama/Fiction
HEAT ME
Director: Kelly Sari
Writer: Mata Kourti
Producer: Christine Tsakmaka, Antonis Korkontzilas, Kelly Sarri and Alexandra Minou
Best International Short Documentary
JOINT WINNERS:
THE MIRACLE OF LIFE
Director/Writer/Producer: Sabrine Khoury
&
WE WERE THE SCENERY
Director: Christopher Radcliff
Writer: Cathy Linh Che
Producer: Cathy Linh Che, Jess X. Snow
Best First Short Animation Award with Brown Bag Films
ONE TRACK MIND
Director/Writer/Animator: Faye Isherwood-Wallace
Producer: Johnny Schumann, David Cumming
James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama
INTERNAL BLEEDING
Director/Writer: Zoë Nolan
Producers: Zoë Nolan, Ber Drennan, Peter Keating
Donal Gilligan Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film with the Irish Society Cinematographers (ISC)
THE AXE FORGETS
Cinematographer: Naoise Kettle
Peripheral Visions Award
VITRIVAL – THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN THE WORLD
Directors/Writers: Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert
Producers: Beata Saboova and Vincent Metzinger
Generation Jury Award:
WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM
Director/Writer: Amel Guellaty
Producers: Asma Chiboub and Karim Aitouna
Best International Film
DRAGONFLY
Director/Writer: Paul Andrew Williams
Producer: Dominic Tighe
Best International Documentary
GERRY ADAMS – A BALLYMURPHY MAN
Director/Writer: Trisha Ziff
Producers: Ross McDonnell and Trisha Ziff
Best International Independent Film Award
ADULT CHILDREN
Director: Rich Newey
Writer: Annika Marks
Producers: Angie Gaffney, Annika Marks, Thomas Sadoski and Rich Newey
Best Cinematography in an Irish Film with Teach Solais
LISTEN TO THE LAND SPEAK
Cinematographer: Michael O’Donovan
Marketplace Awards:
Best Documentary Project Award with Impronta Films
John Lennon’s Island
Gary Lennon, Gambit Pictures – Ireland
Audience Design Award with Síle Culley Audience Design
Beneath the Surface
Fiona Ashe, Flasheforward Films – Ireland
Best Marketplace Project Award with Bankside Films
Ten Mickeys
Cristian Nicolescu, Vampires in the Sun – Romania
The Pitching Award with Wild Atlantic Pictures
The Body + Blood
Carol Murphy
Bingham Ray New Talent Award with Magnolia Pictures
Jessica Reynolds: Actress – THE WOLF THE FOX & THE LEOPARD
Best Irish Language Feature Film
BÁITE
Director: Ruán Magan
Writer: Sheena Lambert
Producers: Siobhán Ní Ghadhra and John Brady
James Horgan Award for Best Animation Short with Animation Ireland
ÉIRU
Director: Giovanna Ferrari
Best Independent Irish Film with Moore Ireland
Joint Award
SOLITARY
Director/Writer: Eamonn Murphy
Producer: Alan Breslin
and
GIRLS & BOYS
Director/Writer: Donncha Gilmore
Producer: Gearóid Gilmore
Best Short Documentary Award with TG4
DRAGON’S TEETH
Director/Writer: Lennart Soberon
Producer: Kevin Smets
Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama / (Best Fiction Short)
THREE KEENINGS
Director/Writer: Oliver McGoldrick
Producers: Oliver McGoldrick, Natalie Remplakowski, Cade Featherstone and Chloe Langton
Best Irish Feature Documentary with Danú Media
SANATORIUM
Director: Gar O’Rourke
Producers: Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop and Samantha Corr
World Cinema Competition
WINTER IN SOKCHO
Director: Koya Kamura
Writers: Koya Kamura and Stéphanie Ly-Cuong
Producer: Fabrice Preel-Cleach
Best Irish First Feature
HORSESHOE
Directors: Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe
Writer: Adam O’Keeffe
Producers: Mo O’Connell, Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe
Best Irish Film with Element Pictures
CHRISTY
Director: Brendan Canty
Writer: Alan O’Gorman
Producers: Marina Brackenbury, Meredith Duff and Rory Gilmartin
Audience Award
TRAD
Director/Writer/Producer: Lance Daly
The Galway Film Fleadh is supported by, The Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann, TG4, Coimisiún na Meán, Galway City Council, Fáilte Ireland.
