FLEADH FORUM 2026

Thur 9 July | 10:30 – 16:00 | Veranda Lounge, Galmont Hotel

Full day schedule 

10:30  Registration / Coffee 

11:00  Veranda Chat with John Nein (Sundance Film Festival) to be interviewed by  Keith Potter (Head of Feature Film, Screen Ireland) 

For over 25 years, John Nein has been a driving force behind modern  independent cinema and a key leader at the Sundance Institute. As Sundance’s  Senior Programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives, he has shaped the  global film landscape by discovering groundbreaking talent and championing  diverse storytelling. In this conversation, John will share his thoughts on the  state of independent film, the global festival ecosystem, and the future of  cinema. 

45 minutes  

11:50 Market Saturation or Salvation? Horror’s new moment and it’s Irish Stars 

The critical and commercial success of legacy sequels like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, re-imaginings such as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, and independents like Obsession and Backrooms has changed the conversation around horror yet again. This panel brings together acclaimed visionaries Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Gound, Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy), Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) and producers John Keville (Wild Atlantic Pictures) and Daisy Allsop (Westend Films) to discuss recent horror successes at the box office. And from folklore-infused hauntings to bionic black comedies and razor-sharp period slashers, we examine how some of Ireland’s leading horror filmmakers are impacting the global genre landscape. 

Chaired by: Keith Potter, Head of Film (Fís Eireann, Screen Ireland). 

12:45 Lunch  

13:45 From Script to Screen: Case Study on The Yank and You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead

This discussion will examine the challenges & opportunities within the journey of making a debut film or TV project.
 
Featuring creator/writer Eithne Verling, writer/director Dallan Shovlin, producers Yvonne Donohoe (Keeper Pictures) and Anna Mannion (Tri Moon Films). Moderated by Gar O’Brien-Collins (WRAP)

45 minutes  

14:30  Fact to Feature: Ethical Adaptation in The Lost Children of Tuam 

This panel featuring the creative team behind historical drama The Lost Children of Tuam will explore how filmmakers balance historical investigative trauma, legal accountability, and community justice when translating sensitive Irish stories to the cinematic screen. 

Panelists: Sinéad O’Shea (Chair), Frank Berry (Director), Chelsea Morgan-Hoffman (Producer), Mark Byrne (Group Head of Legal, Element Pictures).  

45 minutes 

15:15 Finish 

 

Registrations are now full.