FNI Wrap Chat HeadStuff Podcasts

After a little break, Fni Wrapchat is back with this brilliant episode hosted by Remie Michelle Clarke.
This one is a great episode for Actors. Share with an Actor buddy!
Remie was joined by the brilliantly talented Gavin O'Connor
Gavin is an Irish actor best known for his work as Mackin in the hit drama Taken Down (2018). Known for his character portrayal of real-life people, Gavin took on the role of Northumbria Police Chief, Steve Neill in The Hunt for Raoul Moat (2023), as well as his critically acclaimed role of Sean Doherty opposite Aidan Gillen in Charlie (2015) . In 2016 he also took on the iconic role of Irish rebellion leader, Patrick Pearse in The Bloody Irish (2015) for PBS. He plays Murphy in The Alienist (2018) opposite Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans & Daniel Brühl for Paramount. Gavin appeared as Uthred Of East Anglia in two season's of Netflix/ MGM's hit Vikings: Valhalla (2022). He was the Earl Of Shrewsbury alongside Henry Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the worldwide hit series The Tudors (2007) for Showtime, John McCarthy opposite Carice van Houten in French horror film Dorothy (2008) and Detective Duffy in The Front Line (2006). Gavin's first film as writer/producer Blink (2014) was nominated in World Competition at The Montreal World Film Festival. Originally from Cork, he trained at Ireland's prestigious Samuel Beckett Center at Trinity College Dublin. Gavin is also an accomplished voice-over artist having worked on several productions including Galactik Football (2006).
If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member (We need your support!)
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

Friend of the show Ken Wardrop of Venom Films returns to talk to Luke Brabazon about his brand new feature documentary So This Is Christmas. We urge everyone to see this funny, beautiful and incredibly moving film in the cinema. It is the antidote to all the pre-Christmas madness.

Ken studied filmmaking at the National Film School, IADT. His short films have screened at many of the worlds most prestigious festivals including Sundance and Cannes. He has presented retrospective programmes at the Cork International Film Festival, and at festivals in the UK, Croatia, The Netherlands and in Scandinavia. In 2008, his work received the Grand Prix Award at Sapporo International Film Festival in Japan.
HIS & HERS is a creative documentary that combines observation and imagination to illustrate a universal love story. The film explores woman’s relationship with man by visiting moments from the lives of 70 female characters. Shot in the hallways, living rooms and kitchens across the Irish Midlands, the story moves sequentially from young to old to deliver a unique insight into sharing life’s journey.

We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

We can't believe we've done 200 episodes of the podcast, but here we are. We got to celebrate this milestone in front of an amazing crowd at the FNI Fast Fest screening in The Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin last week.
We sat down with Cathy Brady and Mark O'Connor and had a wonderful chat about the life of a filmmaker in Ireland today.
Cathy Brady is a two-time IFTA-winning director, having won Best Short in 2011 for her first film Small Change and again in 2013 for Morning, which was also selected for the BFI London Film Festival 2012 and won the Short Film Nominee prize for the European Film Awards at Cork Film Festival.
In 2011, Brady directed the BIFA nominated short Rough Skin (written by Laura Lomas and starring Vicky McClure) as part of Channel 4’s Coming Up scheme. Her short film, Wasted, competed at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2013. In the same year, Brady was named one of Screen Daily’s ‘Stars of Tomorrow’.
In 2014, Brady directed on the BAFTA-nominated drama-thriller series Glue. Most recently, Brady directed Stefanie Preissner’s TV comedy series Can’t Cope/Won’t Cope for Dead Pan Pictures and RTE, which is currently showing on BBC Three. Her debut feature as writer-director, Wildfire, is currently in development, and will be produced by Carlo Cresto-Dina (The Wonders, Cannes Grand Jury Prize 2014) along with Cowboy Films.

Mark O’ Connor is a graduate of Film Operations and Production from Ballyfermot College and directing from The New York Film Academy. He also holds a masters in screenwriting from IADT. Mark made over 60 short films, before writing and directing his debut feature film ‘Between the Canals’. Between the Canals was highly acclaimed with Film Ireland calling it “The best Irish film in a long long time”. It was the acting debut for Barry Keoghan and many of the cast went on to star in leading roles in the hit RTE television series ‘Love Hate’.
Mark’s second feature film ‘King of the travellers’ was selected for festivals around the world and received a UK and Irish cinema and DVD release and was released in 150 territories worldwide on VOD. ‘Stalker’, Mark’s third feature film won the Underground Film Festival and Runner up Prize at the Galway Film festival. Mark’s fourth feature film ‘Cardboard Gangsters’ was the highest grossing Irish film of the year and received 5 stars reviews. It won 6 awards at the Manchester Film Festival including Best Film, Best Actor, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Director, and Film of the Festival. It also won Best Film at The Newport Beach Film Festival in Los Angeles. Worldwide rights to the film were bought by Netflix.
Mark then wrote and directed a six-part crime drama for Virgin Media UK/Ireland called ‘Darklands’. It received critical acclaim and an average of 450,000 viewers per episode and was recently sold to Australian television network SBS. Mark is currently in development on a number of projects including a comedy drama ‘Oui Cannes’ set in Ireland and France and is a major television series being produced by Samson Films.

We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

Paul Butler Lennox recently sat down with super-talented stunt performer and fellow Northside native, and proud Ballymunner Philip Condron.

Philip Condron, 32, from Ballymun, who runs Screen Combat Ireland training performers in martial arts and action training, has been working in the performing arts industry for four years. He was selected to be the stunt double for the top Hollywood actor’s character Pádraic Súilleabháin in a scene filmed on the edge of the sea-cliff of Dun Aonghasa on Aran Islands. He played actor Cassian Bilton’s stunt double in Foundation and last year played a stunt double involved in a fight in a toilet with actor and son of Ice Cube, O’Shea Jackson Jnr in Cocaine Bear.
We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/

GET YOUR TICKET FOR FNI FAST FEST THIS OCT 20TH TO 22ND. https://wearefni.com/fastfest/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

On this weeks ep of FNI Wrapchat Paul Webster got to chat with the talaented Director of "Ballywalter" Prasanna Puwanarajah, Ballywalter is in Irish Cinemas from the 22nd of September.
A bitter-sweet comedy drama set in Ballywalter, Northern Ireland. Patrick Kielty (RTE's new Late Late Show host) is deeply touching in director Prasanna Puwanarajah’s debut feature.
Ballywalter, opened at the Belfast Film Festival in 2022. It subsequently played at the Cork International Film Festival 2023, CIFF23 Solas Nua in Washington DC (where it won the Audience Award), and the Galway Film Fleadh 2023. Releasing in UK and Irish cinemas on 22nd September 2023, the film was written by Stacey Gregg, stars Seána Kerslake and Patrick Kielty, and was produced by Empire Street Productions (BFI, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen). 
Prasanna, Jed Mercurio and Rachel Clarke recently adapted Rachel's COVID-19 pandemic memoir Breathtaking for ITV, which wrapped filming earlier in 2023. Prasanna and Jed are also developing an adaptation of their 2021 graphic novel Sleeper. Prasanna's debut play Nightwatchman premiered at the National Theatre in 2011, where he has also worked as an actor. He directed Moth at the HighTide Festival, and at the Bush Theatre, where it was a TimeOut Critics' Choice in the summer of 2013. In 2019 he directed Venice Preserved at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His production of The Reluctant Fundamentalist was nominated for The Carol Tambor Award and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expressions Award at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, with lead actor Akshay Sharan winning The Stage Debut Award.
Eileen (Seana Kerslake) is a caustic, unrepentant university drop-out whose dreams of a successful life in London have fallen by the wayside. Back at home with her mum, she makes ends meet by working as an unlicensed driver in her ex-boyfriend’s minicab. Shane (Patrick Kielty) has exiled himself in Ballywalter following the break-up of his marriage, but now he’s trying to get his life back on track by enrolling in a stand-up comedy course.
When Shane calls a taxi to get him to his classes, Eileen answers and a surprising connection is made. As the two spend time together shuttling back and forth, a beautiful friendship develops, leading them both to a moment of realisation. Shane reintegrates, and Eileen makes peace with herself and who she really is. Finally, she can stop running and just drive.
Ballywalter is a life-affirming story about the unexpected connections that can change the course of our lives.

We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/

GET YOUR TICKET FOR FNI FAST FEST THIS OCT 20TH TO 22ND. https://wearefni.com/fastfest/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

Welcome back to a very special episode of Wrapchat! hosted by Mark Monks, we had the unique incredible opportunity to attend the Boyne Valley Film Festival recently. A huge thank you to Frank Kelly and his team for accommodating FNI and allowing us to delve into the world of The Boyne Valley International film Festival and the fantastic movies that were screened. The standard of the shorts this year has been nothing short of incredible.

Guests include:
Kellie Blaise - Writer and lead actress of "Women in Retrograde." This fascinating short film tackles mental health, hope, and motherhood, weaving a touching story around Zelda Fitzgerald, a forgotten figure from the 1920s.
Mo O’Connell - Multi-talented writer, director, producer, and actress. We discussed her powerful projects "Brusie" and "Mask." "Brusie" is an intense and raw depiction of domestic violence through interpretive dance, while "Mask" is a suspenseful short with a captivating twist. Highly recommended viewing!
Johnathan Hughes - Writer and director of "La Tumba" and "The Talk." "The Talk" is a hilarious queer film that cleverly surprises viewers, while "La Tumba" humorously portrays the language barrier between a Spanish woman and a park ranger during a traditional Spanish burial.
Garret Daly - Director, writer, and producer of "Nothing to Declare" and "Personal Space." "Nothing to Declare" is a wild documentary that recounts the incredible journey of two kids venturing to New York alone. Meanwhile, "Personal Space" is a documentary about a determined 16-year-old aspiring to become a Formula One driver.
Zoe Brennan - Producer of "Baby Steps," a heartwarming short film directed by renowned award-winning director Hannah Mamalis. The film beautifully explores the joys and challenges of first-time motherhood with a delightful visual presentation.
Rob Earley and Mark Griffin - Producers of "Double Yellow." This intense and thrilling short, funded through the actors as creator scheme with Bow Street, keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as two brothers embark on a bank heist.
A special thanks to the Boyne Valley Film Festival, Frank Kelly, and the entire team for inviting FNI to engage with these incredible filmmakers and witness such a vast array of outstanding short films. Don't forget to support us by visiting buymecoffee.com/FNI and And mark your calendars for FNI's fast fest, a huge and exciting event coming up this October 20th to 22nd. Tickets available via WeAreFni.com/fastfest