Katie McNeice’s Lambing has won the Best International Short Film award at the 22nd San Diego International Film Festival.
Irish short Lambing, written, directed, and edited by Katie McNeice, has been awarded Best International Short Film at San Diego International Film Festival 2023. McNeice’s script for the short recently received a Zebbie Award.
Lambing stars Fiach Kunz (Game of Thrones) as shy young dad David, who must face his anxiety around gender and bullying when his baby is born intersex. Opposite Kunz is Johanna O’Brien (Foundation) in the role of expectant mother Caoimhe, and Pat Shortt (Garage, Banshees of Inisherin) as the ominous and forceful character of David’s father, John. Supporting cast are Cate Russell, Joe McNeice, Rebecca Hickey and Gerry Cannon.
The short was produced by Mo O’Connell (HUM), shot by Emmy-nominated cinematographer Richard Kendrick (Song of Granite), and scored by Emer Kinsella (Sense8, In Orbit). Lambing screened as part of the Global Consciousness line-up. This collection also included Vincent Lambe’s RTÉ Shortscreen project, Every Five Miles.
McNeice also spoke on the festival panel, ‘Unstoppable Women’, moderated by Emmy-winning broadcast journalist Sandra Maas. Topics included gender-based discrimination in the film industry, filmmakers’ experiences of attracting funding and McNeice’s experience as an activist through film for the queer community.
“Getting to attend both the Newport Beach Film Festival and the San Diego International Film Festival with Lambing is one of the highlights of my career so far,” said director McNeice. “It’s so heartening to see major festivals not only programming Irish work but also supporting films which ask difficult questions of the audience.”
“In Lambing’s case, the core question is why we are so afraid of gender diversity. To come home from San Diego with two awards was a totally unexpected honour and one the Lambing team dedicates to intersex babies and their parents.”
McNeice’s upcoming features include coming-of-age drama Tiny Blankets which is in development with Wild Atlantic Pictures.
