The 2024 Boyne Valley International Film Festival took place at the Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda last weekend, from August 9th to 11th.
With filmmakers from all across Ireland and the UK in attendance the festival included 11 world premieres. These premieres included With Compliments Film The Man Across the Bar in Oman featuring Jack Gleeson, along with presenting the Irish Premiere of Ethan Hawke’s Wildcat starring Maya Hawke.
The festival screened 75 short films in several categories, including Irish Narrative, International, animation, documentary and a special focus on short films Made in the Boyne Valley. Over 100 filmmakers were welcomed by organiser Frank W. Kelly and Collette Farrell, with hundreds of audience members attending short film programmes, filmmaker Q&As, workshops, and industry panels.
The festival has a keen interest in helping and supporting filmmakers with a prize fund of €1,000 per category, €2,000 for a Filmmaker in Focus award, and a €3,000 prize for the Short Script Bursary. BVIFF further funded last year’s winner of this award, The Island by Fionnuala Gygax, which premiered at Galway Film Fleadh in July and was the closing film of the festival this year.
Winners of a Boyne Valley International Film Festival 2024:
Filmmaker in Focus: Alba Fernandez
Best International Short Film:
Winner: Ticker
Writer/Director: Thom Petty
Producer: Margaret Milner Schmueck
Honourable Mention: Salmon
Writer/Director: Mattis Heurlin
Producers: Pell Axel von Schantz Iversen & Karoline Jørgensen.
Best Animated Short Film:
Winner: Worry World
Writer: Hugh O’Connor
Director: Jessica Patterson
Producer: Shauna Cullen
Honourable Mentions
Bird Drone by Radheya Jang Jegatheva
Bluebird in the Wind by Ellis Kayin CHAN
Best Documentary Short Film:
Winner: Being Put Back Together
Director: David McDonagh
Producers: Keith Bogue and Maeve McGrath
Honourable Mention: Two Mothers
Director: Anna Rodgers
Producer: Zlata Filipovic
Best Film Made in the Boyne Valley
The Winner: Animal
Writer/Director/Producer: Cody Farren
Honourable Mention: Missing You
Writer/Director: Emma Ray
Producers: Emma Ray & Baz Black
Best Irish Narrative Short Film:
Winner: Yellow Belt
Writers: Alan O’Gorman and Allyn Quigley
Director: Allyn Quigley - Producer: Aisling Malone
Honourable Mention: Cantata
Writer: Fionn Foley
Director: Dave Fox
Producers: Rob Earley and Mark Griffin.
Short Script Bursary Winner: Tony Doyle for The Distance Between
