Who are the artists and decision makers behind the scenes? Film Ireland, in partnership with Screen Ireland and with the support of Griffith College, presents Screen Sessions – an afternoon of in-depth conversations on craft, career and creativity between talent from the Irish Screen industries. 

On 13th December we’ll be joined by:

• BAFTA and IFTA winning Director/Producer Ciarán Donnelly (Kin, Altered Carbon, Vikings, The Tudors) in Conversation with WFT Member and Writer/Director Róisín Kearney (Paddy, RIP, Keep it Up)
• Casting Director Maureen Hughes (The Miracle Club, Small Things Like These, Once, Abigail) in conversation with Actor/Producer/Director Mo O’Connell (SPA Weekend, Girls, Hum, Horseshoe)
• Artist and Graphic Designer Annie Atkins (The Grand Budapest Hotel, West Side Story) and Production Designer, Art Director and Concept Illustrator Jill Beecher  (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, The Revenant, Alien: Covenant) 

Event Details

When: 1pm - 5:30pm, Friday, 13th December 2024

Where: Griffith College, Main Campus, S Circular Rd, Dublin 8, D08 V04N

About Screen Sessions

Film is a collaboration among creatives, artists and practical skill sets across a number of fields. With the support of Screen Ireland, Screen Sessions brings together emerging and established creative voices and filmmakers to gain a unique insight into their careers and accomplishments. 

These talks began as a series of podcasts (which to date have featured Ed Guiney, Nora Twomey, Mark O'Halloran and Richard Baneham) that will culminate with this major live event. Listen back to those in depth discussions here: https://filmireland.net/category/screen-sessions/

The Line Up

1pm: Arrival

1:15pm: Introduction

1:30pm: Maureen Hughes & Mo O’Connell on Performance

2:30pm: Annie Atkins & Jill Beecher discuss Art & Production Design

3:30pm: Coffee Break

4pm - 5:30pm: Ciarán Donnelly & Róisín Kearney talk direction. This will be followed by drinks at a nearby venue.

Speakers

Maureen Hughes

In 1984, she joined Druid Theatre Company, working with Garry Hynes, which led to a three-year contract as Casting Director in 1990 at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. She worked with Susie Figgis in London as Assistant on The Butcher Boy, directed by Neil Jordan, and The Full Monty. She returned to Dublin to work on The Boxer with Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day-Lewis. Over the past twenty years, she has worked with screenwriter-directors Martin McDonagh, Sam Shepard, Paolo Sorrentino, Jim Sheridan, and John Carney.

Films include The Martini Shot with Matthew Modine, Barber with Aidan Gillen, Extra Ordinary, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman. Maureen provided additional casting for US blockbusters Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi. Most recently, she cast That They May Face the Rising Sun, directed by Pat Collins for South Wind Blows; Apocalypse Clown, directed by George Kane for Fastnet Films; The Miracle Club, directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan; Fréwaka, directed by Aislinn Clarke; and, most recently, the critically acclaimed Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, directed by Tim Mielants for Parallel Films.

Her work on Irish television is marked by a five-year series of Love/Hate, written by Stuart Carolan. Other TV dramas include Raw, Charlie, Rebellion, Acceptable Risk, and more recently, the critically acclaimed Taken Down, Hidden Assets, and Louise Lives Large for Tailored Films. For American TV, she has cast Dawn for Hulu and Nightflyers for NBC Universal, directed by Andrew McCarthy.

In theatre, Maureen cast all of Martin McDonagh’s early work, including The Beauty Queen of Leenane, winner of several Tony Awards on Broadway, The Lonesome West, The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Gaiety with Paul Mescal, Hangmen, Sive, and more recently, The Ferryman, which will open in January. She worked with Sam Shepard in Derry on his final play, A Particle of Dread, starring Irish actor Stephen Rea; Piaf at the Gate Theatre; the critically acclaimed The Steward of Christendom with Owen Roe; and the much-loved LGBTQ+ musical, Fun Home.

Ciarán Donnelly

Ciarán is a BAFTA and multiple IFTA-winning filmmaker who has directed and produced some of the world’s biggest shows, including global phenomena Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and The Vikings. He co-created and executive-produced the acclaimed Irish series Kin and has created Sarah Says, which he is co-producing with Vertigo Films. He has been at the forefront of groundbreaking television for nearly twenty years.

Other notable credits include directing multiple episodes of The Tudors, EP/Director on Disney’s Harley and the Davidsons, NBC’s Crossbones starring John Malkovich, along with ABC’s Once Upon a Time and 3 Arts’ Titanic: Blood and Steel, starring Neve Campbell. He is currently writing and developing new film and TV projects under his own banner, T4 Productions.

Annie Atkins

Annie Atkins has created graphic props and set pieces for multiple Oscar-nominated and winning movies such as Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and The French Dispatch; Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and West Side Story; and the map for the latest Indiana Jones movie, The Dial of Destiny.

Her first book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps, was published by Phaidon and drew critical acclaim as a behind-the-scenes look at film design, winning accolades from Jeff Goldblum, among others: “Annie makes the unreal seem hyperreal, and the real more supremely alive and utterly magical...” Her latest book, Letters from the North Pole, is a children's picture book and is available now.

Jill Beecher

Jill was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1984. She is a production designer, art director, and concept illustrator who has worked across Hollywood productions and local Irish projects (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, The Revenant, Alien: Covenant, Babylon, Elvis). Jill is now represented by William Morris Endeavour and is a member of the British and American Art Directors Guilds. She is also a visual artist who has exhibited in Europe, America, and Australia.

Róisín Kearney

Beginning her career in theatre lighting design and stage direction, Róisín fell in love with film after having the opportunity to work on various low-budget indies in the late ’90s and early ’00s. She took time out with her children and worked on the periphery of the industry in script development and providing copy for producers. She returned to writing with the comedy short The Love Agency in 2014, which went on to be developed as a radio play.

Róisín’s recent work includes The Ballad of Olive Morris (EP), which was shortlisted for a BAFTA in 2023; The Secret Life of Jim (producer), a multiple award winner; Paddy (director), a multi-award-winning film that premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2020; The Ferry (co-producer), which was Academy long-listed in 2021; The Family Way (writer/producer), a comedy project shortlisted for the EdFest New Voice Award; Run (co-writer/director), which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2019 before touring internationally; No Dogs (writer/director), nominated for Best Female Director at Cork Indie FF; and Keep It Up, a hybrid documentary series for Macalla Teo and RTÉ, which was nominated for the Celtic Media Fest.

Róisín is the producer of the award-winning radio play Adventures of a Young Pirate Queen, now in its third season with RTÉ Jr Radio. Her projects in development include Playing for Ireland (documentary with Tile Media), a comedy-drama series called RIP with Babyjane Productions supported by Screen Ireland, the feature film Spoke with Roundstone Media (also supported by Screen Ireland), a theatre play titled Moon Walk (supported by the Arts Council of Ireland), and a comedy-drama feature called Like, Vintage with Caroline Grace Cassidy and Document Films. She has developed scripts for various TV series, including Patrius (Belfast crime drama/thriller) and Bloodlines (a blue-sky drama series).

Mo O’Connell 

Mo O’Connell is a multi-award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer. She is the founder and head of 3 Hot Whiskeys Productions. She has recently wrapped on the feature film, Horseshoe (formerly The Clan Canavan), which she co-produced with Wavewalker Films and 3 Hot Whiskeys Productions. Mo has just been selected by Screen Ireland for the Creative Leaders Course, led by Stephen Fagan and Fiona Flynn. She also helmed the Screen Ireland Focus short Come Back as Production Manager in April 2024, with Helen O’Reilly as Writer/Director. Mo won the ‘Best Performer in a Play’ award from the Broadway Ireland Theatre Awards in January 2024 for her role as Lizzie in the critically acclaimed AboutFACE Theatre production of The Devil Himself by Paul Nugent. Mo’s most recent films, Haven and Bruise, have won numerous awards on the festival circuit. Bruise has earned Mo several director awards, including Best Arthouse at the prestigious Fastnet Film Festival in May 2023. Haven won Best Short Film at the B3 Biennale Moving Image Film Festival in Frankfurt in October 2023. Mo holds a BA in Acting from RADA and a Higher National Diploma in Film Production from Ballyfermot College. She has made over 12 short films and directed her own multi-award-winning comedy feature-length film, SPA Weekend, which won the ‘She is on Fire’ Award at its World Premiere at the Female Filmmakers Film Festival Berlin in 2019.

During the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in May 2023, Mo directed the World Premiere of Garret Baker’s play The War Wounded. It earned four nominations and won Best Actress for its lead, Liath Hannon. Mo was selected for the Advanced Producer’s Programme, run by TU Dublin and Screen Ireland, and was chosen to participate in the prestigious Lord David Puttnam Scholarship. This excellent and inspiring course concluded at the end of July 2023, with Mo being awarded a Distinction for her studies in the Diploma in Advanced Producing, ratified by Screen Ireland and TU Dublin. In addition to her work in film and theatre, Mo runs the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival, which won Screen Ireland funding in 2024. She is a graduate of RADA, London, with a BA in Acting, where she received the Henry Marshall Award for Outstanding Acting in her second year of training. She also holds a Diploma in Film Production from Ballyfermot College.

About Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland

As the national agency for the Irish film, television drama, animation and documentary industry, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is the creative partner to the sector, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise.

About Griffith College

Founded in 1974, Griffith College is Ireland's largest independent third-level institution, with campuses in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. Located just a mile from Dublin’s St. Stephen’s Green, the main campus blends historic charm with modern amenities. Recognised by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), Griffith offers internationally accredited degrees, professional courses, and corporate training to over 7,000 students. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, the College continues its legacy of academic excellence, producing graduates who excel in fields such as business, law, media, engineering, and the arts.

Film Ireland

Operating since 1987 Film Ireland is an independent outlet dedicated to celebrating Irish talent. Over the years, Film Ireland has provided comprehensive coverage of film news, festivals, and reviews, including everything from international blockbusters to micro-budget indigenous films, and has also played a significant role in supporting and promoting the industry. Learn more about Film Ireland here: https://filmireland.net/

To enquire about this event contact info@filmireland.ie