Friday March 8th, 7pm, The Regal Cinema

An evening of inspiring short films followed by a thought-provoking Q&A with the filmmakers. Youghal Connections brings together wonderful stories firmly rooted in Ireland. Linked together by the seaside town of Youghal, its beautiful beaches, nearby forests and its growing filmmaking community, we are proud to showcase a mix of shorts and documentaries by outstanding local talent. Most of the films were shot locally, and two were even long-listed for an Academy Award.

This screening is a new departure for First Cut! where we invite an adult audience, young and old, to come and enjoy this carefully curated selection of short films. Like always, entry is free of charge.

Bringing together the story of the Horgan Brothers for the first time (Darina Clancy)
This is the story of the Horgan Brothers from Youghal, who worked in step with the Lumiere brothers of France to produce one of the most important collections in the Irish Film archive. Pioneers of Irish cinema, their story has never been told on screen until now.

Two for the Road (Lochlainn McKenna)
Amidst spontaneous travels around 1990s Ireland, Oscar finds himself navigating the true essence of adventure and chaos with his father, one spirited weekend away at a time.

Lamb (Sinead O’Laughlin)
An ordinary day takes a sinister turn for a woman and her young child when a stranger walks into their isolated rural home.

Coillte (Irene Tanner)
This cinematic exploration of conifer plantations, narrated by the filmmaker in
Irish, is a personal lament for Ireland’s lost cultural and natural heritage.

Yellow Belt (Allyn Quigly)
As his parents separate, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence develops an unrealistic crush on an older teenage girl in his Taekwondo class but soon finds out that no matter what age you are, love can sometimes hurt.

Darina Clancy is a Producer Director at Cormorant Films, with almost 30 years experience in production across many disciplines. In 2023 her series Cois Moire, a 4 hour travel series along the stunning Blackwater river in Munster, was nominated for best factual series at the RTS awards. She has also been nominated for 2 IFTAS in 2013 and 2015. Her 2020 documentary on Irish Fishing, Gafa Sna Lionta, was the most watched factual documentary on the TG4 player. She also Produced and Directed the Irish Coast Guard documentary that year An Garda Cósta – Ar n-Insint Féin, which covered the aftermath of the loss of 5 crew from the organisation including the crash of R116 rescue helicopter.

Lochlainn McKenna is a director and writer from Cork City, Ireland, currently living and working out of London. McKenna works predominantly in advertising and has directed TV ads for brands such as Specsavers, Tesco, Guinness and Sky. He has shot in several countries across the world including Ethiopia and Ukraine and has directed commercials for the US, UK and Irish markets. He’s also directed music videos for the likes of Westlife and Keane and his music video work for Daithí was nominated for a UKMVA as well as winning him the ‘Best New Director’ Award at the prestigious Kinsale Shark Awards. Two For The Road, his 3rd short film, is based on his own tumultuous weekends as a child with his alcoholic, vagabond father. Initially a short story entitled Guinness & Coke, which was nominated for the 2020 RTÉ Francis McManus Short Story competition, he is currently developing that story into a book and, furthermore, a feature film.

Sinéad O’Loughlin is an Irish writer and director. Her background is in theatre but she now works in film. She has directed five short films and she was selected for an Arts Council Agility Award for film. Lamb is a Screen Ireland focus short, shot in Youghal. The film premiered at the Tribeca festival in 2022 and has since won 15 awards including Best Short Film at Dublin International Film Festival. Starring Kerry actress Aoife Duffin (Moone Boy, Resistance) and Cork actor Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment, Normal People, Vivarium, Smother), Lamb qualified for 2024 Academy Award consideration in the category of Best Live Action Short.

Irene Tanner is a bilingual film artist with a background in advocacy. She works with moving image, archive material and sound to create socially and environmentally conscious films. Her work includes documentaries, poetry films, video instillations and advocacy video. Her most recent short film, ‘Coillte’ was funded by the Arts Council and premiered at IMMA’s Earth Rising Eco Festival in 2023.

Allyn Quigley is an Irish filmmaker based between Cork and Dublin. Since graduating from The National Film School in 2009,Allyn has directed a number of commercials, music videos and award winning short films that have screened at festivals around the world. In addition to this,Allyn has worked as editor on a number of high profile Irish independent films. The most recent being ‘Lakelands’, winner of Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh. In 2018 Allyn r eturned to The National Film School for an MA in Screenwriting, supported by a scholarship from the Warner Bros Creative Talent Programme. In 2019 Allyn directed ‘Moth’ which went on to win Best Irish Short Film at the Kinsale Shark Awards and earned him a nomination for the Virgin Media Discovery Award at the 2020 Dublin International Film Festival.Allyn’s most recent short film ‘Yellow Belt’ was funded as part of Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts programme and premiered at the Cork International Film Festival where it received the award for Best Director.

Aisling Malone (Producer, Yellow Belt) is creative producer based in Cork and Dublin. Her filmography includes music videos and award-winning short films. Her notable recent shorts are ‘Findlater’ and ‘Yellow Belt.’ Funded by Screen Ireland, ‘Yellow Belt’ premiered at the Cork International Film Festival, where it earned the Best Director Award. In 2023 Aisling was nominated in the Producer category at the 2023 Emerging Directors Award. She has a background in social justice and a masters in Gender Studies. Recently, she joined Raising Films Ireland, managing a pilot return to work scheme aimed at supporting individuals to re-enter the screen industry after taking a caring break.