We are delighted to announce the winners our awards for Docs Ireland 2024

Pull Focus

The winner is… The Flats dir. Alessandra Celesia with a special mention to Leo Regan for My Friend Lanre

The Jury said:

The Pull Focus jury was deeply moved by this caring and collaborative portrayal of a community living the long shadow of violence while finding new forms of agency, expression and healing. It is an unforgettable, distinctively crafted film that sheds light on the inner dimensions of conflict, moving fluidly across the boundaries between past and present, personal and political, reality and imagination.

The winner of the 2024 Pull Focus competition for Irish documentary features is The Flats.

The jury would like to add a Special Mention for Leo Regan’s My Friend Lanre, an unflinchingly honest, loving and deeply poignant portrait of a decades-long friendship and an artist’s restless pursuit of self-understanding in the face of addiction and illness.”

Maysles Brothers Award for Observational Documentary 

The winner is… No Other Land dir Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham

The jury said:

We the jury were impressed by the filmmakers ability to take materials shot under very challenging circumstances and transform them into a cinematic, immersive experience. The film gives dignity and agency to the chorus of characters as their world is routinely and systematically turned upside down again and again. We value the collective work as an act of creative resistance and a refusal to give in to the erasure of their culture and community, and right to their land. We award the prize to No Other Land

The NI Screen Pitch 

The Winner is… Shades of Blue dir. Katie McFadden prod. Simeon Costello

Shorts Competition 

The Winner is… Nido dir José Miguel Jimenez

Hyndman Award 

The Winner is… Glimmer dir Eva Shiels

The jury said:

This year’s shorts reflect the wealth of skill, talent and storytelling that exists today and it is great to know that the future on documentary is such safe hands.

And Marilyn Hyndman would have been so pleased to see so many female voices creating such great stories that hold dear to her values.

Marilyn Hyndman was more than just a filmmaker; she was a beacon of engagement, inclusion, and the profound power of storytelling. Her belief in film transcended mere entertainment—it was a bridge, connecting diverse lives and shared experiences, illuminating the silent voices that often linger in the shadows.

Marilyn’s heart and soul were invested in the transformative power of film to unite and inspire. She saw filmmaking as an essential form of expression, a sanctuary where the unheard could speak and the unseen could be recognized.

Marilyn dedicated her life to nurturing spaces where individuals and community organizations, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, could craft their narratives authentically, with integrity and passion. It was her conviction that these stories, told in their own words, were the threads that could weave a tapestry rich with the textures of genuine human experience. She was also fearless, so much so that a documentary she once made for Channel 4, highlighting the high rate of childbirth deaths in West Belfast, embarrassed the then government so badly that she had to appear in front of a committee in parliament.

For Marilyn, the essence of filmmaking lay not just in the capture of images but in the delicate art of editing. It was in the editor’s chair that the magic happened: where the threads of narrative, emotion, and visual splendor were intricately woven to craft a story that could touch hearts and provoke thought. The editing room was her sanctuary, a place where the subtlest nuances of life were captured and conveyed, inviting audiences to embark on a deeply personal journey with those on screen.

I worked with Marilyn for over twenty years and owe much of my career to her guidance. So it is with Marilyn’s values forfront in my mind that I have given her award to Eva Sheils for her poignant film “Glimmer,”.

 Eva, through her tender exploration of a personal and late diagnosis of autism, has mirrored Marilyn’s philosophy. The film, crafted with heartfelt conversations with her mother and sister, not only shares a personal story but invites us to reflect on our own perceptions and biases. It champions the very principles Marilyn advocated—engagement, inclusion, and the authentic telling of one’s truth.

Eva, your work exemplifies the courage and empathy that Marilyn admired in a filmmaker. “Glimmer” is not just a film; it is a conversation, a gentle invitation to understand and embrace diversity in its most intimate form. In recognizing you tonight, we not only celebrate your achievement but also reaffirm Marilyn’s enduring values and her belief in the power of film as a catalyst for unity and understanding.

Congratulations, Eva, and thank you for reminding us of the beauty and resilience of the human spirit through your work.