Irish-Australian Shorts Program
The Irish Film Festival will, for the first time in its history, present a session of Irish-Australian short films in cinema screenings in Sydney and Melbourne.
These films are the product of the interweaving of Irish and Australian themes and cultures through their producers, directors, actors or themes.
Ranging from comedy, LGBTQIA+, doco, experimental, dance and history, these shorts represent a new generation of Irish Australian creative talent, who are expressing their heritage in cinematic terms.
Runtime
65 minutes (in cinema)
50 minutes (online)
Ten Years of Yes (Cinema Exclusive)
Directed by Alan Fitzgerald
Sydney Queer Irish, an inclusive community group for Irish expats and their friends in Sydney, prepare to celebrate their 15th year in existence and ten years of marriage equality in Ireland, by throwing Mardi Gras’ biggest wedding party.
Repeat in Paradise
Directed by Natalie O’Neill
Follows Conor, a depressed Irish expat living in picturesque Sydney, Australia. He goes about each day as if on repeat, getting the bus to work every morning. At the bus stop, he constantly encounters the cheerful Séamus but has minimal interaction with him until one day something changes.
Trí Céilithe
Directed by Rhys Ryan
Blending memory and movement, Na Trí Céilithe revisits the vibrant Gaelic concerts held by Melbourne’s Irish diaspora in the early twentieth century – gatherings where music and dance became vital expressions of cultural identity. With no archival footage to draw on, the film responds with striking originality, reinterpreting céilí dances through a contemporary lens. Heritage and modernity converge in this lyrical exploration of reimagined Irishness.
Heaven’s Edge
Directed by Emile Dineen
Heaven’s Edge explores the story of an Australian RAF rear gunner ten years after the second world war. Inspired by the real-life experiences of actor Jamie Crerar’s grandfather Jack Kennedy from Grafton NSW, who enlisted at 18 and flew with the 101 Squadron, the film sheds light on the young civilians who became airmen in WWII—brave, hastily trained, and forever changed. Shot on 16mm in Ireland’s Boyne Valley, this moving tribute explores courage, survival, and the haunting legacy of war.
Keep Me Dancing Still
Directed by Andrea Veltom
An unyielding young writer retreats into isolation in an attempt to lay his grief to rest. The silent short film embraces music over dialogue, challenging audiences to lean into the visual storytelling. Filmed with a deliberately limited palette, its meditative style dares to trust the audience with ambiguity.
