Civilian recruits take part in a gruelling Special Forces selection course designed by former members of Ireland’s elite Special Forces unit, the Army Ranger Wing (ARW).
Motive Television
RTS Nominated – Entertainment
This six part series follows the adventures of Irish-American writer and comedian Des Bishop as he moves to China for a year in order to learn mandarin and eventually attempt to perform a one-man stand up comedy show for a Chinese audience.
Crossing the Line Films
IFTA Nominated – Editing
In Ireland, gutted city and town centres have been hoovered up by commercial interests, franchises, and flayed by skyrocketing rents. We have also systematically cleared people from our urban cores, housing them instead in outer suburbia, dependent on a car. An alarming situation that was a concern pre-pandemic has been laid bare because of it.
Red Pepper Productions
As the saying goes “it takes a village to raise a child”. But can two tight knit Irish rural communities help a pair of city teens get their lives back on track?
Waka TV
The West's Awake is an exclusive fly on the wall documentary which tells the story of Connacht Rugby’s inaugural Heineken Cup journey as they strive to compete against the cream of European Rugby in the face of overwhelming odds. It tells a story not only about rugby but about passion, culture, community and a sense of belonging.
Iris Productions
IFTA Nominated – Editing & Sound
Our Lady's Hospice is in the business of death, and they do it very well. For the first time, the Hospice has granted unprecedented access to show their ethos and approach to death and bereavement.
Flawless Films
RTS Nominated - Factual Series
This Feature length documentary narrated by Sam Neill tells the inspiring story Dave Gallagher the first captain of the All Blacks who came from Donegal. It features All Blacks Ritchie McCaw, Anton Oliver, Tana Umaga and former World Cup winning coach Sir Graham Henry.
Midas Productions
Animal Emergency takes us inside the veterinary clinic at UCD.
Scratch Films
State Of Flux breathes dramatic new life into the arguments presented in the Anglo Irish Debates a century ago. This was the most important conversation in Irish history, and its fallout has defined our political landscape ever since.
Loosehorse
The Complaints Bureau sees finance expert Eoin McGee set the caseload for three consumer journalists attempting to solve the problems of Irish consumers.
indiepics
For 40 years, The Sunday Game has recorded the events and evolution of Gaelic Games and reflected the mood of the nation, creating countless controversies and water-cooler moments for Monday mornings. With the modern era of social media empowering the audience to have their say, The Sunday Game remains a weekly talking point in Irish life.
Loosehorse
Comedian and Native New Yorker, Des Bishop moved to Ireland in his mid-teens in 1990, thereby being exempt from learning Irish at school. In this six part series his challenge is to learn how to speak ‘as gaelige’. This is Des’s most difficult challenge yet as he moves to Connemara’s Gaeltacht for 11 months with the aim of performing an entire gig in Irish.
Peer Pressure
IFTA Winner - Factual Programme & Irish Language Programme
Celtic Media Festival Winner – Factual Entertainment Programme
MICKO tells the story of the GAA’s most loved legend, through his eyes and with his voice. Mick O’Dwyer a national treasure and the most successful manager in the history of Gaelic Football. Harvesting previously untold tales, this natural storyteller brings the viewer on a unique journey through Irish history – from the War of Independence to a modern area of commercialised sport.
Loosehorse
Presenter Brendan Courtney meets Irish personalities who reveal how the places they’ve lived in have shaped their lives in this unique and intimate celebrity biography show.
Waka TV
Players of the Faithful is the story of the 1982 Offaly team that famously ended Kerry’s bid to become the first county to win five All Ireland football titles in a row. Their achievements have echoed around the GAA world and become legend. Now, these PLAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL reveal the story behind the legend.
Loosehorse
This one-off documentary tells the deeply personal tale of Comedian Des Bishops father, Mike, who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Inspired by his father’s illness, the impact it has had on the Bishop family and their sense of humour in dealing with it, this documentary follows Des as he develops his latest internationally-acclaimed stand up show My Dad Was Nearly James Bond.
Peer Pressure
From the dead heat of East Africa to the tropics of the Caribbean, from the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains to New Zealand’s scenic coastline – Emigration Nation follows the Irish diaspora to all corners of the globe, and celebrates their successes abroad.
Loosehorse
Scorned by media and the mainstream, Ireland’s Sulky Racers care deeply about their ‘coloured’ horses; nevertheless they race on the wild side, illegally, on Sundays at dawn, on dual carriageways blocked off to traffic. This documentary offers a unique insight into this fascinating sub-culture.
Midas Productions
Celtic Media Festival Nominated – Sports Documentary
Small World is a travel documentary series that tells international stories with an Irish twist. The films, created by some of Ireland’s most acclaimed directors, unearth fascinating people and places that have unlikely and unmistakable links to Ireland.
Loosehorse
Every year more than 130 babies are born in Ireland addicted to heroin or methadone. From the minute they are born, these babies are treated with methadone to ease their withdrawal symptoms. Born Addicted explores this issue from all angles: we talk to the doctors, the parents, and children who have grown through this process to adulthood.
Midas Productions
David McWilliams highlights the uniquely complex relationship between Ireland and its closest neighbour in a provocative, entertaining and intelligent way. The relationship between Ireland and Britain is a long one. It’s also a very tricky one. While acknowledging this, this authored documentary shines a light on our national blind spot when it comes to our relationship with Britain and the influence it has had on our development as a society and country.
Firebrand Productions
A popular travel series in which immigrants invite an Irish friend, family member or colleague to accompany them back on a visit to their homeland. The roots and relationships that they have established in Ireland will be literally road-tested as the travellers discover what they now hold in common and what they will always have apart.
Loosehorse
IFTA Nominated - Factual Programme
Fun and practical show that gives three couples the opportunity to prepare for their future life together at the ultimate relationship skills crash course. This pre-marriage bootcamp tackles everything from personal finances to family planning.
indiepics
To celebrate 125 years of the GAA Pride of the Parish a six part documentary series, offers snap shots of six very different clubs and and the local passions that keep Gaelic Games alight. It captures the essence of the Association’s unique place within every community in the country.
Loosehorse
IFTA Nominated - Sports Programme
Luke Kelly is considered Ireland’s greatest folk singer, who, had he lived, would have celebrated his 76th birthday this year. Luke’s legacy as an unrivaled collector and interpreter of song is explored in this fascinating documentary. A selection of today’s music stars, including Imelda May, Glen Hansard and Kodaline’s Jason Boland consider the quintessential Dubliner’s celebrated life, his colourful times and untimely death.
RTE
Originally from Dublin, Steve Wickham has been living in Sligo for 20 years. Best known for his fiddle playing in the band The Waterboys, when he’s not touring or recording Steve and his wife Heidi spend their time exploring the many tracks and trails of county Sligo.
Sherwin Media
This Three part series takes a nostalgic look at the history of childrens' television programmes, featuring archive clips and experiments in which youngsters are shown episodes of old programmes to see if there would be a modern audience for the likes of Bosco.
Gable End Media
Every weekend Carrick-On-Shannon is besieged with an influx of likely lads and good time gals, determined to show their brides and grooms a good time. The Leitrim town has quickly become the unofficial stag & hen capital of the country. Over the course of one hectic weekend we join the mayhem as we follow three groups of hens and stags. Carrick-On-Stag is a bawdy yet life affirming insight into the stag & hen scene in the Vegas of Leitrim, Carrick-On-Shannon.
Motive
Ireland's most enthusiastic amateur chefs go head-to-head in the kitchen-trial of their lives. Our flustered amateurs flambé, quenelle, dice and dish for paying punters in a very real restaurant under the watchful eyes of two of our most competitive celebrity chefs - Kevin Thornton and Kevin Dundon.
Loosehorse