Dinnseanchas describes the topography of a place through its stories, myths and inhabitants. Hometree's Dinnseanchas project, which was funded by Creative Ireland's Creative Climate Action fund incorporated this way of seeing the landscape - a folk geography - as the starting point for its exploration of Ireland's western uplands. During the project, artists were embedded into 6 coastal communities to listen deeply to their experience of navigating climate change, de-population, and the complex web of socio-economic and agricultural policies through the lens of the dinnseanchas of each place. Join us for a conversation and a creative visual sharing that reflects on the process and brings some of these stories and perspectives to life.

Shorts Programme 2

A selection of quality shorts from around “the area”. Either made by filmmakers from the locality, or filmed in the locality, these include films from Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal (with one from West Meath for good measure!).

Beneath The Quiet

Blaithin Gallagher | Poetic - Experimental | Leitrim | 3:30

Logline

A solitary artist roams the tranquil Irish landscape in search of beauty, but flickers of fire and a haunting soundscape reveal an unsettling truth, a world ablaze, ignored. A poetic meditation on denial, displacement, and the quiet collapse of compassion.

Synopsis

Inspired by Yeats’ line “...and peace comes dropping slow”, Beneath the Quiet is a poetic experimental short set in Ireland’s northwest. A lone artist walks the tranquil landscape, seeking places to paint. But peace is elusive. Flickers of fire intrude, ambiguous and unsettling, accompanied by a soundscape that grows increasingly fractured. The artist arrives at his canvas, nearly complete, but a blank white silhouette disrupts the scene. His gaze leads us to a burning figure in the real landscape, a human aflame, ignored. This searing image, allegorical and real, evokes a world on fire: our planet heating, our societies hardening, the vulnerable left unseen. The artist’s calm exterior masks an inner and collective denial. We are invited to question what we witness, what we omit, and what it means to look away. Beneath the Quiet is a cinematic meditation on displacement, climate breakdown, and the fraying spirit of welcome in a country shaped by its own history of migration.

Blaithin was the winner of the Poetry into Film bursary provided by Creative Heartlands to filmmakers from Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon

An Buachaill Nua

Diarmuid Timmons | Drama - Nostalgic | Sligo | 13:03

Logline

It’s sink or swim for a tardy schoolboy on his first day at a new school in rural 1970’s Ireland.

Synopsis

An Buachaill Nua (The New Boy) is a beautiful and heartfelt film set in 1970s Sligo, capturing the innocence of childhood through the playful lens of two eleven year old boys, Johnno and Bren. The boys are television cop show fanatics who lose all sense of time, en route to school, as Johnno regales the plot of last nights episode of “Hawaii Five-O”. Bren has ‘unbelievably’ missed it due to a family event.

On arriving late for school, the boys face punishment from “Bulldog” the headmaster. When the new boy also arrives late for school, Johnno and Bren’s punishment has the potential to escalate. Tensions rise between Johnno and the new boy as they await their fate.

The stakes increase in Bulldogs office and all eyes fall upon the new boy to save the day.

Salt

Alice Ward | Documentary | Sligo | 12.06

”Salt” is an intimate and artistic exploration of the role that sodium chloride has player throughout filmmaker’s Alice Wards life. From her mother noticing her skin was unusually salty at birth which led to a diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis to Alice becoming the first woman in Ireland to start shooting in the water to capture surfing from a female perspective.

Bringing together hundreds of hand-printed cyanotypes in a beautiful animation, combined with stunning cinematography and stirring narration and interviews. It explores themes of empowerment, motivation, and intuition, offering a compelling insight into the lives of people with chronic and lifelong illnesses.

Salt was the 2024 winner of the Finisterre x LSFF “Women of the Sea Film Fund”. Winner of the ‘Best International Short’ at the London Surf Film Festival and ‘Best Film’ the Irish Surf Film Festival in November 2024.

If I Must Die

Steve Wickham | Poetic - Palestine | Sligo | 1:25

Logline

An adaptation of the poem 'If I Must Die' by Refaat Aleerer

This poem was written by the Palestinian poet Refaat Aleerer shortly before his death in October 2023 in Gaza, when he, along with members of his family were killed by an Israeli bomb. The poem is a foretelling of his death and an appeal to the children of the future.

Originally written around 2012, If I Must Die is one of Alareer's earliest English language works. As the poet explained in a 2018 interview with Global Rights International Magazine, he felt obliged, during Israel's offensive on Gaza, "to write back in English to reach out to the world to educate people about Palestine and save them from the dominant Israeli multi-million-dollar campaigns of misinformation.”

His works were not published in a collection before his death on December 6, 2023, from an Israeli airstrike.

Sligo-base musician Steve Wickham started to interpret the poem with his band, and performing it at gigs. "It was powerful every time we did it," he recalls. "It was just connection with him on a human level, just the pain and suffering of it.” Despite the heaviness of the work's themes – made even more poignant by the tragic end of Alareer's life – its words are lined with a certain hopefulness, or a "strange celebration of life," as Wickham puts it. When considering how to share his interpretation of the poem with the world, the idea for the video came naturally. "My earliest memories are making a kite with my brother and my father when I was three, or four," Wickham says. "That idea of making a kite is a universal one."

The rest was simple – just follow the poem's instructions:

"...buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza...
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above."

Roma: A film about chips and Wonder

Conor English | Documentary - Quirky | West Meath | 12:29

Logline

An Italian chipper in a small Irish town becomes the setting for untold stories, celebrating the everyday moments that shape our shared history.

Synopsis

Set in the heart of rural Ireland, this short documentary explores the deep-rooted connection between a humble chip shop and the local community it has served for over five decades. Established by an Italian immigrant who moved to Ireland aged just 16, the "chipper" has become a constant in the lives of the townspeople, offering much more than just food. Through a series of interviews with patrons, the film uncovers stories of childhood memories, first dates, family traditions, and even relationships that span generations—all tied to the chipper's enduring presence. At the centre of it all is the same chip machine that has been in use since the day the shop opened, acting as a symbol of continuity and unity in the town.

Beneath the surface, the film reveals a more subtle story: while the patrons view the chipper with fondness and nostalgia, the family running the shop remains in the background, quietly working behind the scenes. They are the unsung heroes, sacrificing their own sense of existence to facilitate the memories and connections of the community. Through surreal and symbolic visuals, the documentary contrasts the simplicity of the chip shop with its profound impact on the town, leaving viewers to reflect on how something as mundane as a plate of chips can quietly shape the lives of many.

Funded by the West Meath Arts Office and the Arts Council, Conor English was the winner of the West Meath Film Award.

Cailíní Gránna

Hilary Bowen-Walsh | Comedy Drama - Irish Language | Sligo | 10:37

Logline

Gaelic parody celebrating twenty-one years of the iconic film 'Mean Girls'

Synopsis

In this iconic Irish camp comedy celebrating twenty-one years of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, a socially awkward new girl from Sligo must navigate the precipitous social hierarchy of the Gaeltacht. In a tour de force, Sligo Native Hilary Bowen-Walsh wrote, directed and starred in this comedic Irish language film.

"One by one, the lights go out"

Kathy Raftery | Poetic | Roscommon | 6:36

Logline

As an elderly farmer steps away from the land, One by One the Lights Go Out reflects on legacy, memory, and the quiet ending of a family chapter, narrated by writer Michael Harding.

Synopsis

As the filmmaker’s 87-year-old father leaves the land he tended for decades, the film captures the quiet end of an era for the family farm. Narrated by Michael Harding and inspired by his essay, it’s a tender meditation on legacy, loss, and the passage of time.

Kathy was the winner of the Poetry into Film bursary provided by Creative Heartlands to filmmakers from Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon

A Day in the Sun

Edwin Mulane | Drama | Sligo | 6:36

Logline

Beneath the shadow of time, how can we grab the golden hours?

Synopsis

As time is slipping away, a devoted daughter and her ageing father fight against separation, duty and the inevitable to steal precious moments together.

Written and directed by Edwin Mulane, this stunning film was shots around some of Sligo’s most scenic locations.

Shorts Programme 1

A selection of new Irish short films, bringing some of the best gems from the last year. This programme brings you through the whole array of emotions

Wife from the Future

Rory Hanrahan | Sci-fi Comedy Drama | 13:55

Logline

In his garden shed, love-sick 18-year-old Liam encounters a masked middle-aged woman who claims to be his future wife, traveling back in time through an old fridge to prevent him from making a bizarre decision – eating a slug.

Synopsis

Liam, an 18-year-old grappling with unrequited love decides he is going to eat a slug to impress a girl. He is interrupted by Mandy, a masked middle-aged woman who emerges from a rattling old fridge. Mandy claims to be Liam's wife from the future, urgently pleading with him to avoid eating a slug he found in the garden. Mandy reveals that the slug harbors a deadly parasite that will paralyze Liam for 17 years, derailing his life and leading to their eventual meeting in a rehab center.

Despite his initial disbelief and mockery, Liam's curiosity and fear gradually give way to a reluctant acceptance of her bizarre story. Mandy's desperate bid to save Liam from a tragic fate culminates in a heartfelt connection. Her mission, however, also carries a poignant consequence: ensuring Liam's safety means erasing the future where they fall in love.

Winner of Best First Short Drama at the Galway Film Fleadh and was nominated for the Best Live Action short film at the IFTAs

Daddy’s Dead

Conor Lambert | Drama - Dark Comedy | 9:37

Logline

When the end comes it’s never over.

Synopsis

A cruel sense of self entitlement contrasts with gentle restraint between twin brothers Pat and Malachy. As their Father is dying upstairs, this rural Irish odd couple struggle with the impending death of 'Daddy'. Pat believes himself to be sole beneficiary when his father passes, as inheritance traditionally goes to the first born son, but which one is the eldest?

Bunker Baby

Conor McCormick | Drama - Comedy | 16:33

Logline

In the midst of Ireland's housing crisis, soon-to-be parents Theo and Lauren grapple with impending parenthood.

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of the Irish housing crisis Bunker baby is a drama comedy which follows Theo and Lauren. A young couple coming into their late twenties who unexpectedly learn they are expecting their first child together in Lauren’s while in Laurens childhood bedroom. The couple try to navigate the pregnancy under the ever present eye of Lauren’s overbearing parents. Theo’s neurotic tendencies are amplified as the claustrophobia of their situation reaches a tipping point, putting a strain on their relationship.

Feeling a lack of options Theo spirals out of control and finds comfort in a mysterious project in the garden. Can the couple reconnect under the circumstances ...or has Theo’s obsession gone too far?

Discovery Award nominee at DIFF 2025

Purebred

Caleb J Roberts | Drama - LGBTQ+ - Mature Audience | 16:00

Logline

During a heatwave in Belfast, transgender man Owen returns to the flat of his on-off-again lover Seán after taking a pregnancy test.

Synopsis

During a heatwave in Belfast, transgender man Owen returns to the flat of his on-off-again lover Seán after taking a pregnancy test. Assuming pregnancy wasn’t a possibility, the nature of their casual relationship is called into question.

Winner Best New Irish Short GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival. Shortlisted for the prestigious Iris prize 2025 which recognises excellence in LGBTQ+ cinema.

Farmers!?

Freddie Leyden | Drama - Surreal | 14:59

Logline

I KNEW YOUR PEOPLE… JESUS MINE TRAPPED ME.After an Irish farmer’s breakdown and death, his friends struggle to express grief. His ghost’s appearance at an estate auction finally releases their repressed emotions in unexpected ways

Synopsis

A farmer in the west of Ireland tries to connect with a local young man over their shared artistic interests. When he is rebuffed, it devastates him. In his anguish, he returns home and performs a song in his office, ending with an explosive emotional outburst, and his death.

Later, a group of his farmer friends gather at the auction of his estate. These men find themselves completely unable to connect or express their grief. Intense repression leads to further explosions, and the emotional release they desperately need finally comes through ceremonial dance and primal screams, conjured by the ghost of their deceased friend.

“FARMERS!?” is an atmospheric and subversive short film that defies traditional storytelling, obscuring the tropes of the depressed Irish farmer and offering a visceral and cathartic experience that transcends the boundaries of language.

Freddie Leydon won Best Director: Irish Short at Cork International Film Festival and Best Editing at the British Short Film Awards, and the film was also nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Irish Film & TV Awards

Dancing With Strangers: From Palestine to Ireland

Gavin Fitzgerald & Dr Rita Marcalo (Instant Dissidence) | Performance Act - Palestine | 5:58

Logline

From Palestine to Ireland, a choreographic act of resistance where four dancers in Gaza offer people in Ireland an embodied experience of their personal story of occupation and genocide.

Synopsis

"Dancing with Strangers: From Palestine to Ireland" is a performance piece by Instant Dissidence, where four dancers in Gaza create duets with Irish dancers remotely, using them as "body avatars" to share their experiences of occupation. This collaborative effort aims to offer an embodied experience of Palestinian life to audiences in Ireland, fostering solidarity through dance.

Dancing With Strangers is a choreographic concept that I originally created in 2012, to give people who can not be at a particular place (for instance because they are in prison, or in a refugee camp, etc) a vehicle for their voices to be heard and for their bodies to be felt. So I created this concept of working with them (for instance, in the refugee camp), and then using my body as an avatar to take their movements and their recorded stories to the context where they can not be.

Winner of the An Sophie Fontaine Human Rights in Documentary Film Award (Fastnet Film Festival, Ireland), and the Jury Commendation Award (Tyre International Short Film Festival, Lebanon).