Roscommon Film Festival champions emerging filmmakers

The Roscommon International Film Festival is back for its third year this weekend, showcasing an ambitious programme of 44 short films over two days, October 10th and 11th, at the Roscommon Arts Centre.

Festival director Andrew Hannon, who co-founded the event with Christine Braithwaite, says the festival has grown from an online launch in its first year to a two-day in-person celebration of filmmaking talent across Ireland and beyond.

“We started yesterday with a networking session for screenwriters and filmmakers, just getting people into a circle and introducing them to each other,” Hannon explained. “If a screenwriter is looking for a director or vice versa, hopefully those connections are made. The dream is that next year we’ll be screening films that were born out of the conversations that happened yesterday.”

The festival opened with three short films produced through Creative Heartlands – an initiative supporting emerging filmmakers in Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon with modest budgets of around €3,000 per project. One standout film, Hannon said, explored the breakdown of a once-passionate marriage and showcased exceptional cinematography and storytelling despite its limited budget.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect because they booked a place with us before the films were even made,” he admitted. “But when I saw the first couple of frames, I thought, ‘Oh my God – wow.’ The quality is so high, and we’re delighted to launch the festival with them.”

This year’s festival features a broad mix of genres – from comedy to horror and everything in between – carefully curated to avoid jarring transitions between vastly different tones. “We’ve tried to group the films together so there’s a cohesive flow,” Hannon said. “The longest block is under two hours, so attention spans shouldn’t be too stretched, and hopefully nobody will be running for the fire exits.”

The programme runs across six screening blocks, beginning at 5pm on Friday and continuing from 2pm to 7:30pm on Saturday. While many of the films come from Ireland, the lineup also includes international entries from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Belgium and Croatia.

One of Saturday’s highlights is the festival’s final screening block, featuring several “next-level, high-budget” short films. “Three of the last four films have great twists in the tail,” Hannon said. “There’s a brilliant one about frenemies that captures that love-hate dynamic perfectly.”

Beyond screenings, the festival’s mission is to create opportunities for filmmakers in the west of Ireland. Creative Heartlands, which provides funding, editing suites, cameras, sound gear and other production resources, is a key partner. Hannon says part of their work is simply making people aware that these supports exist.

“Johnny Gogan from Leitrim Creative Heartlands was at our networking session yesterday,” he said. “He’s screaming from the rooftops for people to use the facilities – editing suites, camera gear, sound equipment – but a lot of people just don’t know they’re there. We want to make filmmaking more accessible, help people overcome imposter syndrome, and get their first short film made.”

While ticket sales are just under half capacity for Friday’s screenings, Hannon hopes for strong walk-in numbers and expects over 100 attendees each night. “The toughest thing is getting people off Netflix and out to the cinema,” he laughed. “But with so many filmmakers attending to see their work on the big screen, there’s always a great buzz in the room.”

Hannon believes festivals like Roscommon’s play a crucial role in nurturing new talent outside the bigger hubs. “Galway and Dublin have brilliant festivals, but they can feel a bit closed off if you’re not already in that network,” he said. “We want to be open and accessible. Even if a film isn’t technically perfect, if the story resonates, we want to give it a platform.”

Looking ahead, the organisers hope to host pop-up events and workshops throughout the year to build momentum and inspire new projects before next year’s festival.

“Ultimately, we’d love to see a film premiere here that started from a conversation at one of our events,” Hannon said. “To play a part in someone’s creative journey – that would be really special.”

The Roscommon International Film Festival continues on Saturday, October 11th, from 2pm to 7:30pm at Roscommon Arts Centre.

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