Women in Film and TV Podcast

In October 2017, WFT held a special masterclass allowing our members to gain a greater insight into the craft of editing from multi-award-winning editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast (2021), Ripper Street (2013) and The Missing (2014), The Crown (2022) and Philipa Lowthorpe’s BBC drama series Three Girls (2017). In this very special podcast from the WFT archives, we learn all about what makes an edit great.

About Úna ní Dhonghaíle

Multi-award winning editor, Úna Ní Dhonghaíle ACE, BFE is best known for her work on The Crown, Misbehaviour, Three Girls and Stan and Ollie. She has worked on the leading lights of British drama in what some are calling "The Golden Age of Television". Having completed a degree in Film and Media Studies in her native Dublin, Úna specialized in film editing at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) from 1995-1998.

Úna has since gone from strength to strength, earning her first of four BAFTA nominations in 2009 for the Abi Morgan's TV feature White Girl. She has edited three episodes of the Netflix multi-award winning show, The Crown Series 1 and 2, starring Claire Foy and John Lithgow, Kenneth Brannagh's Wallander, BBC's Les Misérables, Doctor Who, Ripper Street and The Missing Series 1, amongst others. Over a five year period, she co-directed and edited a documentary Invisible Man, for which she won the 2016 IFTA for Best Editing in Television. Úna has also received much recognition for her editing of the highly acclaimed BBC drama Three Girls, for which she has won the BAFTA award for Best Fiction Editing, the Technicolor Craft Award from Women In Film UK, the IFTA for Best Editing, the RTS Award for Best Editing of Fiction, the RTS West of England Award for Editing and the Televisual British Bulldog Award for Editing.

Úna has edited Stan and Ollie starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, directed by Jon S Baird and Rosie, directed by Paddy Breathnach and written by Roddy Doyle and Sir Kenneth Branagh's All Is True, starring Ken Branagh, Judi Dench and Ian McKellan and most recently, Misbehaviour with Philippa Lowethorpe directing. Úna is currently editing Death On The Nile with Sir Kenneth Branagh.

Producing POV: A Live Panel Discussion

From spreadsheets to testing, from crew calls to creative choices – what exactly does it take to produce a feature film in the age of COVID? Last year, WFT spoke with two POV producers as well as Screen Ireland Development Executive Fran Keaveney about this woman-centered funding scheme.

Hosting the chat was WFT Board Member and Producer Fiona Kinsella, who talked with fellow producers, Deirdre Levins (You Are Not My Mother) after her film’s hugely successful premiere at this year’s TIFF as well as Roisin Geraghty on her POV film Sunlight.

Screen Ireland’s POV Scheme was established to support women filmmakers, and in 2020 four live-action fiction titles were commissioned with a budget limit of €400,000.

This event has been made possible with the support of Screen Ireland.

On the 7th of May 2022, WFT and WGI collaborated on a very special joint event, Women Writing for the Screen: Strategizing for our Future which took place at the Museum of Literature Ireland. WFT Chair Dr Susan Liddy moderated a lively panel discussion on the topic of Breaking Into the Industry with Writer/Director Kate Dolan, Filmmaker/Editor Claire Byrne, as well as writers Lynn Ruane and Sinéad Collopy.

This event was made possible with the support of the BAI.

Would you like to learn about the avenues available working through the Irish Language? In this WFT Podcast, we explore opportunities for crew and highlight the careers of three women working in the industry. This panel features Sound Recordist and Mixer Mary Harkin; Editor Fionnuala Ní Chíobháin and Camera/Producer Christine O’Connor and is moderated by our Vice-Chair DOP Jaro Waldeck.

This event has been made possible with the support of the BAI.

Mary Harkin – Sound

Mary started her professional career with Telegael, a film, TV and animation production company, based in Galway. There, she worked as a location sound recordist, and also as a post-production sound mixer in the studio. Mary has been a freelancer for over 20 years, working on a wide variety of productions, predominantly documentaries (Ireland’s Dirty Laundry, Lá i 1916, Martin McGuinness), entertainment and lifestyle programmes (Rotunda, Bailte, Big year in big school), and also various shows and feature films (Aithrí, Corp agus Anam, Rós na Rún). Mary has also worked in third-level education, providing practical workshops in location sound recording to Communication students. Her work has featured on domestic broadcast channels (RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media) and also on international channels (BBC, NBC, Golf Channel, ARD, CH4)

Christine O’Connor – Camera

Christine’s career began in the Media industry 31 years ago. Initially working with the technical dept in Cameras and Lighting, shooting and Directing shows for RTE and TG4, Christine moved onto Production in the mid-2000. Having travelled substantially Worldwide on these shows Christine began working with the TG4 Soap Ros na Rún where she began work as Production Co-ordinator and worked up the ranks to become Production Manager with added responsibility for the scripting process. After a number of years Christine moved onto Line Producer with many features and series and was also Network Manager of the Greasán na Méan Skillnet for 7 years developing specific media and technical training. In 2013 Christine began working with Telegael in Spiddal as their Live Action Producer and also in development. To date Christine has produced the most recent Jack Taylor 3×90 mins (2016) TV feature length dramas for ZDF in Germany and Content Media International, currently finished the second series of the RTE/Seven Australia kids comedy drama series Drop Dead Weird 26x 24mins. Christine was the Irish Producer with the ARD Germany comissioned 4 x 90” German Drama series, Der Irland Krimi shot on location in Galway city and county throughout 2019 and 2020. Christine also continues to work on Live Sport OB’s in cameras, working on such events as HRH Queen Elizabeth’s 2nd visit, both George Bush & Barak Obama’s visits, President Michael D. Higgins Inaugurations, EU Summits, European Cup Rugby, 6 Nations Rugby, National Football & Hurling Championships & Leagues, International Soccer, Snooker, Swimming amongt others. Amongst career highlights were interviewing Nelson Mandela when he was President of South Africa in his residence in Capetown and also getting to operate and get a Camera credit on the U2 Live in Slane video 2000.

Fionnuala Ní Chíobháin – Edit

Fionnuala Ní Chíobháin is an editor of TV programmes and works mainly in the genres of documentary and light entertainment. Over a 15-year career to date, and often working in the Irish language, she has edited celebrated documentaries such as The Story Of Yes, Síle Seoige: Deireadh Tochta and Ar an Oileán as well as documentary series like Big Life Fix, Cumhacht an Nadúr, Idir Mná, Framing Democracy, and What are you Eating. Fionnuala has also had a hand in a wide range of entertainment series such as Room to Improve, Operation Transformation, The Great Irish Bake off, Taithí Gan Teorainn, Pioc do Ride, Masterchef Ireland and Voice of Ireland. Fionnuala hails from Corca Dhuibhne and is a native Irish speaker, she speaks Irish to her family, to her horses and also to herself.

If you’re scoring a film, it can be tricky to find the right music, and even harder to secure the rights. In the latest podcast, WFT Spoke with one of our Members, Dina Coughlan from Planet of Sound, getting her advice when it comes to locking down your project’s perfect music.

About Dina Coughlan

Dina Coughlan is a music supervisor based in Ireland who has worked on a diverse range of projects across Film and Television. Dina was the music director for Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen television network in NYC where she oversaw music placement for all productions and produced live concerts for the network. After leaving Oxygen, she set up Planet of Sound and has worked on projects for Discovery Networks, FUSE, Chevy and The Blue Man Group. In 2014, she relocated to Ireland and has since worked on a dynamic range of projects including most recently, the films French Exit, Boys From County Hell, Dating Amber, Broken Law, The Young Offenders (film & TV series) and Professionals (TV Series).

This event has been made possible with the support of the BAI.

https://wft.ie/

Last year, UK research suggests that the majority of the screen workforce come from ‘privileged’ backgrounds. At the Galway Film Fleadh 2021, Women in Film and Television Ireland and the Writers Guild of Ireland hosted a panel examining the intersection of gender and class in the Irish screen industries. This panel was moderated by WFT Chair Dr Susan Liddy, and featured filmmakers Carmel Winters & Roisin Kearney, as well as academic Dave O'Brien and performer Jordanne Jones This event was organised with the support of the BAI.

Carmel Winters

Carmel Winters is an award-winning writer and director for stage and screen.  Her most recent film Float Like A Butterfly won the FIPRESCI international critics’ award at Toronto International Film Festival and her theatre plays have premiered at the Abbey Theatre and beyond

Dave O’Brien

Dave O’Brien is Chancellor’s Fellow in Cultural and Creative Industries, based in the School of History of Art at the University of Edinburgh. He has published widely on cultural policy, urban regeneration, cultural work, public policy, social mobility, and cultural consumption. His most recent book, co-authored with Drs Orian Brook and Mark Taylor, is Culture is bad for you: Inequality in the cultural and creative industries.

Roisin Kearney

Roisin Kearney is a multi-award winning writer/director/producer in film, TV and theatre. After a successful 10 years working nationally and internationally, she took time out with her three children. She returned to film in 2014 and has worked on a number of shorts including The Family Way, No Dogs, The Ferry, RUN, and PADDY. She is associate producer on children’s show Gamer Mode for RTE, and writer for Smashing Times theatre and film company. She is currently in development with comedy drama RIP and feature script Spoke. 

Jordanne Jones

Jordanne played the leading role of Emma in Metal Heart (Treasure Films), Hugh O’Connor’s directorial debut, for which she won the Bingham Ray Best New Talent Award at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2018. She is currently appearing as Lily in Dead Still (Acorn/RTE) and will soon appear in a guest role in The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (Paramount/TNT) due for release later this year.

Dr Susan Liddy

Dr Susan Liddy is Chair of Women in Film and Television Ireland and a board member of Women in Film and Television International, the Writers Guild of Ireland and Raising Films Ireland.  She is the founder and co-director of Catalyst International Film Festival which prioritizes films and filmmakers from underrepresented groups. Her work includes Women in the Irish Film Industry: Stories and Storytellers and she has recently co-authored a report for the BAI, Auditing Gender and Diversity Change in Irish Media Sectors.

Panel Podcast: Celebrating WFT Members at VMDIFF

Every year the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival brings a wealth of inspiring films, local and international, to Irish screens. The stories being told and the unique voices in this programme are as bold and impressive as ever. Last month WFT hosted a special panel to spotlight the vibrant work of some of our members, Writer/Performers Lesley Conroy and Andie McCaffrey Byrne as well as Director Claire Byrne and Producer Martina McGlynn. WFT Board Member and Producer Fiona Kinsella spoke with these talented women about their films and careers to date.

Check out the full festival programme at DIFF.ie

This event has been made possible with the support of the BAI.

Lesley Conroy – Cleaner

Lesley Conroy is an IFTA award nominated actor, award winning writer and advocate for parenting artists and DEI in the creative sector. Over the course of her 25-year career she has worked with The Abbey, Corcadorca, Loose Canon, Fíbín & Decadent. Screen highlights include work with Merman, Samson, Sally Lindsay/Dermot Boyd (Madame Blanc Mysteries), Neasa Hardiman (School Run), Declan Recks (Eden, The Running Mate), Thaddeus O’Sullivan (Citizen Lane) and David Freyne (The Cured). Turning to writing during lockdown her monologue CLEANER won the 2020 Scripts Ireland Competition and a place on Screen Ireland/Bow Street’s Actor as Creator scheme. On its premiere outing at the Cork International Film Festival it won the Best Cork Short Award and continues its festival run at VMDIFF in February 2022.

Andie McCaffrey Byrne – Sparkle

Andie plays the role of Irene Carr in self-penned film Sparkle. A child of the 1980s, the lure of spandex and aerobics was ignited when she stumbled upon the true story of the 1980s Irish government’s ban on aerobics. Her film is part of the Actor As Creator scheme 2021 funded by Screen Ireland and Bow Street Academy. Andie’s recent roles include Lisa in BBC TV Pilot Paramedics. Jane in South RTE, Abbie White in Fair City RTE and Stephanie in RTE/BBC awarding winning TV series drama Love/Hate.

Claire Byrne – Hello?

Claire Byrne is a Writer, Director and Editor based in Dublin, Ireland. She graduated in 2013 with a masters degree from Screen Academy Scotland in Directing for Screen and spent the years following, working in the industry in both production and post-production. Her Screen Ireland funded short film Sister This has had huge success over the last two years, winning ‘Best Irish Short’ at Fastnet Film Festival, and the Shark Awards 2021 and getting nominated for a 2020 IFTA.

Martina McGlynn – Nothing To Declare

Martina Mc Glynn is an IFTA nominated producer/director. She has an extensive film and documentary career including the award winning Who is Dervla Murphy, The Secret Market and A Nightingale Falling. Her latest project Nothing To Declare will screen at DIFF 2022 after an incredible festival run including wins at The Galway Film Fleadh 2021, IFI Documentary Festival, Louth and Clones film festivals.

RTÉ and WFT hosted a special online talk featuring the work of two women filmmakers, whose award-winning documentaries have been taking the festival world by storm. We discussed Iseult Howlett's The Grass Ceiling and Cara Holmes's Welcome to a Bright White Limbo with these talented filmmakers, who spoke about their work with producer and WFT Board Member Fiona Kinsella.

About the Films:

WFT Showcase Winner: The Grass Ceiling

“Team sport does something to a girl. You get to think about your body in terms of what it can do, rather than how it looks. You become more engine than ornament.” In Iseult Howlett's creative documentary, three successful female athletes explore how being physically courageous, unapologetically competitive and deeply passionate in team sport can unlock a freedom to really occupy your own skin. The film is based on the acclaimed essay ‘The Fear of Winning’ by Irish writer Eimear Ryan.

Tribeca Premiered: Welcome to a Bright White Limbo

Oona Doherty is a Belfast based dancer and choreographer. She is bold, complex, arresting, and ambitious. This innovative, poetic and visually arresting documentary is a portrait of Oona and the creative process of her award-winning show 'Hope Hunt'.

With the industry returning to peak levels of production despite the stresses and strains of COVID and the publication of Screen Ireland’s future strategy Women in Film and Television Ireland took stock in this panel discussion at the Still Voices Short Film Festival Panel last November. This socially distant event took place at the Dead Centre Brewery in Athlone and featured Writer/Director Roisin Kearney (Paddy), Producer Fiona Kinsella (Tile Media), and Director Bonnie Dempsey (Dyehouse Films).

These three practitioners from different fields shared their thoughts and personal experiences negotiating the Irish film industry. This talk was hosted by Women in Film and Television Ireland Chair, Dr. Susan Liddy and was organised with the support of the BAI.

When it comes to Commercial TV Production, we aren’t seeing enough women directors working regularly within the industry. WFT held a focussed panel last November to explore how we can get more women directors on pitches and actually directing commercials. Giving an overview of the industry as it stands, we spoke directly to the agencies asking what they look for in directors. This live discussion was moderated by Producer Fiona Kinsella (Jumper Productions), and features Creative Director Roisin Keown (The Brill Building), Director Anna Rodgers (Invisible Thread), Executive Producer Max Brady (Pull The Trigger) and Producer Sarah Chadwick (Boys + Girls). Listen back here.

This event has been made possible with the support of Screen Skills Ireland.