Fresh Film is an Irish organisation (now in its 30th year) dedicated to nurturing and promoting the next generation of filmmakers. By offering resources, mentorship and unique opportunities, Fresh Film empowers young creators to succeed and share their voices on a global stage. The Hothouse Programme, in collaboration with Screen Ireland, RTÉ and the Arts Council, is tailored to support advanced and award-winning young filmmakers. Through mentorship and guidance, young filmmakers are invited to pitch for micro- grants and participate in a structured programme that helps them bring their short films to life. This year, Fresh Film is proud to support eight talented young filmmakers as they take step on their creative journeys.





TAYLOR FAY

Director: Cian Conachy

After a failed fairytale romance, Taylor Fay struggles to get over her ex-boyfriend and embarks on an introspective odyssey, re- evaluating their relationship, her attempts move on and her understanding of true love.



WATCHING THE WASHING MACHINE

Director: Ellen McSweeney
Both meditative and playful, Ellen McSweeney’s thoughtfully visualised short film sees a young woman traverse her memory and time itself through the entrancing lull of her washing machine.



A BLANKET MADE OF STONE

Director: Liam Raymond

At her grandmother’s house, Charlotte uncovers a hidden Grogoch (household spirit) working on the old farm.
Who is he and where does he come from? Liam Raymond balances youthful imagination and dark fantasy in this uniquely realised short film.

WHAT STILL GLOWS

Director: Myah Sullivan

Two estranged sisters
return to sell their childhood home. Finding the lights
still burning, they encounter buried memories and a
path to reconciliation. Myah Sullivan’s magical-realist reflection on sisterhood and nostalgia is both moving and wonderful.

FOG TOOTH

Director: Hugo Fearon

Hugo Fearon’s funny and heartfelt fable uses a combination of film and animation to tell the story
of an aloof librarian who is “cursed” with perpetual good luck.

ANOTHER PERFECT DAY

Director: Devlin Murphy

Prompted by a series of mysterious warning notes,
a confused young woman struggles against her coercive companion to
free herself from her self- inflicted purgatory. Another Perfect Day is a sometimes- surreal character study from emerging filmmaker Devlin Murphy.

TRANSIT

Director: Adam Flannelly

Back from a short trip abroad, Ciarán finds himself battling a growing discomfort – one that leads him down
a path of torment, faded memories and an unsettling truth he is unable to remember.

TRANSLATION

Director: Emma Whelan

When a young Gaeilgeoir moves from the remote west to the bustling east, her desperate attempts to restore what she once had hinders what could potentially be. A story of displacement and budding friendship from Emma Whelan.