Louth teen Grace Gonnelly wins RTE film award

Grace Gonnelly from Dundalk was yesterday honoured with the RTÉ Factual Award for Cliff Edge at Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year awards.

The film was described as a “striking and vulnerable film about living with chronic pain. Through a raw and poetic monologue, Grace invites viewers into the often unseen world of invisible illness.”

Fresh International Film Festival, in collaboration with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, The Arts Council, Coimisiún na Meán, and Omniplex Cinema Group, held the awards at Omniplex Rathmines. 

Ireland's next generation of young filmmakers stepped into the spotlight at the Fresh International Film Festival Awards, livestreamed from Omniplex Rathmines and hosted by comedians Justine Stafford and Hannah Mamalis, with red carpet coverage from actor and comedian Faye Shortt.

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This year’s finalists from across the country wowed with bold storytelling and emotional depth, exploring themes ranging from climate change and identity to class, grief, and friendship.

Fresh International Film Festival, and the IYFTY’s, encourage young people to explore filmmaking as a career, learning the art of visual storytelling, understanding the filmmaking process from first draft to final frame, and the sustainable career opportunities that exist both in front of and behind the camera, inspiring and building Ireland’s future film, television and digital talent pool. 

The IYFTYs shortlist is a rich collection that showcases the imagination, creativity, and skills of the world’s future storytellers, and interest in the festival from 82 countries is a reflection of Ireland’s ascendancy as a global hub for film, television, digital and creative industries.

Grace’s film can be viewed on the Fresh Film Youtube page.