DkIT's annual Film Showcase celebrates student creativity in film and television production

The showcase featured an impressive range of original dramas and documentaries produced by 3rd and 4th year students, all developed through an intensive, industry standard production process spanning the academic year. From script development and pre-production to location shoots and post production, students took full creative ownership of their projects while working collaboratively in production teams.

Throughout the year, students managed every stage of the filmmaking process, including fundraising, casting, location sourcing, costume and prop design, scheduling, risk assessments and production planning. Filming took place across the region during February and March, before students entered the demanding editing and sound post production stage under the guidance of lecturers Sarah McCann, Eamonn Crudden, Lorcan Dunne, Marina Hughes, Kevin Cunnane, Noel Smyth, Colm Mullen and Richie Price.

This year’s showcase once again highlighted the ambition and diversity of student storytelling, with projects exploring themes of identity, addiction, family, language, obsession, mental health and personal transformation.

4th year Major Projects screened were Threads of a Town, a reflective documentary exploring the invisible connections running through Irish communities; All is Behind, a character-driven drama centred on regret and redemption; We Must Be Better, an emotional story about two brothers navigating a toxic household; and To Be Loved, a visually imaginative drama examining obsession, validation and desire.

The 3rd year showcase also delivered a strong and varied programme, including The Bright Side of Life, My Cup of Coffee, Betting Zoo Cupán Tae, and Beam To, each demonstrating originality, technical skill and confident storytelling across a range of genres and styles.

A major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the programme’s annual awards, recognising excellence in filmmaking and creative achievement. 

The Samson Films Best Short Film Award went to the crew behind Trapped. 

Director Philomena O’Brien said;

“Winning the Samson Films Award for Trapped honestly means so much to us. We put a huge amount of work into this project, so it’s amazing to see it recognised like this.”

The Martha O’Neill Best Creative Documentary Award was presented to The Beekeepers. 

Director Emma Neilon said: 

“Winning the Martha O’Neill Documentary Award for The Beekeepers is honestly unreal. Massive thanks to everyone who helped make the documentary happen and everyone who shared their time and stories with us. This award means so much to the whole team.”

The Dearbhla Walsh Best Major Project Award was presented to The Cure. 

Director Sarah Grey said:

 “Winning the Dearbhla Walsh Award for Best Major Project for The Cure is a huge honour for us. Dearbhla Walsh is such an important and respected figure in the industry, so to receive an award by her really means a lot. The production was challenging from start to finish, but we’re incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve as a team.”

The Film Showcase continues to stand as one of the key highlights of the academic year within the Department of Creative Arts, Media & Music, offering students the opportunity to premiere their work on the big screen. 

Lorcan Dunne, Lecturer in Cinematography and TV Studio Production at DkIT said: 

“Congratulations to all of this year’s projects and winners. The standard of work has been exceptional across the board. It’s great to see that hard work recognised. Awards like these really highlight the talent and dedication coming through the course.”