Limerick film talent shines at the Edinburgh Film Festival

Limerick film talent shines at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Limerick filmmakers Pius McGrath, Stephen Hall, and Ronan Cassidy pictured at the Edinburgh Film Festival

Film talent from Limerick and Ireland are being represented at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival with Limerick Film Lab presenting co-production projects at a networking brunch

Limerick’s film talent is being represented at the Edinburgh International Film Festival following the success of July’s Limerick Film Lab at Innovate Limerick’s Engine Collaboration Centre in the city, which saw representatives from Ireland, Scotland, and Canada take part in a series of workshops to stimulate creative partnerships, explore internationally focused business partnerships and gain insights into each country’s funding landscapes.

Limerick native, Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD, will open the Edinburgh Film Festival Networking Brunch on Tuesday, August 19 where the Limerick Film Lab will present co-production projects from the July event, with support from Enterprise Ireland, Screen Scotland, and Film in Limerick.

The Lab brought together 18 talented producers from Ireland, Scotland, and Canada for a week of international collaboration, creative exchange, and industry development.

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Organised by Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick, the regional film office for the Midwest, the Lab supports experienced producers and fosters new co-production partnerships between three countries with strong storytelling traditions and dynamic screen sectors.

On the back of the successful Limerick Film Lab event, a series of Irish and Scottish projects, with several projects with Limerick roots, will be pitched at the networking event in a bid to secure co-production, financing opportunities, and distribution partnerships.

Paul C. Ryan, regional film manager at Film in Limerick, told Variety that the group were “proud to see” the Irish and Scottish producers together again in the creative and networking capacity.

Paul said, “Following the success of last month’s inaugural Limerick Film Lab, we’re proud to see our Irish and Scottish producers come together once again to present their projects at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Lab has already sparked exciting new connections and EIFF provides the perfect platform to build on that momentum.”

Speaking about the importance of the Limerick Film Lab, Paul C. Ryan noted, “The Limerick Film Lab is all about connection – not just between filmmakers, but between cultures, storytelling traditions, and industry ecosystems. This is a huge opportunity for our regional producers to step onto the international stage and collaborate on stories that travel.”

With Leslie Finlay, Screen Officer at Screen Scotland, adding, “This international co-production lab in Limerick represents a powerful opportunity for creative exchange between Scotland, Ireland and Canada. We’re proud to support emerging voices and experienced storytellers as they collaborate across borders, deepen cultural connections, and develop films that resonate far beyond their origins. Initiatives like this are essential to strengthening the future of independent cinema on an international scale.”

Limerick films represented at the Edinburgh Film Festival include ‘The Crier’ written by Limerick’s Richard Lynch, Gary O’Donnell, and Tracy Aspel, and produced by Stephen Hall at Dark Day Pictures. The film is a dark period horror telling the story of a traveller girl in 1950s Ireland hunting for her missing sister, confronting banshees, buried curses and a town in denial.

This high-brow horror has Screen Ireland support and positions itself squarely in the international genre space. Local producers Stephen Hall and Mike Jones and their company Dark Day Pictures just finished filming an exciting new TV fantasy series called ‘The Wayfinders’ at Troy Studios and on location throughout the Midwest. Working with a majority local crew and with support from Film in Limerick through Innovate Limerick, the production filmed at Troy Studios in Limerick and throughout the region and filming was completed this past June.

Stephen Hall of Limerick’s Dark Day Pictures said that as someone who grew up in Shannon and now lives in Limerick, “I think that collaborations like Limerick Film Lab is really key as the film activity in our region has really picked over the years as we’ve had some really big shows here like Nightflyers and Foundation, so now I think is the right time to plant some seeds and grow the industry in Limerick and the West, and that’s what we hope to do here. I am very excited to be currently working with homegrown Limerick talent and to be representing Limerick at the Edinburgh Film Festival. It’s an honour!”

‘Bedsitterland’ by Limerick’s Pius McGrath, written by Nick Kelly, tells the story of a young woman who moves to the city only to find paranoia and menace inside a crumbling boarding house. Written and directed by Nick Kelly, the project combines fish-out-of-water vibes and psychological thriller elements. A Berlinale Co-Production Market title, backed by Screen Ireland, it’s produced by Honest Arts with producing partner Tara Doolan, well known for their work in theatre.

‘No Sleep ‘till Belfast’ by Limerick producer Ronan Cassidy is about a teenage punk and his friend who steal a car to reach a Clash gig in Belfast, navigating fractured family ties and the violence of 1980s Northern Ireland. Written by Greg Burrowes from Limerick and directed by Jamie Delaney and produced by Ronan Cassidy at Carbonated Comet Productions, the project taps punk’s rebellious spirit for a bittersweet road movie.

The other Irish films being represented at the Edinburgh International Film Festival include ‘Painting Saddam’, produced by Anna Mannion and written by Colin Bateman, which is a story based on true events about Northern Irish painters hired to decorate Saddam Hussein’s palace who become hostages when Iraq invades Kuwait and ‘The Singularity’, written and directed by Jack Hickey and produced by Lara Hickey of Copper Ally Productions, the film is a blend of science fiction and horror following Caitlin as she searches for her missing father, uncovering a cult in rural Ireland devoted to a godlike AI.

Film in Limerick is the official regional film office serving Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary in Ireland. A project developed by Innovate Limerick, it acts as a single point of contact for filmmakers — providing expert advice on locations, permits, crew, accommodations, tax incentives, and local industry contacts to make production easier and more efficient

As well as supporting inward film and TV projects such as the Liam Neeson led film ‘4 Kids Walk Into a Bank’ filmed in Limerick in early 2025, Film in Limerick runs creative training and production initiatives for local talent. These include the ENGINE Short Film Scheme and Limerick Film Lab, which provide funding, mentorship and collaboration opportunities for emerging writers, directors and producers across the Mid‑West

The office’s impact has earned international recognition: it was shortlisted for the prestigious City of Film Award at the Global Production Awards at Cannes (2024 & 2025), underlining its growing importance in Ireland’s film ecosystem.