FNI Wrap Chat FNI Wrapchat

Our host Keith O'Grady is back with this brilliant episode and is joined by a film and Tv Worrier, Locations Manager Brenda Gough, from Belfast.


Keith O’Grady is an award-winning filmmaker based in Northern Ireland. He makes fiction films and documentaries, in English and Irish. He has countless hours of broadcast TV experience, having worked on films and series for major broadcasters, including the BBC, TG4, RTÉ, UTV, and CBS. His short drama Jam (2008), won the Writers Guild short screenplay prize. He wrote, produced and directed the award-winning A short film about fear (2014). He produced and directed 'Saving Santa' (2017) which won multiple awards all over the world, and made a series of four documentary films 'An Coláiste Éireannach (The Irish College)' (2015) for the BBC, about the role played by 17th C seminaries in Europe, in saving the Irish language. He made the hard-hitting Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais (The Ballymanus Disaster, 2010) and the critically acclaimed Bram Stoker & Dracula (2011), for the broadcasters BBC and TG4. 


He wrote and directed the recent award-winning short dramas ‘Rian’ (2021), 'A Bitter Pill’ (2022), and 'The Silent People' (2023), and is the current recipient of the Norman Houston Short Film Prize 2024 for his short drama ‘The Silent People’, about a young couple who see an opportunity to get their own back after being made homeless by a seemingly ruthless landlord during the cost of living crisis.


Our lovely guest Brenda is from West Belfast, Northern Ireland. She began work in the industry in 2006 in the production department and was capable in the camera dept too. But it was the locations dept that suited her down to the ground, because of her open and outgoing nature. She is  a skilled negotiator, and a people person. She is one of the most supportive, dedicated, hard-working people in our industry, and has worked on some fantastic films and TV dramas over the years, from big-budget Hollywood films to national TV drama. She has also single-handedly raised a family, and treats everyone she meets with kindness and respect. We’re very happy to welcome her to Wrapchat to discuss her career and the journey that brought her to this point.


We're absolutely thrilled to be champions for Minding Creative Minds. Their incredible work provides vital support structures for creatives, and we're all about spreading the word. Keep an ear out for our special ad on FNI Wrapchat, where we shine a spotlight on the difference they're making. Get inspired and learn more about their mission at Minding Creative Minds.


We appreciate you podcast enthusiasts and film aficionados! If you love what we do – from our in-depth interviews to our diverse educational content and vibrant events – why not join the family? Explore our rich back catalogue of over 200 eps and consider becoming an important and valued member of FNI over at buymeacoffee.com/fni.


🎥☕ Your generosity fuels our future of our work and keeps the heart of Ireland's biggest independent film network beating strong.


FNI Wrapchat comes to you thanks to the dynamic trio of: Producer PBL (@paulbutlerlennox), Paul Webster (@paulwebsterfilms), and our audio wizard, Mark Monks (@mark_monks99), all from the buzzing hub of our Dublin City Centre Hub. With Thanks to the Podcast Studios. 


Stay in the loop! Connect with Film Network Ireland at wearefni.com, join our thriving Facebook group of industry professionals for work opportunities and support here https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland and follow our story

Fni Wrapchat is back in 2024 with this brilliant episode hosted by Remie Michelle Clarke. Remie is joined by Author, Activist and Film Professional Winnie M Li.


Our host Remie Michelle Clarke is an award-winning Irish writer, ghostwriter and editor, writing under R.M. Clarke. - ​She is also an international voice-over artist with almost two decades of experience. Based in Wicklow, Ireland, with a broadcast-ready home studio, Remie offers voiceover across advertising, animation, narration, e-learning, dubbing and corporate, working on projects worldwide. - A podcast producer & host for Film Network Ireland's Wrapchat, Remie uses her industry experience and passion for the arts to interview and showcase talent across the film and broadcast media scene in Ireland and internationally. - As a speaker and presenter, Remie is a regular contributor to documentaries, podcasts, print media, festivals, and panels at home and abroad. http://www.remiemichelleclarke.com/


Winnie M Li is an author and activist, who has worked in the creative industries over three continents.  Taiwanese-American and raised in New Jersey, Winnie studied Folklore and Mythology at Harvard, and later Irish Literature as a George Mitchell Scholar. Since then, she has written for travel guidebooks, produced independent feature films, programmed for film festivals, and developed eco-tourism projects. After earning an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, she now writes across a range of media, including fiction, theatre, journalism, and memoir.


Her debut novel, Dark Chapter, is a fictional retelling of her real-life stranger rape in Belfast, from both victim and perpetrator perspectives. It won The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize in 2017, was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and shortlisted for The Author’s Club Best First Novel Award. It has been translated into ten languages and Winnie is currently adapting it for screen.  Her second novel Complicit was sold in a six-figure pre-empt to Orion Fiction, and later, in a heated five-way auction to Emily Bestler at Atria Books for US rights.  It came out in Summer 2022, was The New York Times ‘ monthly book club pick, and appeared on several Best of 2022 lists. 


Winnie is a recipient of grant funding from the Royal Society of Literature, Jerwood Arts, and the Arts Councils of England and Northern Ireland.  She served as a judge for the 2018 SI Leeds Literary Prize and regularly runs workshops and speaks about creative writing, creativity and trauma, and media and gender. 


Winnie is also Co-Founder of the Clear Lines Festival, the UK’s first-ever festival addressing sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. Her ongoing PhD research at the London School of Economics explores media engagement by rape survivors as a form of activism. Winnie has delivered over 150 public talks and appeared in TEDx London, The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, The Times, The Independent, The LA Review of Books, The Chicago Tribune, The Irish Times, BBC World News, Sky News, Channel 4, and BBC Woman’s Hour, among other media outlets.  She has an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland, in recognition of her writing and activism. *


We're absolutely thrilled to be champions for Minding Creative Minds. Their incredible work provides vital support structures for creatives, and we're all ab

After a little break, Fni Wrapchat is back with this brilliant episode hosted by Remie Michelle Clarke.
This one is a great episode for Actors. Share with an Actor buddy!
Remie was joined by the brilliantly talented Gavin O'Connor
Gavin is an Irish actor best known for his work as Mackin in the hit drama Taken Down (2018). Known for his character portrayal of real-life people, Gavin took on the role of Northumbria Police Chief, Steve Neill in The Hunt for Raoul Moat (2023), as well as his critically acclaimed role of Sean Doherty opposite Aidan Gillen in Charlie (2015) . In 2016 he also took on the iconic role of Irish rebellion leader, Patrick Pearse in The Bloody Irish (2015) for PBS. He plays Murphy in The Alienist (2018) opposite Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans & Daniel Brühl for Paramount. Gavin appeared as Uthred Of East Anglia in two season's of Netflix/ MGM's hit Vikings: Valhalla (2022). He was the Earl Of Shrewsbury alongside Henry Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the worldwide hit series The Tudors (2007) for Showtime, John McCarthy opposite Carice van Houten in French horror film Dorothy (2008) and Detective Duffy in The Front Line (2006). Gavin's first film as writer/producer Blink (2014) was nominated in World Competition at The Montreal World Film Festival. Originally from Cork, he trained at Ireland's prestigious Samuel Beckett Center at Trinity College Dublin. Gavin is also an accomplished voice-over artist having worked on several productions including Galactik Football (2006).
If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member (We need your support!)
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film
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Friend of the show Ken Wardrop of Venom Films returns to talk to Luke Brabazon about his brand new feature documentary So This Is Christmas. We urge everyone to see this funny, beautiful and incredibly moving film in the cinema. It is the antidote to all the pre-Christmas madness.

Ken studied filmmaking at the National Film School, IADT. His short films have screened at many of the worlds most prestigious festivals including Sundance and Cannes. He has presented retrospective programmes at the Cork International Film Festival, and at festivals in the UK, Croatia, The Netherlands and in Scandinavia. In 2008, his work received the Grand Prix Award at Sapporo International Film Festival in Japan.
HIS & HERS is a creative documentary that combines observation and imagination to illustrate a universal love story. The film explores woman’s relationship with man by visiting moments from the lives of 70 female characters. Shot in the hallways, living rooms and kitchens across the Irish Midlands, the story moves sequentially from young to old to deliver a unique insight into sharing life’s journey.

We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can't believe we've done 200 episodes of the podcast, but here we are. We got to celebrate this milestone in front of an amazing crowd at the FNI Fast Fest screening in The Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin last week.
We sat down with Cathy Brady and Mark O'Connor and had a wonderful chat about the life of a filmmaker in Ireland today.
Cathy Brady is a two-time IFTA-winning director, having won Best Short in 2011 for her first film Small Change and again in 2013 for Morning, which was also selected for the BFI London Film Festival 2012 and won the Short Film Nominee prize for the European Film Awards at Cork Film Festival.
In 2011, Brady directed the BIFA nominated short Rough Skin (written by Laura Lomas and starring Vicky McClure) as part of Channel 4’s Coming Up scheme. Her short film, Wasted, competed at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2013. In the same year, Brady was named one of Screen Daily’s ‘Stars of Tomorrow’.
In 2014, Brady directed on the BAFTA-nominated drama-thriller series Glue. Most recently, Brady directed Stefanie Preissner’s TV comedy series Can’t Cope/Won’t Cope for Dead Pan Pictures and RTE, which is currently showing on BBC Three. Her debut feature as writer-director, Wildfire, is currently in development, and will be produced by Carlo Cresto-Dina (The Wonders, Cannes Grand Jury Prize 2014) along with Cowboy Films.

Mark O’ Connor is a graduate of Film Operations and Production from Ballyfermot College and directing from The New York Film Academy. He also holds a masters in screenwriting from IADT. Mark made over 60 short films, before writing and directing his debut feature film ‘Between the Canals’. Between the Canals was highly acclaimed with Film Ireland calling it “The best Irish film in a long long time”. It was the acting debut for Barry Keoghan and many of the cast went on to star in leading roles in the hit RTE television series ‘Love Hate’.
Mark’s second feature film ‘King of the travellers’ was selected for festivals around the world and received a UK and Irish cinema and DVD release and was released in 150 territories worldwide on VOD. ‘Stalker’, Mark’s third feature film won the Underground Film Festival and Runner up Prize at the Galway Film festival. Mark’s fourth feature film ‘Cardboard Gangsters’ was the highest grossing Irish film of the year and received 5 stars reviews. It won 6 awards at the Manchester Film Festival including Best Film, Best Actor, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Director, and Film of the Festival. It also won Best Film at The Newport Beach Film Festival in Los Angeles. Worldwide rights to the film were bought by Netflix.
Mark then wrote and directed a six-part crime drama for Virgin Media UK/Ireland called ‘Darklands’. It received critical acclaim and an average of 450,000 viewers per episode and was recently sold to Australian television network SBS. Mark is currently in development on a number of projects including a comedy drama ‘Oui Cannes’ set in Ireland and France and is a major television series being produced by Samson Films.

We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film
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Paul Butler Lennox recently sat down with super-talented stunt performer and fellow Northside native, and proud Ballymunner Philip Condron.

Philip Condron, 32, from Ballymun, who runs Screen Combat Ireland training performers in martial arts and action training, has been working in the performing arts industry for four years. He was selected to be the stunt double for the top Hollywood actor’s character Pádraic Súilleabháin in a scene filmed on the edge of the sea-cliff of Dun Aonghasa on Aran Islands. He played actor Cassian Bilton’s stunt double in Foundation and last year played a stunt double involved in a fight in a toilet with actor and son of Ice Cube, O’Shea Jackson Jnr in Cocaine Bear.
We’re proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland.
And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat.
Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/

GET YOUR TICKET FOR FNI FAST FEST THIS OCT 20TH TO 22ND. https://wearefni.com/fastfest/
Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI.
FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios
Check out Film Network Ireland at
https://wearefni.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland
https://twitter.com/fni_film
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices