Ashbourne 2025 Film Festival

Vue Cinema
Ashbourne, Co.Meath

14th JUNE 2025

Ashbourne Film Festival is proud to announce our third annual film festival on June 14th 2025 in the VUE Cinema, Ashbourne.

Ashbourne Community Initiative in conjunction with SiúySiú Productions Ltd and William Palmer Music and Entertainment Ltd are hosting the “Ashbourne Film Festival”  in the Vue Cinema, Ashbourne. The event is also proudly sponsored by McGroddy Brennan LLP Solicitors.

This year we’re holding a short film competition across six categories with some amazing prizes.

We’re also bringing some great special guests for some extra cinematic glitz and glamour! Information will be added below as details are finalised so check back soon!

Tickets
from €15
Now Available on Eventbrite

OAP & Student Discounts Available

COMPETITION 2025

Enter our short film competition to be in for a chance to win some great prizes.

Festival Schedule 2024

Morning Session 10am - 1:30pm - Ticket price €15

Festival Official Opening and Introduction of Judging Panel
Short Film Screenings
Announcement of Winners
and Prize Presentations
Photo Opportunities
Refreshments & Live Music in the foyer

Afternoon Session 2pm - 6pm - Ticket price €20

Short Film Screenings
Q&A with film/tv actor Lex Shrapnel (‘Captain America The First Avenger’, ‘Minder’, A Town Called Malice’ , ‘Nine Lives)
Q&A with Tom Shrapnel, director/writer for film/tv
Refreshments & Live Music in the foyer

Evening Session 5pm - Late - Ticket price €25

Refreshments & Live Music in the foyer
Q&A with film/tv composer Stephen Rennicks (An Cailín Ciúin, Room, Frank, Normal People) on the importance of film music and the Composer/Director collaboration.
Festival Closing speeches
Feature Film – ‘An Cailín Ciúin’

FULL DAY FESTIVAL PASS - BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE
Come and Go as you please...
ONLY €45

Note: Our schedule is subject to change as new announcements are made.

Refreshments by Camile Thai

Some highlights from the
2024 Ashbourne Film Festival...

One Moment Irish Cinema Premier at Ashbourne 2025 Film Festival

2025 Feature Film - Exclusive!

Irish Cinema Premier:

One Moment

One Moment is a heartwarming and bittersweet family dramedy that captures the chaos, humour, and tenderness of adult children caring for an aging parent. At the centre is Joe McGuinness, a proud Irish-American widower played with charm and depth by the late, great Danny Aiello in his final screen performance. As Joe’s health and independence begin to decline, his grown children—each with their own quirks and challenges—must navigate the shifting roles and responsibilities that come with caring for an aging parent while managing their own lives.

The McGuinness family’s strong Irish-American identity adds richness and authenticity to the story, with cultural threads of loyalty, resilience, and stubborn pride running through each character. Their shared heritage becomes both a comfort and a source of comic friction as they face the realities of aging, grief, and love.

One Moment is written and directed by Deirdre O’Connor, a second-generation Irish-American whose roots trace back to Ashbourne in County Meath. Her Irish sensibility shines through in the film’s blend of wry humour, emotional honesty, and deep familial ties. This debut feature is a personal and poignant tribute not only to the experience of caregiving, but to the enduring bonds of Irish family life.

Director: Deirdre O’Connor
Starring: Danny Aiello

with Guest Speaker Deirdre O'Connor (Writer & Director)

Guest Speakers 2025

Deirdre O'Connor - Guest Speaker at Ashbourne 2025 Film Festival

Deirdre O'Connor

Film Director, Writer, Producer

One Moment, Boondoggle

Deirdre O’Connor is an independent film director, writer and producer.  After making several short documentaries and writing narrative screenplays, she made her feature directorial debut with the comedy, One Moment (2022), starring Danny Aiello in his final screen performance.   The film won numerous festival awards and secured distribution with Indican Pictures and Magnolia Home Entertainment. 

Katie Lee - Guest speaker at Ashbourne 2025 Film Festival

Katie Lee Lynch

Screen Writer, Script Editor, Producer

Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky,
Small Town, Big Story

Katie Lee Lynch is a Screenwriter and Script Editor, currently employed as Assistant Producer at Hot Cod Productions. She was Assistant Script Editor on the first season of the Sky Series, “Small Town, Big Story” and is currently working in script development.

Katie produced the short film “Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky” directed by Aisha Bolaji, which had its Irish premiere at Galway Film Fleadh 2024 and its international premiere at Aesthetica Film Festival 2024. It was nominated for Best Short Film at the Kinsale Shark Awards this year, and won the Best First Time Filmmaker Award at the 2025 Catalyst Film Festival.

Her writing is character-first comedy with an elevated, contemporary Irish sensibility.

Tom Shrapnel

Tom Shrapnel

Film & TV Director / Writer

Born in the UK Tom is an award winning writer and director of several short films including ‘The Knackerman’ and ‘Strange Weather’ starring Maxine Peake for Creative England and BFI. He has been mentored by directors Ben Wheatley and Hong Khaou and was also one of the applicants selected for the C4 new writers mentoring scheme.

Natasa Paulberg is an award-winning Australian/Irish composer with compositions for the concert hall, television, film, advertising and gaming.

Brighid Breathnach

Television Producer

Brighid Breathnach is a Commissioning Editor for TG4 and is Executive Producer on a varied slate of multi-platform programming on behalf of the broadcaster.

Bob Corkery

TV & Film Director

Bob Corkery started working in film production beginning in London, and later in RTÉ in Dublin and has enjoyed a long career in Broadcast TV Film Production, TV Programme series and Independent documentary projects.

Festival Schedule 2023

5pm - 6:15pm

Short film screenings. These will be followed by a Q & A session with the film makers/composers

6:30pm - 7pm

Launching of a short film competition for Ashbourne Film Festival 2024 presented by RTÉ producer Brighid Breathnach and TV & Film Director Bob Corkey

7pm - 7:30pm

Live film music played by The Dublin String Quartet. Refreshments available!

7:30pm - 8pm

Special Guest speaker Natasa Paulberg gives us an insight into her career as a composer for screen and the music of Ennio Morricone.

8pm - Late

Screening of the classic film ‘Cinema Paradiso’

Note: Our schedule is subject to change as new announcements are made.

short film screenings 2025

Along with a selection of winning entries for our 2025 Competition we will also be screening the following award-winning short films.

Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky

Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky

Directed By Aisha Bolaji
Written by Aisha Bolaji
Produced by Katie Lee Lynch

Starring : Brid Brennan and Gabriel Adewusi

Having just arrived in Ireland, Isaac is part of the rapidly growing homeless population. One day, while charging his phone in a coffee shop, he meets an elderly blind woman. After forgetting her bag in the cafe, Isaac returns it to her. Once inside her home and in desperate need of a place to stay, Isaac sneaks upstairs and begins to live there, unbeknownst to Victoria. This leads to a series of unknown interactions in which Isaac works to stay hidden from a woman who experiences the world through sound. Eventually, a strange bond develops between the two.

Strange Weather by Tom Shrapnel

STRANGE WEATHER

by Tom Shrapnel

Starring : Lex Shrapnel, Maxine Peake, Matti Houghton

Two strangers witness a mysterious natural phenomenon that reawakens their senses and draws their lives together.

The Pageturner

The Pageturner

by Siúbhán Ní Ghríofa

Starring : Iarla McGowan , Seamas Griffin, John Palmer, Siúbhán Ni Ghríofa

A local of Ashbourne Siúbhán is a violinist in the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
A lover of films and in particular film music she wrote and directed her first short film ‘The Pageturner’ along with writing the films score.
The main theme for the film was recorded by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra with trumpet soloist Will Palmer (Brass Warriors) and can be heard regularly on RTÉ Lyric fm.
Since the film’s premier last year at the Ashbourne Film Festival the short has gone on to win several awards including : Brooklyn International Short Awards, LA Independent Women Film Awards, London Movie Awards, New York Movie Awards, Philadelphia International Filmmaker Awards: ‘Best Female Short Director’ ,Edinburgh Film Awards, Tokyo Shorts, Naples Film Awards, Frida Film Festival,8 & Halfilm Awards, Robinson Film Awards (International Film Festival).

RETURN TO SKYE

by Kurt Rosenberg

Kurt fell in love with the Isle of Skye, Scotland, during Spring Break from the University of Bath, some 45 years ago. He has returned to Skye several times since then – it keeps calling him back!  Kurt was a British History Major at University.  So, when he composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the Return to Skye song, Kurt always knew that it would be about a Scottish Clansman who fought at the Battle of Culloden, survived the melee, and fled to Skye to escape the pursuing British soldiers … just like Bonnie Prince Charlie did.  Once the song was finished, Kurt asked Tim Gorman to orchestrate it.  The WM Palmer Orchestra recorded the music in Dublin, Ireland and Jake Morgan conducted.  When the soundtrack was ready to go, Mallard Productions, Glasgow, Scotland produced the film.  Brent Rogers co-edited the film and Zach Stevens was a producer on the project.  The film was shot on location on the Isle of Skye and in the Culloden Battlefield’s ancient, thatched-roofed bothy.  Kurt thanks all involved for contributing to producing such a phenomenally lovely, cinematic, and poignant film.

The Knackerman by Tom Shrapnel

THE KNACKERMAN

by Tom Shrapnel

Starring : Donald Sumpter, Adam Long, Charlotte Luxford, Teresa Banham

An aging Knacker, responsible for the disposal of dying horses must face his own mortality,and in doing so entrust responsibility to the next generation.

location

VUE Cinema
Ashbourne Retail Park,
Rath, Ashbourne, Co. Meath
Eircode: A84 YX83

2025 Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities

Promote your brand with a unique
Movie Premier Cinematic Experience

As a way of making Ashbourne Film Festival a more inclusive event across the wider community, we’re now offering sponsorship and advertising opportunites to local businesses and organisations looking to enhance their visibility and connect with a diverse audience. This event promises unparalleled exposure in a cinema setting, making it the perfect opportunity for your brand to shine.

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