FilmOffaly's Short Film Award for 2025 is launched

FilmOffaly has launched its annual Short Film Award competition for 2025.

Since 2008 FilmOffaly, Offaly County Council's Film Commission, has offered a bursary and mentorship to writers and filmmakers with unique stories to tell. The award is looking for screenplays of short films from any genre, style, topic or perspective – the chief rule being that the final film must be 100% shot in Offaly.

This year’s award will offer €12,000 towards the production and shooting of one successful script. In addition, shortlisted entries will all receive script mentoring to develop their work.

The Short Film Award was one of the first such awards in the country. Since then, it has fostered creative filmmaking in the county, utilising Offaly’s many locations, crew and local businesses. Over the years the award has commissioned 16 films with over 80 shortlisted entries receiving support to develop their scripts.

The first award was made in 2008 to Domhnall Gleeson for the short film Noreen, which started Brendan and Brian Gleeson. Noreen and many of the subsequent award winners have gone on to receive accolades and screenings at several international film festivals.

FIlmOffaly’s Darren Lee, says: “We recently screened a selection of award winners at the Esker Arts Centre. It was wonderful to be there with the audience and to see them being swept away by the diverse storytelling this award has been able to bring to the screen. By nurturing filmmakers and working with local talent and businesses, we have managed to achieve a great deal so far. We are especially excited to see what this year brings.”

Applications are now open and run until noon on March 17.

Further information is available on FilmOffaly.ie. Film Offaly is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027.