FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

IFTA AWARDS 2026

Christy

Two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods in the care system suddenly find themselves living under the same roof. They must now reconcile with their pasts and make decisions about the future.

Director: Brendan Canty
Writer: Alan O'Gorman
Producers: Marina Brackenbury, Meredith Duff, Rory Gilmartin

Filmmaker Q&A

Q: What was the genesis of this film, and how did it evolve over the course of development to production and completion?

Brendan Canty (Director): “The genesis goes all the way back to 2010, when I got chatting to a teenager around a bonfire in Knocknaheeny. He thought it was cool that I was a filmmaker and said “I’d love to do something like that.” “Why don’t you?” I asked. “Na boy,” he said, with a look that basically meant “you’ve no idea what it’s like up here.” I was floored by the lack of confidence behind that answer, and it opened my eyes to how deeply that feeling ran for a lot of young people in the area. Alan and myself made a short based on that idea in 2019, about how your community can give you confidence. During that process we discovered The Kabin Studios, and they ended up inspiring everything that followed. Working with those real young people and their stories became the heartbeat of the feature.

Using that short as our calling card, and with The Kabin community as our north star, we were able to convince the right people to help us make this film. Over the years that followed, we worked with so many amazing collaborators on the script and the production, each one elevating the story and bringing it to the level it’s at now."

Alan O'Gorman (Writer): "Brendan came to me many years ago with the idea of shooting a film in Knocknaheeny based around Bonfire Night, capturing the graft of the younger children juxtaposed with the insecurity of the older teens who are entering adulthood and no longer build the bonfires. We wanted to write a film about a young fella set in Cork city and we drew on lots of lads we grew up around. I was also working in a secondary school at the time and many of the kids I worked with were in the care system or in kinship care (living with relatives). That informed the decision to have Christy living with his brother. We made a short film and then began developing it into a feature. The story became more and more about the care system but we always wanted to make it about the wider community too so a lot of the development process was crafting a film where both narratives could coexist."

Q: What did you feel was the most fulfilling element of working on this film? 

Brendan: “The most fulfilling part for me was seeing how much the project came to mean to the people working on it. What started as a script that Alan and myself had been shaping for years grew into something that genuinely belonged to a whole community. Watching it come to life, and then seeing the cast and crew take such pride and ownership in it when it was finally released, was incredibly moving. It was honestly one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had as a filmmaker.”

Daniel Power (Lead Actor): “The most fulfilling element of this film for me was being able to show the truth about what foster kids go threw in foster homes how they cope being put from home to home and to show the feelings and emotions they go threw throughout the process.”
 

Emma Willis (Actor): “Getting to work back in my home city was so fulfilling for me as an actor. Living in London at the time and missing home, it felt perfect to be part of a film that captured the true essence of the city and its people. Christy was such a love letter to Cork and to everyone in it. I’m genuinely so proud of the film, and I think everyone who worked on Christy, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, had such a grá for Cork  and you can feel that when you watch it."

Alan: "Working with first-time actors, young people, and being so embedded in the northside of Cork city. It felt like a big family working together and we've made friendships that will last a lifetime."

Q: To what extent was your on-screen talent vital to the success of the film?      

Brendan: “The on-screen talent were absolutely vital to the film’s success. They brought an authenticity, heart and soul that just explodes off the screen. Beyond their incredible performances, they were also instrumental in helping us shape and develop the film itself. Their lived experience, ideas and honesty fed directly into the script and the world of the story. The film simply wouldn’t exist without them.”

Alan: “My favourite thing about the film is the cast. We had a great mix of more experienced and newer actors and everyone gelled so well, from Kabin Crew kids to Limerick rappers to the likes of Alison Oliver and Helen Behan. I'm so happy with how the ensemble cast worked out. Everyone brought so much depth to their character even if their screen time was short.”
 

Q: What does it mean to have your work acknowledged by your peers in the Irish film community and showcased at the IFTA Awards?

Brendan: “It truly means the world. We've been working on this film for so long and poured so much of ourselves into it, so to see it resonate with our peers, the wider film community and audiences across Ireland has been magic. It's also incredibly special that this acknowledgement shines a light on the amazing community of first-time actors and emerging talent who helped make the film what it is. I really hope it becomes a springboard for them to go on and do incredible things.”

Emma: “Being acknowledged by the IFTAs means so much to me as a performer. I have been very fortunate to play some funny, mad, brilliant characters throughout my career, but having this film and the character of Stacey recognised feels especially meaningful and personal. Stacey is such a strong woman who tries to hold her family together and encourage the men in her life to open up and just feel!. She represents all the amazing Irish women I am fortunate enough to know. Getting to play her and to be acknowledged by the IFTAs for it feels incredibly special.”

Alan: “I always wanted to make films for Irish people first and foremost. I grew up being influenced by Irish film so to feel like a part of the Irish filmmaking community means more to me than anything else. 

Daniel: "It means the absolute world to have my peers recognise this film and have it shown at the ifta me and the whole team have been working on this film for a long time and have put so much work into it it great to see it get the viewing it deserves.”