FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

IFTA AWARDS 2026

Ready Or Not

Dublin 1998, teenagers are all attitude, high ponies, low-waist jeans and everyone is talking about sex. The summer brings Katie and her friends to places they did not expect when they push the boundaries of their circle and try on a maturity they are not ready for. A bursting coming-of-age story with a twist, rooted in deep friendships they hope can stand the test of huge change.

Director: Claire Frances Byrne
Writer: Lynn Ruane
Producers: Ruth Coady

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?

“The team came together as Director Claire Frances Byrne was looking for a script that would be her debut feature film, and as a fan of Lynn’s book approached her about writing for screen which luckily was something she was already doing. Producer Ruth Coady was looking for new female voices to champion and throw her experience behind and when all three came together in 2020 it clicked! From a writing perspective, the film’s origin mirrors the very issues it explores. It emerged from the interplay of power, love, and loyalty that shape so many of our lived experiences. Lynn Ruane wrote from a place of deep personal understanding, and her words were further strengthened and brought to life through collaboration with Ruth and Claire.
Placing love and humour at the centre of a complex and often painful situation was no easy task, particularly in a landscape where audiences frequently seek clear wrongdoing and someone to blame. Throughout development, maintaining the story through the POV of young people proved essential. It shifted the focus away from blaming them for circumstances shaped by a society that continues to socialise genders into restrictive and harmful roles.
What appears on screen is an honest and nuanced insight into growing up. It resonates with many. While scenes, characters, and dialogue evolved from the first draft to the final cut, the film’s core values and underlying power dynamics remained constant, and if anything, grew more profound."

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

"From the outset, Lynn was clear, and we were fully aligned, that this film would only work if it created genuine opportunities within the communities that inspired it. From day one, we committed to honouring the script's authenticity by casting exclusively from Dublin’s working-class communities. We never wavered from that promise. What could have seemed like a constraint opened up an entire world of extraordinary young talent. What sat alongside the talent was a community that is itself a character of the film, Bluebell. Aside from its position with the film, the people of Bluebell themselves invested in the film and the film in them, by ensuring that local people had paid opportunities to work as part of the crew and that the local services were fully utilised and part of the production. 
By hosting accessible workshops and creating spaces where the right young people felt comfortable exploring screen acting, we found our ensemble. Discovering Ruby, Alex, Molly, Lewis, and Alicia was the first piece of the puzzle. Watching them step into their characters and breathe life into every line was like witnessing lightning in a bottle. That has been the most fulfilling part for all of us, the cast, the crew, and everyone who believed in this story. It’s a demanding script for any young performer, yet each of them rose far beyond what we could have imagined."

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

"To capture the nuance of Lynn's writing it was vital to have a lead like Ruby who could carry all that complexity in her performance. In every scene we unpack layers of Irishness and complicated gender roles and not only did Ruby carry all of that with her, but she also brought a fresh perspective to each scene. Director Claire found herself discovering new layers to Katie and her experience through watching Ruby on set and later in the edit. Like the heartbreak of realising her friendship with Steo had changed permanently and how over the course of one short summer she had to re-learn everything she knew about what it meant to be a girl. Another vital element of the film was nailing the dialect and turn of phrase of not only working-class Dublin but of the specific era of the 90's. The ensemble stepped into that seamlessly because the characters on the page reflected their own real lived experiences.
Nailing the humour and charm was just as important as the tougher themes and undercurrents of the film, this is where our secret weapon Molly Byrne who plays Danni came into her own. In every screening we have had for Ready or Not the moments where she gets to bring comedy to a scene, always brings the house down with laughter and that's just the best feeling. Alex Grendon who took to acting for the first time in Ready or Not also deserves credit for the film's success because of how he grounds the entire thing in such a youthful gaze. While Katie is rediscovering her new set of rules as a girl, Steo is thrown into the deep end as a boy, surrounded by a culture where sex and girls are things to possess and conquer and a failure to live up to that culture meant your own masculinity was in question. Watching this play out through Alex's subtle and delicate performance helps audiences remember how young these changes occur in our lives and how ill-equipped we are to deal with them."

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

"It is a huge achievement and we’re so proud. Of course, it’s also a nerve-wracking moment. The team has poured so much into getting the film to this point, and you hope it will be received not only as a piece of art but as a story with real emotional impact. One thing the three of us always want to highlight is the cast. Young working-class actors can tell any story they choose. Their talent carries not only emotional depth but a kind of honesty that brings both light and shadow to every character. We want the work to be acknowledged, but what excites us most is the future these actors have ahead of them. Ireland is bursting with creativity, and they are very much a part of that.

Lynn once spoke about asking Santa for a typewriter because she wanted to be a writer, so seeing her work brought to the screen by people she trusts and delivered with such care and creativity by Claire and the cast is a memory and achievement that will stay with her as a working-class writer.

As a nation of creatives and storytellers I think we're always looking to push boundaries and uncover new sides of Irish life not yet explored on screen. We are really proud to be a part of this industry, and we are committed to pushing those boundaries and adding new voices to the conversation. To be showcased and considered for the prestigious IFTA awards with this labour of love is nothing short of a dream come true."