Cork director Brendan Canty 'floored' by top prize at Galway Film Fleadh for feature debut Christy
Written by Alan O'Gorman, Christy stars newcomer Danny Power (The Young Offenders) alongside Diarmuid Noyes (Pure Mule: The Last Weeken d, Five Minutes of Heaven).
The film follows troubled teenager Christy (Power) after he is thrown out of his foster home and moves in with his estranged brother Shane (Noyes) and his young family on Cork's northside.
Watch: The trailer for Christy
Christy opens in cinemas on 29 August.
"I always knew the home screening would be something special, but I wasn't prepared for just how powerful it would be," Cork director Canty told RTÉ Entertainment after his feature debut's Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh earlier this month.
"It was honestly one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. To then go on and win - that was the cherry on top."
"Even before the screening, during our panel talk, I could feel it - the audience were really hanging on our every word," he continued.
"There was such a buzz in the room. And when the film played, the atmosphere was full of warmth and genuine love. You could sense that people were rooting for it, and that kind of support really floored me."
Christy 's cast includes Emma Willis (Vikings, The Young Offenders, Dating Amber), Alison Oliver (Saltburn, Conversations with Friends), Chris Walley (Bodkin, The Young Offenders), and Helen Behan (The Virtues, This Is England '90).
The film also features members of The Kabin Studio, a Cork-based community arts collective known for its work in hip-hop and spoken word, and whose Kabin Crew enjoyed a viral hit last summer with The Spark, recorded in collaboration with Lisdoonvarna Crew.
The Dublin-based Sleeper Films is among the producers of Christy, which has been funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and BBC Film.
Earlier this year, Christy won the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Now, director Canty is relishing an Irish cinema release after his debut's success at the Galway Film Fleadh.
"I've always believed in this film - the community behind it, the heart that went into it - but seeing how it connected with an Irish audience has made me even more sure," he said.
"It's a deeply Irish film, full of hope, humour, and heart. I think it'll really land with people when it hits cinemas."
The Galway Film Fleadh winners in full:
Best Irish Film: Christy
Best Irish First Feature: Horseshoe
Best Irish Feature Documentary: Sanatorium
Best International Short Animation: Luz Diabla
Joe McMahon Award for Best International Short Drama/Fiction: Heat Me
Best International Short Documentary: The Miracle of Life and We Were the Scenery (joint winners)
Best First Short Animation: One Track Mind
James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama: Internal Bleeding
Best Cinematography in a Short Film: The Axe Forgets
Peripheral Visions Award: Vitrival - The Most Beautiful Village in the World
Generation Jury Award: Where the Wind Comes From
Best International Feature Film: Dragonfly
Best International Documentary: Gerry Adams - A Ballymurphy Man
Best International Independent Film: Adult Children
Best Cinematography in an Irish Film: Listen to the Land Speak
Best Documentary Project: John Lennon's Island
Audience Design Award: Beneath the Surface
Best Marketplace Project: Ten Mickeys
Pitching Award: The Body + Blood
Bingham Ray New Talent Award: Jessica Reynolds
Best Irish-Language Feature Film: Báite
James Horgan Award for Best Animation Short: Éiru
Best Independent Irish Film: Solitary and Girls and Boys (joint winners)
Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama: Three Keenings
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