Dublin film festival Aer Lingus Discovery Award

by Kim Mullahey · Published March 11, 2021 · Updated January 13, 2023

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‘DEADLY Cuts’ Director Rachel Carey has won the Aer Lingus sponsored Discovery Award for her work as an emerging filmmaker.

The annual awards, presented on the closing night of the Virgin Media International Film Festival on 10 March that took place entirely online identified the film’s photography director Burschi Wojnar, Irish actress Hazel Doupe (Float Like a Butterfly) and costume designer Saileóg O’Halloran.

Emerging film director Rachel Carey

“I am so grateful and honoured to have my work recognised by VMDIFF and the Discovery Award judging panel,” said Rachel Carey when she was presented with the award. “It is a welcome boost in pandemic times and a huge encouragement for my next projects.”

Young Irish actress Hazel Doupe

The Best Irish Short film award at this year’s festival was presented to Radii Animation for ‘Her Song’ based on the harrowing history of an Irish Mother and Baby Home as told in an animated tale surrounding the mythological Irish Banshee. The award has been named in memory of VMDIFF board member Sue Bruce-Smith.

“I will miss her dearly,” said festival director Grainne Humphries shortly after the death of Sue Bruce-Smith last May. “Sue was one of the warmest, most loved people in the international film industry and always great fun.”

The late Sue Bruce-Smith

Acclaimed actor Stanley Tucci, who opened this year’s festival with ‘Supernova’ presented co-star Colin Firth with the VMDIFF Volta Award for his contribution to the world of film. The Academy Award-winning actor is a veteran of film, television and theatre, and the award is named for Dublin’s first cinema, the Volta Picture Theatre established by renowned Irish author James Joyce in 1905.

A scene from the animated short film, ‘Her Song’

Discovery Award special mentions named Eva Birthistle’s ‘Kathleen was Here’. The Best International Short Film was ‘Anita’ (Sushma Khadepaun) with special mentions to ‘Omé (Wassim Geagea) and ‘I am afraid to forget your face’ (Sameh Alaa).