Search
25 Nov 2025
Search
25 Nov 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Isabelle McCarthy played the role of Cait in CALF
THE FIRST international edition of HollyShorts, LA's renowned short film festival, took place in London earlier this month, and Limerick was well represented.
The Oscar-longlisted short film CALF won the festival's top prize.
Directed by Jamie O'Rourke, CALF took home the Best Short Film Grand Prize, presented by Panavision.
The film was shot in Kildimo and produced by Raheen-based filmmaker Ronan Cassidy, who won an Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) for CALF alongside fellow filmmaker Gregory Burrowes, from Parteen, making Limerick central to the production of the film.
Set in the Irish countryside, this gut-wrenching short follows a “sinister farm accident” unravelling on a farm, leaving young Cait with a “tough decision to make”.
“CALF touches on its central theme of domestic abuse in a sensitive manner and is a poignant exploration of shock, grief and trauma that delivers much-deserved catharsis,” the production team explained. “It poses tough questions for the audience. But there are never easy answers when a family is in the grip of abuse.”
READ MORE: PICTURES: Proud Rathkeale is 'open for business' this Christmas
The role of Cait is played by up-and-coming Irish actress Isabelle Connolly, who won Best Actor in a Female Role at the Richard Harris International Film Festival for her performance.
HollyShorts London also honoured An Irish Goodbye Oscar® winners Tom Berkeley and Ross White, presenting them with the festivals Honoree Award.
The festival presented a special Trailblazer Award to actor James Martin, whose pivotal role in An Irish Goodbye led to him being the first star with Down Syndrome to win at the Academy Awards.
This LA-based event takes place annually at venues including the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, attracting filmmakers, actors and industry professionals from around the world.
It is an Oscar-qualifying and BAFTA-qualifying short film festival.
The first international edition of HollyShorts ran from Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8 at London's Curzon Soho cinema.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
