Festival Docs Podcast

Gays Against Guns - AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER + SPECIAL JURY MENTION - DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALGays Against Guns takes us to the front lines of the American gun violence epidemic, seen through the eyes of an Irish immigrant, who left Ireland when it was illegal to be gay in search of the ‘Gay American Dream’. But political sands shifted and this dream quickly unraveled. The Pulse nightclub massacre changed everything. With 49 people murdered, it was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. at that time. It was also the catalyst for the formation of an extraordinary new activist group - Gays Against Guns - who have been fighting for gun reform ever since. We follow our narrator, the filmmaker, from neon splashed street protests into the corridors of power, as he documents GAG’s actions over a ten year period, from that fateful night in Orlando, through the chaos of today’s unhinged, divided America. The film blends the narrator’s personal reflections with fearless, outrageous, often hilarious political theatrics. GAG adopts the tactics of civil disobedience and direct action, forged during the AIDS crisis and fight for Marriage Equality, to give gun toters and puppet politicians a serious run for their money. Between all the action - wildly colourful protests and glittering drag - we hear survivors’ stories. Kit, who lost her beloved daughter Bailey, a Black transgender teen, to gun violence. Antonius, an Asian American artist who channels the trauma of his shooting into fierce activism. The film takes us on an emotional rollercoaster, combining deeply moving scenes with moments of levity. Legendary filmmaker John Waters even chimes in with his notoriously sharp wit.An inspiring David and Goliath story for our turbulent times, the film is a testament to resilience, community, and the power of caring for a perfect stranger.Produced with support from Screen Ireland.Paul Rowley Paul Rowley is an Irish filmmaker and visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York. For over twenty years he has been making work that combines elements of documentary, video art, and fiction into immersive and often politically engaged films. His work has screened at the Centre Pompidou, Berlin Film Festival, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Irish Film Institute, SXSW and many film festivals internationally. Past feature documentaries include SEAVIEW, a film made in collaboration with asylum seekers in the former Butlin’s holiday camp in Mosney, Ireland, and THE RED TREE which tells the little known story of Mussolini’s prison island for gay men. He has twice been nominated for Irish Films and Television Awards and was recipient of the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Glen Dimplex Award. His 2022 film GAYS AGAINST GUNS follows a radical direct action group of LGBTQ+ activists as they work to end the American gun violence epidemic. 

Manhood From Director Daniel Lombroso (“White Noise”), MANHOOD follows Dallas entrepreneur Bill Moore as he attempts to make penis enlargement as commonplace as Botox. Along the way, an OnlyFans star and a father of five put their bodies—and their insecurities—on the line. Blending dark humor with unexpected empathy, MANHOOD examines shame, addiction, and the fragile myths of American masculinity.Daniel Lombroso Director Daniel Lombroso spent eight years building the Oscar-nominated video departments at The New Yorker and The Atlantic before launching his own premium documentary studio in 2025. His debut feature, WHITE NOISE, based on his four years reporting inside the white power movement, premiered in 2020 to critical acclaim. It was named one of the year's top documentaries by Vox and The Boston Globe, and one of the 25 films that explain America by The Guardian. His short, NINA & IRENA, Executive Produced by Errol Morris, was one of the most decorated shorts of 2023. Lombroso’s work has premiered at Sundance, SXSW, TIFF, and has been recognized with eight Vimeo Staff Picks, two National Magazine Award nominations, two Livingston Award nominations, an IDA nomination, a Critics Choice nomination, an Emmy nomination, and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. MANHOOD is his second feature-length film.

Photo Credit - Andrew CornagaFrom acclaimed Irish filmmaker Gavin Fitzgerald (Conor McGregor: Notorious), witness an intimate portrait of a once in-a-generation athlete, “The Big Fella”, Jonah Lomu. An explosive, formidable athlete, Jonah quickly became a sporting legend, holding the record for the most tries scored in Rugby World Cup history. But despite his gentle giant persona, his life was marred by tragedy, often forcing him to battle adversity and confront his inner demons as the public watched on.Gavin FitzgeraldBorn and bred in Dublin City, Gavin FitzGerald is an award winning director whose documentaries have featured on Netflix, BBC studios and international film festivals such as HotDocs. Early in his career, he gained a reputation for making high profile celebrity biographies, including the Netflix titles, CONOR MCGREGOR: NOTORIOUS (2017, Universal Pictures) and LIAM GALLAGHER: AS IT WAS (2019, Warner Music). Since then, he has directed an IFTA nominated film, MILLION DOLLAR PIGEONS (2022, Dogwoof), a four part docu-series for the BBC, STABLE: THE BOXING GAME (2024, Lorton Entertainment), and multi-award winning short films. Upcoming projects include LOMU (Dogwoof, NZ Film Comission, UK Global Screen Fund) and SOUL OF THE SEA (Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán & TG4)

📣 Attention documentary filmmakers & storytellers!There’s an amazing opportunity you don’t want to miss: the partnership between Nonfiction Hotlist and Yahoo Media Group is currently accepting short documentary submissions — but the deadline closes Friday, March 6! 🎬💥 This initiative will hand-pick 20 short docs for global distribution and fair compensation, giving your work exposure across major Yahoo platforms and reaching audiences that other outlets just can’t match. 👉 Films must be 10–40 minutes, completed between Jan 2023 and March 2026, and fit one of six vibrant categories ranging from Sports to Culture & Arts. ⏳ Time’s running out — get your submission in before Friday!And while you’re here, be sure to check out our special Podcast Festival Docs episode with the founders of Nonfiction Hotlist, Adam and Isis — where we dive deep on the future of nonfiction storytelling and what this opportunity means for creators like you.🎧 Listen before the episode expires Friday as well!#Documentary #NonfictionHotlist #Yahoo #Docs #PodcastFestivalDocs #SubmitNow

The Golden Spurtle The Golden Spurtle is a 2025 English-language documentary about the annual World Porridge Making Championships in Carrbridge, Scotland. Directed by Constantine Costi, it follows a cast of eccentric competitors and locals as they prepare for the contest, which also serves as the farewell for beloved organizer Charlie Miller. The film is described as a heartwarming and humorous look at a beloved tradition, community, and passion for the simple dish of porridge. Constantine Costi Constantine Costi is a Greek-Cypriot / Australian director and writer whose work spans opera, film, and theatre. He grew up in Sydney, immersed in his family’s seafood business, but his real passion developed early when, as a teenager, he discovered opera — a vinyl recording of Pelléas et Mélisande changed his life.He trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and earned a Bachelor in Communications (Media Arts and Production) from the University of Technology Sydney. Over the years he has directed many major opera productions, including La Traviata on Sydney Harbour, Pierrot Lunaire, and Il Tabarro, as well as avant-garde and immersive works. In film, his most notable work is the documentary The Golden Spurtle, which follows the World Porridge Making Championship in a small Scottish village.For this film, he spent time building real relationships in the village, aiming to portray not just the competition but the warmth, humor, and quirks of rural life.

Secret Mall ApartmentThe year is 2003. Eight Americans daringly challenge the newly built Providence Place shopping mall. In the documentary Secret Mall Apartment, produced by Jesse Eisenberg, a group of headstrong artists find a secret space in a bustling shopping mall. They decide to turn it into an apartment, and live there, undiscovered, for four years. What could possibly go wrong, right? Come find out…Jeremy Workman Jeremy Workman is an American documentary filmmaker and editor based in New York City, known for his intimate and character-driven portraits of artists, eccentrics, and outsiders. A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in English Literature, Workman has directed several acclaimed documentaries, including Magical Universe (2014), which explores the world of outsider artist Al Carbee; The World Before Your Feet (2018), following Matt Green’s mission to walk every street in New York City; and Lily Topples the World (2021), which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. In addition to his directing work, he serves as the Creative Director of Wheelhouse Creative, a boutique agency specializing in marketing and trailer editing for independent and documentary films. Workman is also an active lecturer and speaker on documentary storytelling and film editing.Instagram (@secretmallapartment) or our website (www.secretmallapartment.com)

 CUBA & ALASKATwo female medics in Ukraine's army, whose lives are captured via phone and body cam footage, navigate the chaos of war with bravery, humour and friendship.Codenamed Cuba and Alaska, two field medics serving on the frontlines of the Ukrainian conflict regard the absurdity of war with a combination of grit, humour and hope. Mostly comprising footage from phones and GoPro cameras attached to their helmets and chests, the film offers rare access to the medics’ daily lives, their reliance on each other a testament to the camaraderie required to survive in this world. But when one of them is injured and they are separated, the realisation of how despairing the conflict can become gradually sinks in. A raw and powerful film, Cuba & Alaska is an essential reminder of the importance of human connection, especially at a time when hope in the direst of circumstances feels increasingly elusive.Content Guidance: Film contains scenes of war, bereavement and death.To further support the film and its protagonists, please click here.Yegor Troyanovsky Yegor Troyanovsky is a Ukrainian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He has professional experience in the audiovisual sector, working in film production, television programs, advertising, and music videos on Ukrainian and American TV.Since 2019, Troyanovsky has worked for American public broadcaster PBS and its flagship nightly newscast, NewsHour.He is the author and director of his first short documentary films, Rear(participated in the VI Odessa International Film Festival) and Aerodrome. His first full-length documentary film, Demon, participated in the XI Odessa International Film Festival in 2020 and received the FIPRESCI award for Best Film.Troyanovsky is also one of the creators of the critically-acclaimed historical documentary series Collapse: How Ukrainians Destroyed the Evil Empire (2021), award-winning short movie Anna (2019, premiered at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival), In Search of Skovoroda (2022), a documentary that presents the key theses of world-renowned philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda, among others.CUBA & ALASKA

Born That Way A documentary film about care. And love. And Patrick Lydon.In a small wooden house in County Kilkenny, Ireland, Patrick Lydon’s life is ebbing away. Throughout his final year he reflects on an extraordinary life that took him from a budding career in rock journalism in America to trailblazing, with his wife, Gladys, the development in Ireland of the radically inclusive Camphill Movement, sharing life in community with people of diverse needs and abilities.At a time when it couldn’t be more needed, Patrick’s story and his unique lens on the world exemplify a meaningful life lived to the full, and ask searching questions about ideas of community and inclusion and shine a special light on the otherness of others in our society.Éamon LittleEamon Little is a screenwriter, film-maker and radio documentary maker.His latest film Born That Way, a documentary on the life and work of social pioneer, Patrick Lydon, launches at the Dublin International Film Festival in February 2025.His recent adaptation of John McGahern's final novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun (co-scripted with director Pat Collins), has played in film festivals all over the world since its release in 2023 and won Best Film at the 2024 IFTAs.His other feature film documentaries include Living Colour (2011), Red Mist (2007 - adapted from Conor O'Callaghan’s eponymous book), and he co-directed An Domhnach in Éireann (2005). Short documentary films include Camphill - The Essence from Within (2009), Nimble Spaces - An Introduction (2013) and Nimble Spaces - Inclusive Neighbourhoods (2016). He has written and directed three short fiction films: quickfix (1996), Nobody Home (2002) and Neighbourhood Watch (2010) and has a number of feature film screenplays and documentary films in development.For radio he has made the documentaries A Backwards Glance at the Ballroom of Romance (RTÉ, 2012), All Those Names for the Mystery of Love (Lyric Feature, 2014), My Mind Was a Stranger (Newstalk, 2016) and his latest documentary, If the Stick Dances, a journey into the life of a violin bow, Lyric Feature, 2016), Out of the River and the Fields (Newstalk, 2018), Abhainn Dú (MidWest Radio, 2020) and No Ordinary Joe (Newstalk, 2020) – all of which can be heard here LittleVision Radio Works.

David Keenan - Words on Canvas | Focla Ar ChanbhásFour years after the breakthrough success of his debut album Beginner’s Guide to Bravery, Dundalk songwriter, musician, and composer, David Keenan, is at a crossroads. After touring extensively and building a reputation as one of Ireland’s leading live performers, he returns to the studio to record new music. “Anger is easy to portray, it’s the hurt that’s hard”, he says, as we explore David’s wordsmithing over the course of 500 days.This is a portrait of one artist as a young man, which in turn is a portrait of every musical artist as they endeavour to stand out in a world of “algorithm and blues”, and remain authentically and powerfully true to themselves.Ceithre bliana i ndiaidh dó a chéad albam Beginner’s Guide to Bravery a eisiúint, tá an t-amhránaí, ceoltóir agus cumadóir ó Dhún Dealgan, David Keenan, ag crosbhóthar. Tar éis dó camchuairt fhairsing a dhéanamh agus cáil a bhaint amach mar dhuine de na taibheoirí beo is spéisiúla in Éirinn, filleann sé anois ar an stiúideo chun ceol nua a thaifeadadh. “Is furasta fearg a léiriú, is é an ghortú atá deacair”, a deir sé, agus muid ag scagadh cumadóireacht David thar thréimhse 500 lá.Portráid í seo d’ealaíontóir amháin agus é ina fhear óg, ach is portráid í seo de chuile ealaíontóir ceoil agus iad ar a ndícheall seasamh amach in aghaidh na halgartam, agus fanacht dílis dóibh féin agus dá ngairm ar bhealach cumhachtach.David Keenan David Keenan wrote the ode to his hometown of Dundalk on the Irish border “El Paso” at 14. Self educated and guided by his grandfather’s storytelling gift songwriting has always been a full time vocation. After a number of self released EPs his first album “A Beginner's Guide to Bravery" (2020) reached number 1 in the Irish indie Charts and was followed by the critically acclaimed second "WHAT THEN?" a year later. Other works include live album/concert film "Alchemy & Prose” and the d.i.y “CRUDE” records. With a reputation as a uniquely poetic singer-songwriter/storyteller and relentless live performer he has toured consistently from a young age across Ireland, the UK, Europe, North America and Australia with events including two headline nights in Dublin's Olympia theatre, the main stage of Electric Picnic, appearances at Lowlands, SXSW, Sydney Fest, Folk Alliance, Eurosonic, Glastonbury and Celtic Connections, residencies in Paris and New York's Irish Arts Centres & a recent headline show in Ireland’s National Concert Hall.Paddy Hayes Paddy Hayes is one of Ireland's leading drama and documentary filmmakers based in Galway, on the West Coast of Ireland. His editorial line is simple - he makes documentaries that are dramatic, and dramas that have something to say.With 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Paddy Hayes is a leading Irish drama producer currently executive producing the second season of Hulu's Obituary, starring Siobhán Cullen and Máiréad Tyers.He initiated and produced the show's successful first season in 2023. Hayes also produced the award-winning feature film Foscadh, which represented Ireland in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2022 Academy Awards.His past drama credits include the teen comedy EIPIC and the IFTA award-winning Corp & Anam, starring Maria Doyle Kennedy, a series that earned significant acclaim on VoD platforms in the US and Europe. Hayes is the author of the non-fiction book Breakout, published by O’Brien Press.