Earlier this year, NTA Film & TV Drama announced an exciting collaboration with The GALPAL Collective to launch the 2024 WRITERS CLUB.

With a shared ethos to support storytellers and creatives, particularly those from marginalised and underrepresented backgrounds, this innovative programme aims to guide writers as they take their first steps into the film industry. The WRITERS CLUB offers a series of informative sessions, peer-to-peer feedback, writing exercises, and industry guest-led workshops, all while fostering a supportive community for new and emerging writers.

The WRITERS CLUB, led by The GALPAL Collective, invited applicants to submit a short film project that they would like to develop and work on throughout the duration of the club. After receiving an overwhelming number of applications, we are excited to reveal that this year's club will feature four writer groups, comprising a club of over 25 talented new and emerging writers.

Each of the four groups will be facilitated by a skilled writer to support the participants during their time on the programme. We are delighted to announce this year's facilitators:

  • EMER HUSSEY is a development assistant working for Samson Films, a leading Irish production company based in Dublin.  A graduate of TUD’s film and broadcasting programme, Emer predominantly focused on writing and directing throughout her time in university. Her graduate short film ‘Knick Knack’ screened in multiple Irish festivals and won Best Student Short at the Richard Harris International Film Festival. Having written with The GALPAL Collective previously, Emer was delighted to facilitate a group through the exciting inaugural round of Writer’s Club in 2023 and found the experience of sharing, developing, and exchanging ideas with up-and-coming writers invaluable. She is excited to continue this journey in this year’s iteration of the project.

 

  • IAN FALLON is a director, screenwriter and editor from Kildare. Majoring in directing at the National Film School at IADT, Ian is interested in telling compelling psychological stories about complicated male sexuality. He was most recently selected as a starGAZE participant, in collaboration with National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama, The Dean Arts Studio and Press Up Hospitality Group, selected filmmakers receive year long mentorship and attend a bespoke Lab day at the GAZE film festival. His psycho-sexual graduate film 'AMŒBA' has so far screened at the Oscar qualifying Cork International Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival as well as international festivals. His short documentary 'POULAPHOUCA' also premiered at the 67th Cork International Film Festival and won the Best Irish Documentary at the 2023 Story International Student Documentary Festival. Also in 2023, Ian won the Youth Music Video Competition for his music video for 'NIGHTMARES' by Paddy Hanna. 

 

  • KATIE LEE LYNCH is a screenwriter and script editor. She is an Assistant Script Editor on Sky’s upcoming series, Small Town, Big Story, and she has worked in Script Development with MPCA. In 2023, she was the Assistant Script Coordinator on the.Hallmark film, A Merry Scottish Christmas, and Katie has worked as an assistant Script Supervisor on Vikings: Valhalla, Bodkin, Northern Lights, and Cult Killer. In 2024, Katie was selected to take part in the X-Pollinator programme as a writer. She has written shorts and features, and is currently working on a pilot screenplay. Most of her writing work leans towards comedy. Katie was a participant in the pilot of the Writer's Club and is excited to apply that experience to the facilitator role. 

 

  • LUCILLE CAROLAN is a writer, director and script supervisor from Cavan. She majored in screenwriting and minored in documentary at the National Film School in IADT. Lucille completed full script supervising training under Nancy Kaimowitz and now works as a Production Assistant at Motherland and a Trainee Producer at Ard Mhacha Productions. Her most recent script ‘Skirmish’ was produced as a NFS graduate film and was selected for the best short screenplay category in Waterford International Film Festival and KIFF. Her short documentary ‘Clear Round’ was selected by Kerry International Film Festival and Richard Harris International Film Festival. Her most recent short documentary , ‘Anatomy of an Irish Disco’ is currently in post-production. Lucille loves to tell character-focused drama/comedies, always aiming to bring a fun, fresh perspective to her work.

 

The wider WRITERS CLUB is curated by Aisha Bolaji and Ashley Chadamoyo Makombe, founding members of The GALPAL Collective. 

The selected writers will be announced on social media ahead of the first in-person event on August 16th. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to embark on this creative journey with the next generation of writers.

For more information, please contact: eibh.collins@nationaltalentacademies.ie 


The National Talent Academy for Film and TV Drama is an initiative of Screen Ireland managed by Ardán