Last month, the National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama hosted its third annual Short Film Exchange as part of the Galway Film Fair at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh, marking the initiative’s biggest year to date.
Created to bring emerging writers and producers together, the Short Film Exchange provides a dedicated space for filmmakers to meet, pitch projects, exchange ideas and explore potential new creative partnerships.
This year, 12 writers and 12 producers were selected to take part, coming together for a series of focused one-to-one meetings before continuing conversations and building connections throughout the Galway Film Fleadh.
Meet the 2026 Short Film Exchange Participants
Writers:
- Aidan Gibson - Bliss
- Aidan Greene - Find Your Voice
- Ali Hardiman - Importance
- Amy Tierney - Oh Little Birdie
- Andrea Ferran - The Zero Sum
- Barry O'Connor – Landing Lights
- Éamonn Ó Fátharta - Idir An Dá Linn
- Gillian Grattan & Maura Foley – Finding Fungie
- Lola Le Guan – Hide And Seek
- Matthew Tallon - One Of Those Days
- Sarah McClukey - I Think We’re Gonna Be Okay
- Zoë Nolan - The Dancehall Act
Producers:
- Adam Rael – Cassette Vision Ltd.
- Anton Ivinskyi – Even Sky Films
- David Butler – Anithing Productions
- Eamonn Keane – Red Hopper Films
- Fiona Ashe – Flasheforward Films
- Flavia Pordominsky – IRIT Productions
- Hillary Dziminski – Wavewalker Films
- Liam Walshe
- Mark Coffey – Hot Coffey Productions
- Niall McCloskey – Standing Stone Pictures
- Peter D Keating – Wan In The Chamber
- Richard Keane – Out Left Productions
New Development Bursaries for 2026
New for 2026, the National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama introduced a Short Film Exchange Development Bursary, creating an additional opportunity for partnerships formed through the Exchange to continue developing their projects beyond the Fleadh.
Writers and producers who connected through the Exchange were invited to apply together for a bursary to support the next stage of development of their short film project.
The 2026 bursary recipients are:
- Sarah McCluskey & Richard Keane, I Think We're Gonna Be Okay
- Eamonn Ó Fáthartha & Niall McCloskey, Idir an Dá Linn
- Amy Tierney & Richard Keane, Oh Little Birdie
The bursaries are designed specifically to support further creative development, giving newly formed teams an opportunity to build on the initial connection made at the Exchange and take practical next steps together.
From the Short Film Exchange to the Big Screen
This year’s Galway Film Fleadh also provided an opportunity to celebrate what can grow from those first conversations.
Writer-director Seán Tracy first brought Save Me From Heaven to the Short Film Exchange in 2024, where he met producer Tom Hopkins of SeeOne Originals. Their initial meeting developed into a creative partnership, with Tom subsequently coming on board to produce the project. Just two years later, the completed short returned to Galway to screen as part of the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh.
Reflecting on that full-circle moment, Seán said:
“I submitted Save Me From Heaven to the Short Film Exchange in 2024, and it was the first time I had officially submitted the script anywhere, so being selected felt like a real stamp of approval.
“The Exchange was intense but massively rewarding, and a huge step forward for me in building confidence as a writer-director. Pitching is such a core part of this career, yet opportunities to do it in an environment where there is a real possibility of something developing are rare.
“I met Tom Hopkins through the Exchange, and his enthusiasm for the project ultimately led to him coming on board as producer. Suddenly, I wasn’t developing the film alone. I had someone with the experience to help me navigate the practical realities of getting an ambitious short made, from budgets and logistics to contracts.
“Three months after the Fleadh, we successfully crowdfunded €15,000 and two months later went into production. Then, in a lovely full-circle moment, Save Me From Heaven was selected for the Galway Film Fleadh in 2026. For me, that is a tangible example of the value of the Short Film Exchange — it creates a genuine opportunity for writers to get their work in front of people who can make all the difference in getting a project made.”
The journey from an initial pitch at the Short Film Exchange to a completed film screening at the Galway Film Fleadh demonstrates the value of creating dedicated spaces for short film development and creative matchmaking.
By bringing writers and producers together at an early stage and providing a space where those relationships can continue beyond the initial meeting, the Short Film Exchange aims to create tangible pathways towards new collaborations, projects and filmmaking partnerships.
The National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama would like to thank all of the writers and producers who took part in this year’s Exchange, as well as the Galway Film Fair and Galway Film Fleadh for their continued collaboration.
We look forward to returning to the Galway Film Fleadh in 2027 — and to seeing where this year’s new partnerships lead.
The National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama is an initiative of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, managed by Ardán.