A THRILLER shot on location in the north has been named Best Irish First Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Lie of the Land, by Derry director John Carlin, won the gong on Sunday as the 2023 Fleadh drew to a close.
With a cast including An Irish Goodbye star Paddy Jenkins, Nigel O’Neill and Belfast actress Ali White, the film is set on a mid-Ulster farm and tells the story of a couple seeking to escape crippling debt before engaging in a "deadly game of cat and mouse" with a mysterious stranger on their farmland over a tense 24-hour period.
The screenplay for the film was written by Tara Hegerty, and it was produced by Chris Patterson and Margaret McGoldrick.
The film was shot earlier this year as part of NI Screen's New Talent Focus scheme, and had its debut at the Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday, before a post-show discussion with cast and crew was held.
It is the first feature film from Derry's John Carlin, who previously directed the horror short Exposure in 2013, which was also screened at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Read more: Northern talent set to be on screen at Galway Film Fleadh
Other films to win at this year's Fleadh include comedy-drama Apocalypse Clown, from Bafta-nominated director George Kane, which was named Best Irish Film, and Here, by Belgian director Bas Devos, which won the Best International Film category.
Meanwhile, the great-granddaughter of playwright Seán O'Casey, Agnes O'Casey, won the Bingham Ray New Talent Award for her roles in two films - thriller The Lies We Tell and comedy The Miracle Club.
Speaking to the Screen Daily film news website, Galway Film Fleadh manager Liz Quinn said attendance at this year's event was back up after returning to a live event last year following the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This year the appetite to meet face-to-face and one-on-one is very great. It feels fuller this year, compared to even pre-pandemic," she said.
