Laois school celebrates big win at FÍS Film Awards
Students from Gaelscoil Shlí Dála pictured with Rónán Ó Muirthile, Head of Faculty of Film, Art & Creative Technologies, IADT and Anthony Kilcoyne, Divisional Director, OIDE Technology in Education. They won Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking - An Scannán is Fearr as Gaeilge for their movie 'An Beacán Draíochta'
Pupils from a Laois primary school were among the winners at this year’s FÍS Film Awards.
Students from Gaelscoil Shlí Dála picked up the Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking gong for
In partnership with the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), and hosted by RTÉ’s Sinead Kennedy, the ceremony aimed to inspire and celebrate the creativity of future filmmakers.
The pupils who entered the short movie-making contest were honoured last week for their outstanding work and creativity.
Currently in its 19th year, the FÍS Film Awards, which took place at Dublin City University, celebrate the filmmaking accomplishments of Irish primary school students and their teachers.
The outright winner at the FÍS Film Awards 2025 was Shanbally National School in Cork for its production of a dramatised retelling of Anne Frank’s story, following the young Jewish girl and her family as she hides from occupying Nazi forces during World War II. The winning movie can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux4mqpv9Ol8.
FÍS Film awards are presented to young students for their achievements in directing, acting, design and music across multiple film genres such as comedy, drama, horror, science fiction, and films as Gaeilge. The FÍS Film Project empowers students to put their creative skills to the test while enhancing their collaboration skills with access to filmmaking tools and equipment in the supportive setting of their school.
Reflecting on this year’s awards, Christina Reynolds, creative manager at the IATD, said: “The FÍS Film Awards showcase incredible young filmmaking talent from across Ireland, with submissions from over 20 counties. Competition was extremely high at this year’s event, which saw many movies about history and technology being produced. At IADT’s National Film School, we are incredibly proud to be part of FÍS and to see the students and staff of the NFS deliver this large-scale broadcast event, which has become a key component of television and broadcast education at the institute.”
