Oscar in sights for Cork woman behind film set in Ireland past

A Cork production company is hoping that its latest short film will put it in the Oscar spotlight.

Heritage is the company behind Newtown Boys, which tells a small story with a big heart.

Set in Waterford, and based on a true story, the film revisits a transformative moment from the 1960s: a family’s simple act of hospitality toward a boy from a nearby religious backed institution.

It tells a story of childhood connection, community, and the human consequences of a complex chapter in Ireland’s past.

The short is produced by Emily Power, from Ovens, who has worked with Heritage for five years.

The company previously produced the acclaimed short Two For The Road, which was Oscar-longlisted, and Power hopes Newtown Boys will achieve similar success.

“We are bringing the short to festivals in Ireland, including Fastnet this summer, and then hope to bring it to America,” she said.

“The dream would be to get it longlisted for an Oscar.

“The world we live in nowadays is full of doom and gloom, but if we support each other, we can develop beautiful friendships and relationships.

“We hope to spread this message through our film.”

Power says the story behind Newtown Boys was a perfect fit for Heritage.

“I always try to find voices we haven’t heard before. The film’s context, with Catholic Ireland as the backdrop and the Mother and Baby Homes, knowing what we do about them now, felt especially compelling.

“Seeing everything through the eyes of children, who don’t understand the gravity of their situation, really appealed to me.

“It’s powerful how you can show light even in quite a dark and sad situation.”

In the film, Joseph (Conor Thornton), a young boy living in a Catholic-run orphanage, is given an opportunity to spend a weekend with the warm and welcoming O’Sullivan family.

During his stay, he forms a close bond with their son, Conn. The weekend marks the starting point of a lifelong friendship.

Newtown Boys is written by Heather O’Sullivan and is based on her father’s family. Power says the most striking thing about listening to O’Sullivan talk about the two boys is the joy they felt when they were together.

“The film is based on our writer Heather’s family. Her dad, Conn, and his family took the boy in, and he became like another member of the family. Her family calls him their uncle.

“Heather says whenever the two men talk about that time, it’s always with so much joy.

“Conn has lots of sisters, so by bringing Joseph into their family, he found a brother. He became, and still is, part of the family. Even though being raised in a convent was hard, there was a positive light at the end of the tunnel for Joseph.”

Producers often face difficult decisions. Did having a writer with a personal connection to the film make things more challenging for Power, or did it enhance the process?

She admits personal ties can sometimes cause complications, but in the case of Newtown Boys, O’Sullivan’s emotional connection allowed her to offer helpful perspectives.

“There are a few sisters in the film. Originally, I suggested cutting them out, but Heather was insistent: ‘No, I need them. They’re my aunts.’ She made a strong case for keeping them.

“From a producer’s perspective, I wasn’t sure they were necessary to emphasise the story, but ultimately, it was helpful. Heather explained that including them in the script really reflects Ireland at the time.

“Most people come from families with lots of aunts and uncles, so it’s an authentic reflection of the period.”

Power says that O’Sullivan’s connection to Waterford also helped the production.

“We shot in Tramore and around that area. Heather’s family grew up around Newtown. Having that connection made a real difference.

“The town really got on board. Sometimes, when you arrive to shoot in a new place, you feel like an outsider, but Heather’s connection helped the council, local restaurants, and even accommodation providers to support us. It really created a strong sense of community.”

The film has a great cast, including Tara Breathnach and Lochlann O’Mearáin. Power says they were lucky to cast two brilliantly talented young actors, Conor Thornton and Leo Earley, to play Conn and Joseph.

Earley who appeared on the Late Late Toy Show in 2024, has been cast to play Seamus Finnigan in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, and is a rising star to watch.

“We saw Leo on the Toy Show. He came on because he is a Seanchaí. He had the perfect attitude we needed for Conn; he was a proper little man about town,” said Power.

“We had a great casting director on board, Shauna Griffith, and she helped us track him down. He was a dream to work with and is about to do great things with Harry Potter.”

Power says the film’s funding came from a group of women based in New York.

“Edwina Fitzmaurice is one of our executive producers, who we met through Niamh, our director.

“Edwina works in business and tech, but she was looking for a creative outlet. She formed a syndicate of businesswomen with Irish connections, as well as one from India and one from Chile, to fund the film.

“One of the funders is Deirdre O’Connor, who comes from Cobh but works in New York. It’s inspiring to have these women, who left their home countries and worked their way up in America’s business industry, finding a creative outlet.”

See: https://heritage.ie/target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> and https://www.newtownboys-shortfilm.com/