Cork's 'Christy' director to give series of UCC talks on film

Acclaimed Irish filmmaker, Brendan Canty will deliver a series of public talks at University College Cork (UCC) next month.

The talks, scheduled to take place on-campus across three sessions, are open to filmmakers, creatives, and anyone with an interest in film.

Presented as part of Mr Canty’s role as Arts Council Film Artist in Residence at UCC, the lunchtime talks will offer audiences an insight into his creative journey, from award-winning music videos to short films and feature-length work.

Mr Canty first came to international attention with his video for Hozier’s Take Me to Church, which has surpassed one billion views on YouTube and received two MTV VMA nominations.

In 2017, Mr Canty directed the short film For You, starring Barry Keoghan, which won a Kinsale Shark and received an IFTA nomination.

His second short film, Christy (2019), which has since been developed into his debut feature film with BBC Film and Screen Ireland, premiered at the Berlinale in 2025, where it won the Generation 14plus Grand Prix, and went on to receive Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh.

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Christy has also been nominated for the LUX Audience Award, which is the biggest audience film award in Europe and stands as a leading contender at this year’s IFTA's, shortlisted in 14 categories including Best Director.

Mr Canty said he is “extremely passionate about passing on the knowledge I’ve gained so far in my career and using this residency to demystify the role of the director and make it feel accessible rather than intimidating”.

“I want to offer a transparent look at how the job really works and encourage students to really back themselves as filmmakers,” he said.

Mr Canty’s first talk will focus on music videos and will take place on February 3 from 1pm; his second talk will cover short films and will take place on February 10 from 1pm; and his last talk will explore feature films, taking place on February 17 from 1pm.

All talks will take place in UCC’s Film and Screen Media facilities, located in the Kane Building.