Oscar duo set for Golden West Cork

A duo of Oscar winning directors have been announced as special guests at this year’s Fastnet Film Festival in West Cork.

Ross White and Tom Berkeley will return to Schull this May to screen their latest film ‘The Golden West’ as well as to host the festival’s famous Film Quiz. Their previous project, ‘An Irish Goodbye’, won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2023.

‘The Golden West’ is set in 1849 and follows two warring Irish sisters who, having fled the Great Famine, seek their fortunes in the gold rush. But with winter fast approaching and nothing to show for their efforts, their age-old feud soon threatens to become deadly. The short stars Aoife Duffin (‘Moone Boy’) and Eileen Walsh (‘The Magdalene Sisters’) as sisters Fionnula and Noreen. The short also stars Welsh actor Sion Ifan (‘Hidden’).

The film has already won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the Raindance Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, and Norwich Film Festival among other awards.

The Fastnet Film Festival will run from 22-26 May in the seaside village of Schull in West Cork. Over 500 short films from 37 countries have been entered into competition for a share in the cash prize fund of €24,000. The festival focuses on the craft of filmmaking hosting seminars, workshops, and masterclasses with industry experts on all aspects of the film industry. Fringe events include Film Quiz, live music, family entertainment, and café viewing all over town.