Where the Old Man Lives, a short film written and produced by Ruaidhrí Hallinan and Eamonn Keane of Galway’s Maglite films, will receive its world premiere at the acclaimed Edmonton Film Festival in Canada.

Like Galway Film Fleadh, Edmonton is an Oscar-qualifying event.

Based on a true story, Where the Old Man Lives explores themes of rural isolation, resilience and examines one man’s life as he loses his sense of security.

Michael Harding plays Michael who hopes the world can be made right again after it has been turned upside down, in this film which examines human fragility.

The 12-strong cast also includes Ruth McCabe and Michael Patric, while the film was directed by Sonya O’Donoghue, with Niall O’Connor as Director of Photography, and IFTA-winning Sarah Lynch as film composer.

Shot in locations across Gort, Oranmore and Clarinbridge last year, it featured some 100 extras and was produced on a budget of just €30,000, with half of that being raised via a GoFundMe campaign.

Maglite entered it into more than 50 film festivals worldwide and Edmonton, which runs from late September to early October, is its premiere.

Eamonn and Ruaidhrí first met in 2021 and began writing together the following year, setting up Maglite in 2023. Both are originally from rural Mayo, with Eamonn now being based in Headford while Ruaidhrí lives in Glencorrib on the Galway-Mayo border.

Writer and producer Ruaidhrí won the 2023 Ardán and RTÉ Short Film Commission for Remote Strutting. That premiered at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh and has been selected for several other festivals as well as being shortlisted for Best European Short Film.

Eamonn’s first short film, Rapacious, debuted at the 31st Galway Film Fleadh and was also screened at festivals worldwide, winning Best Short at the 2019 Los Angeles Film Festival. Also a writer and producer, he was a finalist at the Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Competition in 2015, ’16 and ’17.

According to Ruaidhrí,  they “identify with the characters and their stories” in this film.

“We’ve heard the stories and seen the consequences, we know about the fear that is present in so many communities, but we have never seen it brought to life on screen and we felt this was a story that needed – and deserved – to be told.”

Pictured: Michael Harding who plays the old man of the title.