Film Ireland Podcast

In this podcast - which was recorded last year - academic and journalist Naemi Victoria chats with filmmaker Daniel Draper about his documentary Iron Ladies, which will screen in the Nerve Centre on 30th January 2026.Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.Iron Ladies tells the story of the working-class women who became the backbone of the 1984–85 Miners' Strike. From Scotland to Kent, women from coalfield communities share their experiences of the year-long struggle, and how their actions reshaped political activism for working-class women.The film shines a spotlight on voices that have too often been overlooked. Featuring Heather Wood, Lorraine Stansbie, Rose Hunter, Kate Alvey, Betty Cook, Aggie Currie, and many more, Iron Ladies is both a vital historical record and a celebration of solidarity, resilience, and determination.The screening of Iron ladies will take place at 7pm on 30th January and is followed by a post-screening discussion with Daniel and contributor to the film, Rose Hunter. Get your tickets at NerveCentre.org.Daniel DraperDaniel is a Liverpool-based filmmaker. His debut film, Nature of the Beast was released across UK cinemas in 2017. Since, Daniel has produced and directed an additional three feature documentaries and continues to explore place, identity, class and politics through his current and forthcoming work.Meet the Iron LadiesHeather Wood: Born and bred in the pit village of Easington, Heather was chair of Save Easington Area Mines in East Durham, and became involved in National Women Against Pit Closures during the Miners’ Strike. Her activism remains strong - a key organiser of the National Women Against Pit Closures 40th anniversary event. She has written a book (Just a Pit Lass) and featured in two Ken Loach films - Sorry We Missed You and The Old Oak.Lorraine Stansbie: Now Sheffield based, Lorraine Stansbie was a student at Northern College when the Strike started. She became a key figure in Barnsley Women Oppose Pit Closures and was a speaker at the 12,000 woman-strong rally at Barnsley Town Hall in 1984.Rose Hunter: A key member of the The North Staffs Miner's Wives Action Group, a very active group during 1984/95 and beyond - occupying pits during the final closures in the 1990s and supporting causes across the country to highlight injustice and fight for workers’ rights. The group is still active today.Kate Alvey: Part of Chesterfield Women’s Action Group. Was politically active before the Strike and led a women’s group who campaigned for Tony Benn to be elected as MP for Chesterfield in the weeks before the Strike. Chesterfield was the centre of operations for organising support for miners and their families across the Derbyshire area.Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast, we catch up with actor, writer and director Simon Killick, who plays sketchy landlord Rick in the comedian-laden, zany sci-fi Time Travel Is Dangerous. Now based in Ireland, Simon chats about his craft, career and his fantastic slate of upcoming creative projects.Listen now on SoundCloud or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.As mentioned during the discussion, here are the links to:Life On Wheels - Original Comedy Pilot www.youtube.com/@lifeonwheels-footballcomedy Simon's Average Joe & The PRO YouTube Golf Channel https://www.youtube.com/@averagejoeANDtheproSimon KillickSimon has recently starred in the new British comedy feature film Time Travel Is Dangerous which was released in Cinemas all over the UK & Ireland in August 2025 after gaining a prestigious 4 star review in the Guardian. It then went on to win Best Comedy Film at the National Film Awards. Simon Played Rick the Landlord along side Sophie Thompson, Jonny Vegas and Jane Horrocks. It is now available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Virgin Media TV.In late 2023 Simon completed his first lead role in a feature called Little Girl. A horror/thriller following Lucas (a truck driver who tragically lost his daughter). Simon is also a credited comedy writer. Reaching the shortlist for the British Comedy Guide Talent Awards for his episode Celebrity Disorder, from web series Fame Disease Created by Nessa Wrafter. He co-owns the multi award winning TV/Film Production Company Klick Productions where they have two feature films in development and pre-production.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, Film Ireland presented Screen Sessions Live, an afternoon of in-depth conversations on craft, career and creativity between talent from the Irish screen industries - made possible with the support of Screen Ireland and hosted by our partners Griffith College.In this special live podcast recording, graphic artist Annie Atkins (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, Bridge of Spies) is in conversation with production designer, art director, and concept illustrator Jill Beecher (Babylon, Elvis, The Revenant). Both creatives are key voices in the art department on some of Hollywood’s most ambitious and visually distinctive films. In this discussion, Annie and Jill explore the creative realities of working behind the scenes - from collaboration and artistry to problem-solving on set - and discuss how design shapes the stories we see on screen.Visit Film Ireland here to check out the images mentioned during the discussion: https://www.filmireland.net/screen-sessions-live-podcast-on-design-with-annie-atkins-the-grand-budapest-hotel-jill-beecher-babylon/Annie AtkinsAnnie Atkins has created graphic props and set pieces for multiple Oscar-nominated and winning movies such as Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and The French Dispatch; Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and West Side Story; and the map for the latest Indiana Jones movie, The Dial of Destiny.Her first book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps, was published by Phaidon and drew critical acclaim as a behind-the-scenes look at film design, winning accolades from Jeff Goldblum, among others: “Annie makes the unreal seem hyperreal, and the real more supremely alive and utterly magical...” Her latest book, Letters from the North Pole, is a children's picture book and is available now.Jill BeecherJill was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1984. She is a production designer, art director, and concept illustrator who has worked across Hollywood productions and local Irish projects (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, The Revenant, Alien: Covenant, Babylon, Elvis). Jill is now represented by William Morris Endeavour and is a member of the British and American Art Directors Guilds. She is also a visual artist who has exhibited in Europe, America, and Australia.Subscribe now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of the State of the Arts p…

In this podcast, we catch up once again with acto…