Clodagh has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars, it is directed by Portia A. Buckley.

When Mrs Kelly (Bríd Ní Neachtain), a quiet, forlorn and rigorously devout housekeeper, happens upon Clodagh (Katelyn Rose Downey), a young girl with an extraordinary gift, she is faced with a moral dilemma that will challenge her religious integrity.

CLODAGH is a charming drama that is sure to pull on the heartstrings and leave you with a spring in your step. It’s beautifully presented in a concise 16 minutes and British/Irish director Portia A. Buckley does an incredible job stringing the viewers along and keeping them engaged.

Neachtain is sensational as Mrs Kelly. Her natural demeanour is one of rigidness, but the way her puritanical façade fades away when Clodagh starts tapping her feet is pitch perfect. Downey, a two-time World Irish Dancing Champion, is great as the mousy title character, and the sequence in which she finally takes to the dance floor is arguably the highlight of the entire film.

The conundrum at the heart of the narrative is seemingly minor, and in other hands would seem almost trivial, but we can’t help but care for these characters and pray for the happy ending that we’re all wishing for. The film is beautifully shot on 35mm film, and won the ‘Kodak, Best Shot on Film Award’ at HollyShorts.

CLODAGH is one to keep an eye out for come awards season.