"Lipstick", "My Marigolds" and "Turmoil" applauded at the Dublin Animation Film Festival screenings!

Dublin Animation Film Festival and the National Talent Academy for Animation, celebrated the cream of Irish and international animation at a two-day programme at the dlr Mill Theatre in Dundrum on 7th-8th November 2025.

The NTAA and DAFF were delighted to welcome respected animator and director Joanna Quinn, Matīss Kaža and Thibault Delahaye, the Director and Lead Animator of the Academy Award winning feature film ‘Flow’ to the festival.

Eilis O’Neill, IADT student director of the animated short ‘Lipstick’ won the coveted Irish Student Film at the DAFF 2025 Awards ceremony. ‘Lipstick’ captured the relationships between a grandmother, her daughter and granddaughter. The award for Best Children’s Short Film was won by Holly Emerson Byrne for her short film ‘My Marigolds’ which followed the adventures of a timid hedgehog. The animated short documentary ‘Turmoil’ directed by Darragh O’Shea received an Honourable Mention in the Social Recognition category.

Dr Jeremiah Ambrose, Head of Department for Film and Media at IADT, expressed warm praise for this year’s IADT graduate award-winners and highlighted the long-standing connection between the institute and Dublin Animation Film Festival (DAFF).

 

“For many years, we’ve encouraged our animation students to submit their work to both the Dublin and Dingle Animation Film Festivals, and it’s been inspiring to see their creativity recognised on such respected national stages,” he said.

 

“Our first DAFF winner in the Irish Short Film category was John Walsh with Whatever Happened to Ultra-Man in 2011. Since then, IADT student films such as Did You Hear About Her Dad? The Usual, Tenant, and Small Hours have continued to shine. It’s especially rewarding that several of these filmmakers have gone on to take leading roles within Ireland’s animation studios or to establish their own successful ventures.”

 

Dr Ambrose reflected not only on the achievements of the graduates, but also on the festival’s role in championing emerging voices. “We are incredibly proud of our students and graduates, and we are already preparing the next slate of films for submission to DAFF 2026,” he noted. “The festival has become an important creative milestone for our community, and its commitment to new talent deeply resonates with IADT’s mission.”

 

He also acknowledged the broader network that makes these successes possible. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Animation Ireland, the National Talent Academy for Animation, and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for their continued support and encouragement in fostering new talent.”

 

Looking ahead, Ambrose emphasised IADT’s openness to exploring further pathways of collaboration with DAFF and its partners. “As the festival continues to grow and evolve, we are excited about the possibilities to deepen our engagement and to support the next generation of storytellers in meaningful and sustainable ways.”