Film Ireland, supported by the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Stakeholders Fund, is delighted to present Out of the Box, the first in a six-part podcast series exploring different perspectives in media today.
Hosted by writer and filmmaker Róisín Kearney, each episode features conversations with people paving the way for greater equity and inclusion in the screen industries. Together, they discuss what has worked so far, what still needs to be done, and how we can all ensure that all creative voices are properly heard.
For the inaugural discussion, Róisín sits down with Paul FitzSimons, a writer, musician and producer who founded Prelude Content to create high-end film and television drama; and Dan Airey, presenter, producer, filmmaker and one half of the award-winning podcast duo behind Dan and Darragh Do Ability.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
Out of the Box Speaker Series
Over the course of these six episodes, Róisín Kearney will sit down with creatives who are helping to shape a more inclusive screen industry, asking what is needed for real and lasting change.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. None of us particularly enjoys having our perceptions challenged, especially when we believe we are trying to make things better. Yet that is exactly what needs to happen if meaningful change is to take place. Media has always played a powerful role in shaping society. When public health campaigns in the United States sought to promote the idea of a designated driver and reduce road deaths among young men, they turned to popular television shows such as Cheers, L.A. Law and The Cosby Show to help shift public attitudes. Since its inception, media has influenced how we see the world...and each other.
So what happens when that media does not reflect the full breadth of society? What happens when discomfort with having our biases challenged means the stories of the people who have been left voiceless due to structural oppression continue to be unheard or edited. What happens when people are told which stories they can tell, who they can tell them about, or how those stories should be told? And what happens when those depicted are less than perfect? There have been countless studies examining how marginalised communities are perceived by wider society, but far fewer exploring how people from those communities perceive society itself. This series seeks to contribute to that conversation, placing those perspectives front and centre.
Paul FitzSimons
Paul is a producer, screenwriter and tutor with 15 years' experience in the film industry. He runs Prelude Content, producing films and TV dramas, working with creatives in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Japan. He recently produced feature film Verdigris, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh, won awards at festivals around the world, was nominated for five IFTA awards and was released in April 2025.
Paul is now producing the comedy series Starless and developing a number of features and TV dramas.He has a postgraduate diploma in Advanced Producing from TU Dublin and is an EAVE Producers’ Workshop graduate. Paul was previously Development Executive at production company Danú Media. He also wrote and produced the feature film The Gift (2017, OC Productions, 15A) and worked as a story writer on the Irish TV drama Fair City. Paul is a scriptwriting tutor and is currently developing and delivering training courses in screenwriting and development for Screen Ireland, the National Talent Academies and NFTS Scotland.
Dan Airey
Dan Airey is a presenter, podcaster, producer and filmmaker with a strong background in inclusive storytelling, documentary production and broadcast research. He is the co-producer and co-presenter of the award-winning Dan and Darragh Do Ability Podcast, which features conversations with people with disabilities, encouraging listeners to see the world through different perspectives. Dan holds a four-year degree in Creative Digital Media and a Master’s in Broadcast Production for TV and Radio. He has worked across multiple genres and formats, from short documentary to prime-time television. His short film L.I.F.E. (Live. It. Fully. Everyday) was written and directed as part of the Virgin Media Sharp Shorts 2023 initiative, exploring themes of resilience and identity. Other production credits include the documentaries A Deluge of Memories and Swim With Richard, which centre on powerful human stories.
He has worked as a researcher on major RTÉ programmes including Angela Scanlon’s Ask Me Anything, The Late Late Show, and The Late Late Toy Show, and has contributed to content development for future programming. He has also worked with Screen Ireland curating a course on Disability and Accessibility in the Creative Sectors. Dan’s commitment to inclusion and representation is reflected in his extensive collaboration with the Irish Wheelchair Association, the National Youth Council of Ireland and Youth Work Ireland. He has spoken nationally and internationally on disability rights, including serving as Ireland’s EU Youth Delegate at the EU Youth Conference in Vienna.
Róisín Kearney
Róisín Kearney is an award-winning writer, director and producer working across film and TV. She started out in theatre, doing everything from tech to stage management, before moving into screen and building her career from the ground up across low-budget productions. Her work includes directing the RTÉ docuseries Keep It Up, as well as writing, directing and producing a run of award-winning short films including PADDY, The Ferry and Run, which have screened in festivals across the globe.
In 2025, she won the Puttnam Script Award at Fastnet Film Festival, which supported her to shoot her short film ÉIST starring Stephen Rea and Aaron Monaghan. She previously won Best Script at Waterford International Film Festival and has been nominated for the New Voice Award at EdFest. Supported by Screen Ireland, she is currently developing a slate of projects including features and TV series, while continuing to make character-driven work that blends emotional depth with a strong social perspective.
This episode has been made possible with the support of the Screen Ireland Stakeholders Fund.
