In today’s episode, we’re delighted to partner with the GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival and the National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama to celebrate this year’s starGAZE participants.
We’re joined by multidisciplinary artist Venus Patel, writer/filmmaker Jack Warren and director, screenwriter, and concept artist Stephen T. Lally to discuss their professional achievements, the films that inspired them, and the impact starGAZE has had on their careers so far.
starGAZE, the professional development initiative supporting six emerging LGBTQIA filmmakers, returns for its third year in 2026. Applications are now open and will close at 5pm on Monday 20th April. For more information on how to apply, visit www.nationaltalentacademies.ie/film-tv.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
Below is the link to the podcast mentioned with Vera Drew recorded last year for TITE.
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Venus Patel
Venus is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist working in film, theatre, and visual arts. Her work examines social conformity and Queer/POC suppression through the lens of absurdity, informed by her experiences as a trans woman of colour. Her debut short film, Eggshells (2022), which she directed, wrote, and acted in, premiered at GAZE Film Festival, and won the RDS Taylor Art Award and the Image Now Multimedia Award.
Her most recent short film, Daisy: Prophet of the Apocalypse (2023), has screened at film festivals across the US, the UK, Ireland, Germany, and France, and won an Audience Award from Translations: Seattle Trans Film Festival 2024. Her film work has been exhibited in the Crawford Art Gallery, the Complex, IMMA, Butler Gallery, and Hypha Gallery (Mayfair, London).
Jack Warren
Jack is a writer and filmmaker based in Dublin. Their award-winning short films have screened all over the world, including: Papergirl, which has screened at GAZE, Final Girls Berlin, Body is Reality: Trans Horror on Screen at the Irish Film Institute, and the Trans Genre, Trans Form Film Festival, where it took home the audience prize; Toxic Astrology Ex-Best Friends, which has screened at the FRINGE! Queer Film and Arts Fest and the Trans Image, Trans Experience Festival; and Artemis, which screened at the Woodstock Film Festival. Jack recently took home the Bronze Prize from the Soho Horror Film Festival for their horror comedy short Blair’s Craft Projects, where it was honoured by Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project) and Jed Shepherd (Host).
Jack’s screenplay Violent Delights was selected to be pitched at the American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival, as well as selected for workshop by Stowe Story Labs and the National Talent Academy’s Writers’ Club, facilitated through the GALPAL Collective. Their screenplay Forty Foot, which they co-wrote with Beatrix Herriott O’Gorman, was selected for a Screen Ireland Fellowship for the Stowe Story Labs Connemara Writers’ Retreat, and their script Eggs Over Easy is currently being developed by The Dazey Phase for an anthology on small moments of trans joy. Between film projects, Jack is usually furiously tapping away about their love of movies for Film in Dublin or on their website, hellojackwarren.com.
Stephen T. Lally
Stephen T Lally is an award-winning Irish director, screenwriter, and concept artist with a passion for visual storytelling, a flair for fantasy, and a love of stories that blend comedy with a touch of whimsy. Their work is defined by its bold aesthetic, Queer perspective, and a heartfelt belief that the most powerful stories interweave fantasy, humour, and emotional truth.
After graduating from Technological University Dublin, their graduate short film musical Lost For Words screened at over 30 international film festivals, including the Academy and BAFTA-qualifying Cork Film Festival. The film and its script won numerous accolades, including an award at the New York International Independent Film Festival. Stephen’s portfolio as a director spans commercials, animation, music videos, online content, and video installations. Their stylised vision has led them to create content for clients as diverse as Rimmel London, RuPaul, Disney, Universal, and The Royal Opera House, and their dedication to their craft earned them membership to BAFTA Connect in 2023. In addition to their commercial work, Stephen created an immersive fashion film installation in East London gallery 'fiftyfour' and excelled in production design with Claire Oakley's award-winning short Beautiful Enough.
However, their true passion lies in narrative filmmaking as a writer/director, particularly stories that fuse magical realism and LGBTQIA+ themes with a dash of irreverent humour. In Stephen’s narrative work, they adore fantastical world-building and stories that celebrate joy and uplift audiences.
Empress ClawScream is a self-funded LGBTQIA+ short film and Stephen’s first narrative project after numerous years directing commercial content. The film was selected for Festival Formula's slate in 2023 and won Best Sci-Fi Film at the Berlin Short Film Festival and Best Hair & Make-Up at the British Short Film Awards. Empress ClawScream has screened at numerous international festivals, including the BIFA-qualifying Beeston Festival (where it was nominated for both Best In Festival and Best Pride Film), the Academy Award-qualifying deadCenter, the British Council-listed Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
TETHERED is a fantasy short that visualises strands of Irish folklore and family drama by interweaving live-action, animation, and modern dance. Stephen’s script for TETHERED was a finalist in 2018's Film In Cork scheme, and initial production costs were raised through a successful crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark. TETHERED debuted in 2023 at the Kerry International Film Festival and has screened at numerous festivals, including IndieCork, Waterford International Film Festival, and Beeston Film Festival. The film has picked up seven awards, including a Jury's Special Recognition Award at Ennis International Fantastic FilmFest, Best Actress and Best Music/Score at Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival, and Best Production Design at Ignite Film Festival.
CHARITY! was selected in 2023 for BFI NETWORK Short Film funding — one of only 37 short film projects funded out of 1,116 submissions that year. This LGBTQIA+ musical comedy short, about a closeted Irish pop princess wrestling with the dark side of fame, stars Irish actress Niamh McCormack (House of Guinness) and will launch its film festival journey in 2026. In 2025, Stephen worked as a shadow director on Season 2 of the RTÉ fantasy series The Unreal and was selected for the starGAZE talent development programme, receiving mentorship from BAFTA-nominated comedy director Jim Archer (Brian and Charles) and a Lab day at the GAZE International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2025. They were also thrilled that the feature-length version of Empress ClawScream was selected for Screen Ireland's Perspectives scheme, and they continue to write and develop the project.
In 2026, Stephen was selected for Screen Ireland's Screen Mentoring Scheme, where they were especially humbled to be matched with internationally revered filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović (The Ice Tower). They were also chosen to represent Ireland at Screen Talent Europe's 2026 Directors Village residency in the Netherlands, where they developed their latest short film, Ernest, alongside international coaches and filmmaking peers.
National Talent Academy for Film & Television Drama
Established in 2021, the National Talent Academy for Film & Television Drama, an initiative of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland managed by Ardán, supports emerging talent across Ireland. Recognising a wealth of underutilised ability, often hindered by barriers to access and unclear career pathways, the NTA aims to unlock this potential and strengthen Ireland’s global reputation for creative excellence.
The Academy actively supports diverse and regional talent, offering training, experience, and clear routes into sustainable careers in film and television. Through its programmes, it creates tangible opportunities for writers, directors, producers, and development professionals, while fostering collaboration and building a connected, nationwide talent network.
The NTA is committed to breaking down barriers to entry and progression. It welcomes participants from all backgrounds, across regions, identities, and experiences, and is dedicated to ensuring that Ireland’s screen industries reflect the full diversity of its people. Read more about the work they do here.
For over three decades, GAZE has stood as a cultural cornerstone of Ireland’s LGBTQIA community. Founded in 1992, before homosexuality was decriminalised in Ireland, the festival has grown into an internationally recognised platform championing bold, unapologetically queer and trans storytelling—from compelling narratives and insightful documentaries to innovative DIY filmmaking. Each year, across seven days, GAZE presents more than 100 Irish and international films, ranging from grassroots gems to cinematic standouts, alongside panels, workshops, and networking events that connect filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals.
At its core, GAZE celebrates the full spectrum of LGBTQIA experience - tender, camp, radical, hilarious, heartbreaking, and everything in between. Its audiences are engaged and loyal, with regular sell-out screenings, while its filmmakers form part of an alumni that has helped shape the queer film landscape both in Ireland and internationally. Read more about the festival here.
Film Ireland Editor
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