ABOUT 〰️

Claire Frances Byrne, a Dublin native and award-winning Irish filmmaker, premiered her feature directorial debut at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival, 5 years on from winning the festival’s prestigious Discovery award in 2020. READY OR NOT, written by Lynn Ruane is produced by Ruth Coady for Gaze Pictures. The film is an exciting exploration of Irish youth culture and female friendships and much like Claire’s favourite films it’s funny! It is supported by Screen Ireland, Bankside, RTÉ, and Article1. It played to a sold-out Screen 1 in the Lighthouse Cinema with a standing ovation to boot. Leading ladies Ruby Conway-Dunne, Molly Byrne and Alicia Weafer took home the award of the Michael Dwyer Discovery away at the Dublin Film Critics Circle awards on the last day of the festival. Ready or Not also featured in the top 5 films in the Diff Audience Choice awards.

One of Claire’s standout projects, the Screen Ireland-funded short film SISTER THIS, garnered critical acclaim, earning a nomination for a 2020 IFTA, winning Best Film at the Fastnet Short Film Festival, special mention at Foyle Film Festival and securing Best Short Film and Best Director at the 2020 Kinsale Shark Awards. Claire’s other short films including Ascending Grace written by Karen Healy have earned accolades at prestigious festivals, including Heartland Festival Indianapolis, the London Irish Film Festival, the Richard Harris Film Festival, and the Dublin Feminist Film Festival, among others. Ascending Grace is a comedy set on an airplane funded by the Female Film Force by Bumble in 2019.

As 2025 promises to be a landmark year with the release of READY OR NOT, Claire is already developing her next slate of feature films. DAUGHTERHOOD, produced by Keeper Pictures and co-written by Claire and Karen Healy is a Screen Ireland backed project that Claire is attached to direct. Daughterhood originated from Claire and Karen’s winning submission to X-Pollinator's 2020 Incubator. DAUGHTERHOOD is another project in which Claire gets to sink her teeth into the complexity and comedy of female relationships.

Since 2016, Claire has brought a multifaceted skill set to her projects, working as a TV editor and serving as director of a production company. Her dedication to her craft earned her membership in BAFTA Connect in 2023. Since 2024, she has also been a lecturer at London South Bank University, teaching filmmaking to BA students.

Claire is represented by Hugo Young at Independent Talent Limited.

Claire is represented for commercial work by https://www.bodacious.ie/ in Ireland and https://lobstercreative.com/ in the UK

For enquiries go to: www.independenttalent.com

AWARDS 〰️

Nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 2024 IFTAs Waiting Day 2023

Winner at WFT London Irish Film Festival Waiting Day 2023

1st Runner up at WFT Ireland Short Film Showcase Waiting Day 2023

Winner of best interview at the Irish Podcast awards 2023 for Conversations on the Margins

Best Film at WFT Ireland Short Film Showcase Hello? 2022

Best Director at the Richard Harris Film Festival Hello? 2022

Nominated for best national short film and best overall short film For Hello? at the Richard Harris Film Festival 2022

Nominated for best editing and best screenplay For Hello? at the Fastnet Film Festival 2022

Winner of the 2022 Jets pitching competition  For Duck Duck Goose at the Berlinale Film Festival 2022

Special Mention at Foyle Film Festival for Sister This 2021

Best Irish Short Film For Sister This at the Fastnet Film Festival 2021

Best Director of an Irish short film for Sister This at the Kinsale Shark Awards 2021

Best Irish Short Film For Sister This at the Kinsale Shark Awards 2021

Best Short Film For Ascending Grace at the Irish Film London Film Festival 2021

Best Short Film For Ascending Grace at the Dublin Feminist Film Festival 2021

Nomination for best short film for Sister This at the Irish Film and Television Awards 2020

Aerlingus Discovery Award Winner at the 2020 Dublin International Film Festival.

COMING SOON

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COMING SOON 〰️

Ready or Not had its world Premiere at Dublin International Film Festival, it played to a sold-out Screen 1 in the Lighthouse Cinema with a standing ovation to boot. Leading ladies Ruby Conway-Dunne, Molly Byrne and Alicia Weafer took home the award of the Michael Dwyer Discovery away at the Dublin Film Critics Circle awards on the last day of the festival. Ready or Not also featured in the top 5 films in the Diff Audience Choice awards.

LATEST NEWS

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LATEST NEWS 〰️

  • Read WFT Ireland’s latest ‘Member in Focus’ interview with Claire here.

  • Claire was selected to take part in the 2024 Puttnam Scholars programme of masterclasses from Lord David Puttnam as well as special guests including Jonathan Glazer and Paul Laverty. Read more here.

  • Screen Ireland launches their production slate for 2024 which includes Claire’s directorial debut; Ready or Not, read more here and here.

  • In July of 2023 Claire went into production with Ready or Not, her debut feature film. Ready or Not is a Gaze Pictures production produced by ruth Coady and written by Lynn Ruane.

  • Since 2023 Claire is a member of BAFTA Connect.

  • In early 2023 Claire was signed as a new client of Hugo Young with Independent Talent.

  • Claire was selected as one of 12 directors to take part in CREATOR, a new residential lab ran by X-Pollinator and led by mentor Aisling Walsh, read more here.

  • Claire has been selected as a recipient of the National Talent Academy’s director’s lab, read more here.

  • Hello? won best film at the WFT short film showcase in December 2022, read more here.

  • Claire’s short film Hello? was the short film to take home the most awards of the festival at the Richard Harris Film Festival in 2022 winning best writing, best direction and best lead performances. It was also nominated for best national short film and best overall short film. Read more here.

  • Claire took part in Jets 2022 at the Berlinale, along with Alfonso Films co-founders Jo Halpin and Emma Wall. The team won the pitching competition with their project Duck Duck Goose.

  • Claire’s latest short film Hello? was selected for Dublin International Film Festival

  • Claire was selected for Screen Ireland and the Screen Director’s Guild of Ireland’s The Voice fund, a ‘Director’s Conceptual Fund’ to develop her project with writer Tracy martin; ‘Wrapped

  • In 2020 Claire was selected for Screen Skills Ireland first round of the screen mentoring scheme and was paired with director Paddy Breathnach.