First trailer drops for new Cork feature

There’s serious hype building on Leeside at the moment following the first trailer release for a stunning looking feature film based in Cork city.

Releasing in cinemas across Ireland on 29 August, ‘Christy’ is the debut feature from Cork director Brendan Canty.

Developed with BBC Film and Fís Éireann, the film is a heartwarming story of second chances, connection, and finding your place in the world.

The story follows Christy who, at 17 years old, finds himself at a crossroad after being kicked out of his suburban foster home. After moving in with his estranged older brother Shane and his young family, Christy begins to feel at home on Cork's working-class northside, however for Shane, it’s only a temporary arrangement. As Christy makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his past through his seemingly more corrupting extended family, despite Shane’s efforts to protect him. Shane wants something better for Christy at any cost – even if it means he has to push him away. As the brothers look to reconcile their turbulent past, their family and the community around them offer hope for Christy’s future.

Bursting with humour, soul, and raw authenticity, the film stars breakout talent Danny Power (‘The Young Offenders’) and Diarmuid Noyes (‘Pure Mule’, ‘Five Minutes of Heaven’), alongside a brilliant Irish ensemble including Emma Willis (‘Vikings’, ‘The Young Offenders’, ‘Dating Amber’), Alison Oliver (‘Saltburn’, ‘Conversations With Friends’), Chris Walley (‘Bodkin’, ‘The Young Offenders’), and Helen Behan (‘The Virtues’).

The film also features members of The Kabin Studio, a Cork-based community arts collective known for its work in hip-hop and spoken word. In 2024, The Kabin Crew’s viral hit ‘The Spark’, recorded in collaboration with Lisdoonvarna Crew, amassed over 1 billion views and was hailed as the “song of the summer” by The New York Times.

Following its Grand Prix win at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, ‘Christy’ will make its Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh next week where its star Diarmuid Noyes has been nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award for his role in the film.

‘Christy’ is inspired by Canty’s acclaimed short film of the same name. His previous work includes the award-winning short ‘For You’, starring Barry Keoghan, and the groundbreaking music video for Hozier’s ‘Take Me to Church’, which has surpassed 1.4 billion views on YouTube.

The film is penned by Alan O’Gorman and was developed with the mentorship of director Yann Demange (‘Top Boy’, ’71, ‘Lovecraft Country’), who also serves as executive producer.