Derry writer and director Keith O’Grady's film 'The Silent People' wins Norman Houston Short Film Award

Solas Nua, Washington, DC’s premier contemporary Irish arts organisation, this week announced the award – an annual honour for the best new short film created by a filmmaker based in or from Northern Ireland made within the previous two years and a cornerstone feature of the annual Capital Irish Film Festival (CIFF).

The winner is The Silent People, a taut and unflinching look at the impact of economic vulnerability and a housing crisis on a young couple in Northern Ireland by Derry born writer/director Keith O’Grady.

The Norman Houston Short Film Award includes prize money of $2,500 and will be presented at Solas Nua’s annual Capital Irish Film Festival, which takes place from February 29 — March 3, 2024 in partnership with the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre & Cultural Center (Silver Spring, MD) along with a viewing of ‘The Silent People.’

The winning filmmaker will also be invited to Washington, DC to attend the screening of the film and receive the award in person.Previous winners of the Norman Houston Short Film Award include the inaugural award to now Oscar-winning ‘An Irish Goodbye’ written and directed by Tom Berkeley and Ross White in 2022 and ‘Homebird,’ written and directed by Caleb J. Roberts in 2023.

All 2024 Capital Irish Film Festival short film submissions from Northern Ireland and Northern Irish filmmakers were automatically entered into The Norman Houston Short Film Award competition.

Solas Nua Board Chair and Norman Houston Award judge, Kate Meenan-Waugh shared: “This is a quirky, slightly irreverent treatment of a couple’s descent into homelessness. Sardonic humor, pointed questions and a surprising plot twist leave the viewer much to think about at this short film’s end.”

‘The Silent People’ tells a story against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis of a young mixed-race Scots woman and a working-class Irish singer from Tallaght in Dublin who are evicted without warning. After a year of living homeless on the streets, they chance upon the landlord that evicted them, and set out for revenge.

The film was shot as part of the Cinemagic CDTA Project supported by the Department of Economy Northern Ireland in partnership with Belfast Met and North West Regional College.Regarding receiving the award, director Keith O’Grady shared: “I feel beyond honoured to get this recognition for ‘The Silent People.’ The film came out of my desire to tell a story that looks at the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and its effects on different sections of society.”

Capital Irish Film Festival Director Maedhbh Mc Cullagh added: “We are delighted that another immensely talented and emerging young filmmaker from Northern Ireland is being recognized through the Norman Houston Short Film Award.

"This special award amplifies the vibrant and diverse cultural voices emanating from Northern Ireland and offers a platform and opportunity to spotlight their unique storytelling in the U.S. Capital and beyond. We look forward to introducing Keith O’Grady to the Solas Nua community in D.C. and at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.”2022 inaugural winners, Tom Berkeley and Ross White, whose winning short ‘An Irish Goodbye’ went on to win the 2023 Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film at the 95th Oscars affirmed “

The Norman Houston Award was the first prize that our film ‘An Irish Goodbye’ received right at the start of its journey in 2022. It was such an incredible vote of confidence from the generous team at Solas Nua’s CIFF, and it really gave us the belief that the film could connect with viewers beyond its humble beginnings in rural Northern Ireland.”

CIFF is one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America, showcasing the latest Irish dramatic and documentary features, shorts, art films, and animation releases by Irish and Ireland-based filmmakers.

The Norman Houston Short Film Award is part of the Norman Houston Project - a project initiated by Solas Nua in Washington DC, dedicated to the memory of Norman Houston, the former Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau (NIB), in the United States.

The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by Culture Ireland, Screen Ireland, the Embassy of Ireland, the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme and the Northern Ireland Bureau.