MARY IS MISSING Qualifies for 99th Academy Awards
Aisling Byrne's mystery film marks her third Oscar-qualifying short with producer Killian Coyle.
The Irish short film MARY IS MISSING, co-written by Aisling Byrne and Caitríona Daly and directed by Aisling Byrne, has officially qualified for consideration for the 99th Academy Awards. Produced by Killian Coyle for Run of the Mill and Arcade Film, the psychological thriller stars Mark Smith alongside an ensemble of Irish learning-disabled performers in a story that explores truth, deception and the stories we choose to believe.
When care worker Mary vanishes without a trace from the Yellow Tree Day Service, Garda Foley arrives to investigate. The attendees, who were among the last people to see Mary, become key witnesses, but their accounts quickly begin to contradict one another. As their stories become increasingly confounding and fantastical, Foley must determine not only whether the witnesses are telling the truth, if not, why not. Are they protecting Mary, protecting themselves, or is the truth something far more complicated?
Mark Smith leads the ensemble as Peter O'Hara, alongside Derek McSweeney, Eoghan Ashe, Ella-Jane Moore, Jackie O'Hagan, John Egan, Keith Foley, Maurice Coll, Neil Coffey, Teresa Flood, Wesley Fairbrother, Lucy Smith and Conor Begley. Lloyd Cooney plays Garda Foley, who is tasked with piecing together the conflicting accounts surrounding Mary's disappearance, alongside care workers Lauren Larkin and Craig Connolly. The film also features Danny O'Connor, Clare Monnelly, and Kamilla Fenger.
The film's distinctive ensemble was central to its development, with 13 of its 19 cast members being artists with intellectual disabilities. The story was developed through a 12-week writers' room hosted by Run of the Mill, allowing the ensemble to contribute ideas around characters, themes and storytelling. Their contributions ultimately helped shape a crime thriller that places learning-disabled artists at the centre of the narrative. Run of the Mill is a multi-award-winning Irish arts organisation at the forefront of championing learning-disabled artists, creating platforms and opportunities for their talent to be seen, heard and celebrated across the arts.
For director Aisling Byrne and producer Killian Coyle, MARY IS MISSING is their third Academy Award-qualifying short as a filmmaking team, following HEADSPACE and TURNAROUND. It is also their third qualifying collaboration involving Arcade Film. HEADSPACE won the Grand Prix Irish Short at the Cork International Film Festival and became Ireland's Short Film Candidate for the 2023 European Film Awards, while TURNAROUND won qualifying awards at both Galway Film Fleadh and Foyle Film Festival.
MARY IS MISSING marks another Oscar-qualified short from director Aisling Byrne. Her subsequent short MISREAD, an RTE/Ardan commission, won Best Irish Short at Catalyst International Film Festival, while TURNAROUND was nominated for an IFTA and later acquired by Disney+. Byrne, alongside Coyle and Arcade Film, is currently developing her debut feature, which is among the final 10 projects selected for Screen Ireland's Perspectives scheme.
MARY IS MISSING features cinematography and editing by Dan Keane, music by Michael Fleming, production design by Ebun Oladeru and costume design by Saileóg O'Halloran.
With its Oscar qualification adding to the film's growing recognition, MARY IS MISSING brings together a remarkable ensemble and a distinctive approach to storytelling, placing questions of truth, perspective and belief at the heart of a gripping Irish mystery.
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