Filming has wrapped on A Simple Killing, a new short film from director Jason Branagan. The short received €10,000 in funding from the Offaly Film Bursary.
A Simple Killing, directed by Jason Branagan (Eastenders, Fair City) and funded by Offaly Film Bursary, has wrapped filming. The short was written by Mark Conway, and stars Daphne Cheung (Ali G in da House, Friday Night Dinner), Claire Gavin (Wrecked, Fair City), and Aidan O'Callaghan (Eastenders, The Witcher). This is Conway’s first produced screenplay.
A Simple Killing follows a Vietnamese woman named Mai (Cheung) in rural Offaly who is contemplating suicide. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when a distressed pregnant girl, Anna (Gavin), seeks refuge from her abusive partner (O’Callaghan).
“It's great to finally be in production,” said director Branagan. “The team has been working tirelessly on bringing this film to life over the last few months. It's exciting to finally be on set. We are all so grateful for the support from Film Offaly and their belief in the project, without which we wouldn't be here pushing ourselves creatively and striving to make this really ambitious short film."
The Offaly Film Bursary provided €10,000 towards the upcoming short film. The annual award invites applicants to submit short film scripts, with the successful applicant receiving funding to shoot a film on location in Offaly. A Simple Killing was shot on location at Bellefield House and Gardens in Shinrone, county Offaly, on January 30th and 31st, 2024.
The short was produced by Mark de Carreau for Five Line Films and Emer Durcan for Western Front Studios.
“Dealing with The Offaly Arts Office has been a dream,” added producer Durcan. “It is great to work with such wonder-women as Claire Dunne and Sally O’Leary. We were also fortunate to enlist the amazing casting abilities of Dawn McAllister, who was relentless and dedicated to finding the perfect ‘Mai’. Everyone in Offaly has been a dream to work with, and the caretaker Paul Smyth warrants a mention for his hospitality and dedication to the project. We will definitely be back to shoot further productions in Offaly.”
Brian Durcan handled cinematography, and Irish stunt coordination company Total Stunts oversaw the stunt work and armory.
