WHO WE LOVE Cinema Release

After almost two years on a successful festival run, indie feature Who We Love hits Irish cinemas on April 28th. A launch night for the cinema release was held at Cinemas@Dundrum on April 24th with cast and crew in attendance. Event photography was by Rafael Kostrezwa.

A film about coming of age and coming out, “Who We Love” tells the story of Lily and Simon, best friends who navigate the troubled waters of school life and explore Dublin’s vibrant and sometimes dark LGBTQ+ scene under the sharp eye of reluctant mentor Oonagh.

Who We Love is an award winning feature film directed by Graham Cantwell and written by Graham Cantwell and Katie McNeice. Cinematography by the Ray Sisters. Amy-Joyce Hastings received an IFTA nomination for her performance as Oonagh in the film, one of six the film garnered at last year’s awards.

IRELAND AM

Amy-Joyce and director Graham Cantwell had a chat with Gráinne Seoige and Martin King on Ireland AM about the upcoming cinema release of Who We Love, in Irish cinemas from April 28th.

They were then reunited with The Callback Queen cinematographer Anthony Bowes backstage in the Virgin Media Television studio!

CATALYST BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD

Amy-Joyce was the winner of the Best Short Screenplay Award 2023 for her screenplay Perspective at the Catalyst International Film Festival. This prestigious award is sponsored by the Writers Guild of Ireland, of which Amy-Joyce now becomes a member. Catalyst International Film Festival, now in its 5th year, is a festival championing diverse voices and it was founded by the president of Women in Film & Television International, Dr. Susan Liddy.

The award was adjudicated by writer/director Frank Berry (Aisha, Michael Inside) and writer Ursula Rani Sarma (Smother). Amy-Joyce additionally enjoyed screenwriting and directing workshops at the festival with renowned director Aisling Walsh (Maudie).

Perspective was recently a finalist for the Kerry International Film Festival Screenplay Award, and the Pune Short Film Festival Screenplay Award, as well as a previous winner in the screenplay category of the Hammond House International Literary Festival. The script is a current screenplay finalist for the upcoming Waterford International Film Festival.

Perspective is a short film book-ended with two Halloween nights, one year apart. A young girl, Hazel, loses her eye in a firework attack. Instead of giving in to despair, her natural optimism and resilience allows her to reimagine herself, in the process inspiring the adults around her.

The project is currently in development with Danú Media (producers Nadine Flynn and Louise Richardson attached) to bring the project to screen.

GSA FILM PROJECT

Amy-Joyce put her Behind The Lens skills to good use when she recently wrote and directed ten scenes for the Gaiety School of Acting’s as part of their Class of ’23 Graduation Film Project.

Mo O’Connell acted as producer for the project. The scenes were shot on location around Dublin. She wishes the best of luck to the many talented actors graduating!

On location photos by Rafael Kostrezwa.

FOCAIL BAILE CROÍ Wraps Filming in Kerry

Home is many things. Words are everything.

Filming has wrapped on Focail Baile Croí (Words Home Heart) in which Amy-Joyce plays the female lead role of Máthair (Mother).

This beautiful Irish language short was the winner of the Comórtas Físín funding award, funded by Screen Kerry and winner of multiple festival screenplay awards including the Catalyst Film Festival/Writers Guild of Ireland Best Short Screenplay.

The story – which spans thirty years within the walls of one household – revolves around a father imagining moments he will share with his son, teaching him words for his experiences in a home full of language and heart. 


Focail Baile Croí is at once a cinematic love letter to the Irish language and a reimagining of grief as a privilege of love.

Filming took place over one week in County Kerry. The film is written and directed by Screen International Rising Star Katie McNeice, produced by Maggie Ryan of Escape Pod Media, with Evan Barry onboard as cinematographer. It stars Lochlann O’Mearáin, Fiach Kunz and Amy-Joyce Hastings. On set photography by Tim Bingham.

Press Round Up

Amy-Joyce has some recent interviews printed in the Sunday Independent and in Woman’s Way.

She and actor Seán T. O’Meallaigh launched the rebrand of the Galway Film Centre as Ardán.

You can view all of Amy-Joyce’s recent press here.

International Screenings for WHO WE LOVE

Who We Love had its North American premiere at the prestigious LGBTQ+ Outshine Film Festival in Miami where it was awarded the Best Feature Audience Award runner up in May.

This was followed up with a New York screening where the film was a New York Times Weekend Arts Pick. Amy-Joyce and director Graham Cantwell attended the screening and a Q&A at the New York Irish Centre on Sat June 11th, along with US cinematographers The Ray Sisters, with thanks to CraicFest and Culture Ireland.

At home in Ireland the film screened at the Catalyst International Film Festival. The Irish Film & Television Academy hosted a special Academy Screening and Q&A with director/co-writer Graham Cantwell, co-writer Katie McNeice, and actors Clara Harte, Dean Quinn and Amy-Joyce Hastings at the Lighthouse Cinema Dublin on 4th July 2022.

Who We Love was screened as part of a five-city Australian tour at Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra from 25 August – 25 September presented by Irish Film Festival Australia, where Cantwell, Harte and Hastings took place in a remote Q&A for the Australian premiere in Sydney.

Recently Who We Love screened at the blue riband LGBT event – the Iris Prize Festival in Wales on October 15 with Cantwell, McNeice, Harte and Hastings attending as guests of the festival.

Irish Film & Television Academy Awards 2022

The 2022 IFTA Irish Film & Drama Awards aired on on Virgin Media Television on Saturday 12th March with the Award for the Best Supporting Actress – Film category presented by Colin Farrell. Amy-Joyce Hastings was nominated in the category for Who We Love alongside Caitriona Balfe for Belfast, Carrie Crowley for An Cailín Ciúin, Jessie Buckley for The Lost Daughter, and Ruth Negga for Passing.

“It is my great privilege to be able to announce the nominees and the winner of the best supporting actress this year… an incredible year of work … globally lauded performances that are raw and empathetic and just show true mastery of their craft.” – Colin Farrell, IFTA Awards Ceremony 2022

The Awards Ceremony was a hybrid in studio / virtual event, with Who We Love receiving a total of six nominations including Best Film. The Dean Hotel hosted the nominations party for Who We Love in April with a follow up evening presentation hosted by the Academy taking place at Dublin’s Westbury Hotel on May 13th 2022.