IN WAKE OF JOHN DOYLE - Press Kit

An excommunicated priest returns to his remote island community in a documentary, previously lost to time.

Excommunicated for miraculously rising from the grave, former priest John Doyle returns to the remote island community that was formerly his parish in a documentary, previously lost to the depths time.

Stepping through his old home, John retraces the events of a traumatic past as he is recorded by two documentarians. 

In Wake of John Doyle is a coastal based folk-drama following the trail of truth in the face of the traumatic, set against the backdrop of coastal Northern Ireland, blending ghost story and found footage pseudo-documentary, all captured distinctly on Hi8 tape.

Title: In Wake of John Doyle
Genre: Experimental/Drama
Country: Ireland
Language: English
Duration: 14:57
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Frame Rate: 25fps
Shooting Format: Hi-8: Sony CCD-TR511E
Exhibition Format: 4K Digital
Sound: 5.1, Stereo

Award badge from Dublin International Film Festival 2025, indicating official selection, with white laurel leaves on a black background.

Festivals and Awards

A black and white emblem for the Belfast Film Festival 2024, featuring a stylized owl with glasses surrounded by laurel branches and the text 'Belfast Film Festival 2024 Official Selection'.
Laurels surrounding text indicating winner of the 2024 Film Devour Short Film Festival, audience choice
Black and white award badge for the Berlin Indie Film Festival 2025, with laurel leaves on either side.
Award emblem for the Big Fridge International Film Festival 2025, featuring a laurel wreath design with text recognizing a finalist.
Logo for the 2024 Louth International Film Festival featuring a lion at the top, surrounded by laurel branches, with event details in white text on a black background.
Black background with white laurel wreath and text that reads: 'Official Selection 16th Underground Cinema Film Awards Dublin 2025'.
Black background with white laurel wreath and text that reads "OFF SCREEN" in bold, distressed font and "Official selection 2025" below.
Black and white award badge with laurel wreaths and text indicating selection for Los Angeles Independent Film Awards in 2024.
Logo for the 2024 Astonishing Narratives Short Film Awards, featuring laurel wreaths surrounding the event name.
Black and white logo for Lift-Off Global Network Sessions 2024, featuring a laurel branch and a stylized skyscraper.

Creative TEAm

In Wake of John Doyle was the first collaboration between creative duo Niall McCloskey and Thomas Bennett

Niall & Thomas are a Belfast-based award-winning writing, directing, producing & visual art duo known for their use of analogue film formats, from HI8 to Super-8.

Together their work has been funded by Northern Ireland Screen, Arts Council NI & the BFI Network and has been recognised and awarded nationally and internationally with their work showcasing at Academy®, BAFTA, BIFA & IFTA qualifying Film Festivals.

Written, Directed, Produced & Edited by Niall McCloskey and Thomas Bennett.

John Doyle . . . Richard Mcferran
Father Oisin Clarke . . . Paul Livingstone
Claire . . . Anna McAlorum
Mark . . . Matthew Branagh

Director of Photography – Thomas Bennett
First Assistant Director – Eoin Donnelly
Script Supervisor – Katie Goody
Gaffer – Samuel Mair
Spark – C.J Snodden
Production Sound Mixer / Boom Operator - John Panayotou
Standby Prop – Jenny Parkhill
Costume Designer - Katie Ireland
Unit Stills - Nathan Magee