A YOUNG actor from Ballingeary is making his TV debut in an award-winning Irish language film, which will be screened on TG4 on Easter Sunday.

Newcomer Dylan Ó Céilleachair (12) stars in Mamó & Mise, a short film for young people which follows ten-year old Fionn who skips school to spend one last day with his grandmother, on an adventure in the Irish countryside.

‘It was fun and I enjoyed getting paid for the role,’ said Dylan, whose only other acting role was in a school play about animals at Christmas.

‘The film really touched me and the story didn’t seem made up but about an actual boy’s life,’ he added.

‘I enjoyed seeing how scenes are filmed from different angles, and also seeing the lighting and different effects. I got the part because there was a letter sent to my sister’s class looking for a boy between the ages of eight and ten who could speak Irish.’

Dylan went to a first informal audition at The Mills Inn in Ballyvourney. He ended up securing the part as Fionn when the producers came back for a second audition to his family home and asked him to read parts from the script.

‘He took to it like a fish to water,’ said Dylan’s mum Annamarie Kelleher. ‘We are really proud of him. I was blown away by how natural he was in front of the camera. It was a proud parent moment.’

Mamó & Mise is a heart-warming 15-minute production exploring family life and grief. It was shot entirely on location in Gaeltacht Mhúscraí in West Cork, mainly in Ballingeary and Ballyvourney.

Brothers Jack and Cian Desmond directed the script written by Jack.

The script was translated into the Múscraí dialect by Ballingeary playwright Seán Óg Ó Duinnín who also appears in the film as the school bus driver.

Local primary schools provided talented extras and locations, including Scoil Ré na nDóirí. Among them was Dylan’s sister Erin, aged nine, who got her moment to shine in one of the school scenes.

‘We’re delighted to see the film have such a great response from audiences and festivals around the world,’ said writer and co-director Jack Desmond.

Jack and Cian Desmond.

‘We had a fantastic team working on this film, and we’re grateful to everyone from the Ballingeary and Ballyvourney area for helping to make this possible.’

The film has already scooped up awards in different countries, including in Germany, Egypt and India.

Closer to home it received the Kids’ Choice Award at the Kerry International Film Festival and it has been nominated for the prestigious Torc Award for Best Childrens’ Programme at the Celtic Media Festival, held in Belfast in June.

West Cork filmmaking talent were part of the crew, including production designer Diarmuid Wolfe and Emmy-award-winning Danny Crowley from Leap who worked on the film as location sound mixer.

Mamó & Mise will be broadcast on TG4 on Easter Sunday April 5th at 7.15pm, and will also be available to view on the TG4 Player afterwards.