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Kingscourt brothers win best Young Filmmaker of the Year awards

In a jaw-dropping sweep two brothers from Kingscourt claimed the top prizes in their respective categories at Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards (IYFTY) 2026.

Liam Raymond (18) took home the best Young Filmmaker of the Year award just days after his brother, Fionn Barra (12), scooped the junior title - a cinematic double whammy that would make even the most seasoned Oscar families blink.

“It’s surreal,” Liam admits on Friday, the glitz and buzz from the Dublin Mansion House ceremony still fresh in his mind's eye.

“I’ve been doing Fresh Film for three years, but this year, everything came together. I’m in my final year of school, so to go out with a bang like this is really unbelievable,” he told the Celt.

Liam's film 'Deep Where The Cailleach Lives' was deemed the best from more than 1,500 entries from across Ireland.

The film tells the story of a young boy who must face a series of trials set by a powerful figure from Irish mythology in order to save his dying mother. Drawing on Irish folklore, it also includes a central performance from Fionn Barra.

The IYFTY awards, often dubbed Ireland’s 'Young Oscars' are part of the Fresh International Film Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Alumni include Oscar-nominated Vincent Lambe, filmmaker Dónal Foreman, and IFTA nominee Cal O’Driscoll. This year, more than 300 young filmmakers competed for 17 awards.

Liam is no stranger to the IYFTY red carpet, having previously won in 2025 for 'Sluaghs of the Forests' and reaching the regional finals the year before with 'The Guilt Trap'. But this year, he raised the bar, shooting on a shoestring budget and winning the Screen Producers Ireland Most Sustainable Award for eco-conscious film-making.

“I did everything myself - directing, producing, building sets, operating the camera, recording sound,” Liam explains.

And the leap from last year’s iPhone-shot debut to his latest cinematic triumph is staggering.

“I got a Blackmagic Pocket 4K, a boom mic, and taught myself DaVinci Resolve from scratch. At first, it felt like stepping into a cockpit - completely overwhelming.”

Even Liam’s first feature film experience on his 18th birthday, working on 'The Disappearance of Emily Ray' with Adam Merriman and John Connors, proved invaluable.

“They even got me a cake. Best birthday ever,” he laughs.

Fionn Barra, modest but brimming with pride, describes the experience of winning his own award.

'The Battle of Time' was shot entirely on an iPhone 7 and edited in CapCut in just 90 minutes.

“I just wanted to make something fun. I didn’t really think about winning - I just wanted to tell the story,” he says.

“I learned a lot just by watching my brother. I think that helped a lot.”

For Fionn Barra, the journey is only beginning. Asked whether he’d like to work with his big brother Liam directing or producing future film projects, he grins: “Definitely!”

Liam is in agreement, and the benchmark is high - to be like the Duffer Brothers on the Netflix screen phenomenon 'Stranger Things'.

“We get along really well - no sibling rivalry here,” laughs Liam.

Fionn Barra says his inspiration comes from pure imagination rather than big-budget films: “I just make it up myself.”

Even the brother's youngest sibling, eight-year-old Paudie, has made an appearance and Fionn Barra says it is “a lot of fun” to work with his brothers.

Back in Kingscourt, last Friday his classmates gave Fionn Barra a hero’s welcome.

“The whole school held an assembly for me,” he says. “I was shocked, but really proud. It feels amazing.”

Liam on the other hand is studying for his Leaving Certificate, and when this newspaper hits shops on Wednesday, will be going through his final preparations for his Irish Orals.

He’s already applied to UCAS to study film at Derry’s Magee campus.

But his dreams go further still, and Liam is currently working on a script for his first feature film.

“I want to make something Ireland hasn’t seen before,” he says. “I like mixing darker elements with humour and warmth.

Audiences still want to enjoy themselves, even in emotional stories. I want to make something Ireland hasn’t seen before- everything by hand, nothing AI or CGI. It makes performances feel real.”