A former student of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School is “delighted” to have won several awards for a film she created during her A-Level studies.

Caoimhe Gallagher Lawson won the awards for her A2 film, ‘The Room is Barren and Red’, which she made as part of the A-Level subject Moving Image Arts. The short film tells the story of a young man whose inner demons are awoken through an uncaring diagnosis and a misuse of prescription pills to kill his pain.

On October 25, it was announced that Caoimhe had won two awards at the NOISE Flicks Film festival in Dublin. NOISE Flicks is an initiative of South Dublin County Council’s Arts Office with the support of RUA RED, IT Tallaght, RTÉ, and the Arts Council.

Her film won the Best Cinematography award and the Audience Award for their choice of best film. The award ceremony took place at the IMC cinema in Tallaght.

Caoimhe said: “I was really delighted to win the awards. It is really great to have my work recognised by independent judges! I was especially thrilled to win the Audience Choice award.”

On November 21 Caoimhe’s film won joint first prize at the CCEA Moving Image Arts Showcase at the Odyssey Cinema in Belfast, shown as part of the Foyle Film Festival 2019.

Commenting on Caoimhe’s film, the judges said: “This was an extremely well crafted and emotive piece. The judging panel was particularly impressed by its superb lighting and sound work, and its sustained and expressive creation of atmosphere.”

The showcase judges, who are all from industry, have to select the final nominees from over 300 shortlisted films that are submitted from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore and Hong Kong.

On winning this award Caoimhe said: “I am absolutely thrilled. It was great to see my film on such a large screen and it worked well. I just love making films, creating work. I was not expecting this award. It is fantastic to get such recognition and to be selected by independent judges who are all coming from industry.”

Teachers, Mr. David Boyle and Ms. Cara O’Donohue together with a number of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School students attended the awards ceremony that took place in a packed cinema, which included hundreds of students, teachers, parents and industry professionals.

Mr. Boyle said: “I am very proud of Caoimhe’s achievements and so is the whole school. I expect Caoimhe to have a very successful career in filmmaking. She is very creative and has raw talent. It was a pleasure to teach her.”

The two joint first prize A2 film award winners this year were both students from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, as Caoimhe’s classmate, John Allen, was also awarded joint FIRSTst place.

This is the third year in a row that a student from ERGS has won first prize at the CCEA MIA showcase awards ceremony. In 2017, Caoimhe’s brother, Fiachra Gallagher Lawson also a student at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, took home first prize at the CCEA Moving Image Arts Showcase awards ceremony for his AS level film, ‘Mr. L’s Limbo’, in 2017. In 2018, he was again awarded first prize for his A2 film, ‘Viinadorian’.

Caoimhe was also first in Northern Ireland in A-Level History of Art (CCEA) and her classmate Erin Webster was second in Northern Ireland. Caoimhe receives an award at a special ceremony on December 17 in Belfast to honour her achievements.

Caoimhe is currently a student at the National Film School in the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, studying Film and TV production.