Nathan Fagan

Nathan Fagan is an award-winning Irish writer and director. His films have received numerous awards and nominations, screening at such festivals as Alcine, the Iris Prize, Flickerfest Australia, Flickers’ Rhode Island, Leeds, Dublin, Belfast, and many others.

His short film, FLICKER, won the Grand Prix at the Cork International Film Festival, placing it on the Oscars longlist, and was nominated for an IFTA. His film, SKIN TO SKIN, was nominated for a Cannes YDA. His latest short, MUD QUEEN, won the Audience Award at the Dublin International and was nominated for an Iris Prize. In 2022, he received a Film Project Award from the Arts Council of Ireland for his upcoming film, INSIDE, THE VALLEY SINGS. He is in development with Screen Ireland on his first feature film. He frequently directs as part of a directing duo alongside Luke Daly.

Spindrift

LIM | Less is More 2024

15-year-old Leo is adrift. Alienated, introverted, and growing increasingly apart from his mother, Sophie, he unexpectedly reconnects with his charismatic, estranged biological father, Julian. Julian’s company offers a distraction and a tempting remedy for his son’s loneliness.

As their bond deepens, Leo becomes increasingly seduced by his father’s unconventional way of life. He starts to participate in his father’s petty crimes, experiment with drugs and embrace his father’s romanticised view of the artist as a rebellious outsider. But as Leo grows closer to his father and becomes increasingly reliant on him to navigate his complex emotional needs, the limitations of Julian’s love become painfully apparent.

Set in contemporary Dublin, SPINDRIFT is a semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama about a son searching for a father. It’s about seeking love in all the wrong places. About – as Joan Didion once wrote – the stories we tell ourselves in order to live.