NH vod
Holy Mary
Mary is forced to grow up faster than expected between her Holy Communion and Christmas.
Spring 1991, Ireland, and MARY (8) is getting ready for the biggest event of her life so far: her first Holy Communion. Mary is a lonely child who longs to be friends with cool-girl MAJELLA (8). Majella is a bad egg, the bane of Mary’s life, who constantly picks on Mary and calls her nasty names. In the run-up, Ma promises Mary the most beautiful Holy Communion dress in the class but on the day itself, Majella begins to taunt Mary for her dress smelling like bleach. Overhearing this, Ma furiously confronts Majella and a fight between the parents breaks out. Religion doesn’t seem to hold the answers that Mary hopes but she still convinces Ma to have her baby Peter baptised at the Church. But suddenly, Mary’s Da shows up. Familiar problems between Ma and Da rear their ugly head again… Da blames Mary for the missing piggy bank money, causing Mary to run away. In a final wild caper Mary is rescued and returned home, and finds confidence to stand up to the bullies!
Pitching team
Eamon Hughes
Eamon Hughes graduated from the National Film School, Ireland, where his graduate film, "To All My Darlings", won the audience award for Best Short Film at the Dublin IFF 2021 and was long listed for the Student BAFTA awards. He is currently the Production Manager at Samson Films, a feature film production company based in Dublin, Ireland, which recently produced, "My Sailor, My Love" (TIFF 2022), "The Ghost of Richard Harris" (Venice Biennale 2022), and "Baltimore" (Telluride / BFI LFF 2023). Eamon has also produced a number of short films, most notably, "Songbird", commissioned by RTE and EBU in 2023.
Furthering his education, Eamon recently completed the IMPACT hub Fiction; Market Ready course in 2024, and a Post-Graduate in Advanced Producing from TU Dublin. He was selected as a Jury Member for the Giornate Degli Autori Programme in the Venice Biennale 2023 and subsequently was invited to partake on the European Parliament’s LUX Audience Award Selection Panel for the 2025 Finalists.
Viko Nikci
Viko Nikci is a writer and director for film and theatre. Born in Kosova, raised in NYC and based in Dublin, Viko has worked in the arts every since taking a wrong turn in Chelsea and stumbling into the Irish Repertory Theatre at age 15. With a fake ID swearing he was 18, he walked out with a job and the start of a life-long journey in the world of storytelling. Award winning films include "Coming Home" and "Cellar Door". Recent screenplays include "Chasing Yout Ghost", "Catch and Kite" and the upcoming "Lineage". Recent theatre includes the world premiere stage adaptation of Meave Binchy’s "Circle of Friends". From chairman of Filmbase to founding a children’s charity, Viko has held many roles - but none as cherished as being a father to three little heroes.
