A ‘joyful’ short film about a young boy who wants to wear a dress to his Holy Communion is set to be part of a global LGBTQIA+ film campaign.
Just Johnny, the debut screenplay by the former Hollyoaks actor and writer Gerard McCarthy, has been selected for Five Films for Freedom, the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQIA+ digital campaign and will see the film screened for free to audiences across the world from 15-26 March.
Now in its ninth year, Five Films For Freedom is a partnership between the British Council and BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, with Just Johnny the first-ever film selected from Northern Ireland; joining films from Cyprus, Guyana, Nigeria and South Korea in the programme.
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The short, which was directed by Terry Loane (Mickybo and Me/ The Last Rifleman) and produced by Shauna Shivers McAtamney, is the debut from Northern Ireland-based production company, Doyen Pictures.
It stars Martin McCann, Roisin Gallagher and Tara Lynn O’Neill alongside newcomer Daniel Willis in the role of Johnny.
Filmed in North Belfast, it centres on West Belfast parents Maria and Dermot, played by Gallagher and McCann, whose straightforward family life takes a sudden turn when their son, Johnny, announces that he wants to wear a dress for his Holy Communion.
Both parents are keen to do what is best for Johnny, but their different opinions almost pull the happy family apart.
The film has already received global attention, including winning a Gryphon Award at the prestigious Giffoni International Film Festival in Italy and Audience Choice Awards at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle, with Producer Shauna Shivers McAtamney ‘overwhelmed’ with the reaction to the film so far.
“Just Johnny has been on such a lovely journey, playing to audiences all over the world since 2021 and we're so proud of it – being the first Northern Ireland film selected for Five Films For Freedom has been the icing on the cake for us," she said.
"The film has been championed by a lot of Family and LGBTQIA+ film festivals across the US and Europe and we also got great feedback from Kinder Film Fest in Japan, where it was dubbed; their audiences really loved and embraced the film.
"The entire Just Johnny team has just been overwhelmed with the reaction.
Shauna added that it is a very joyful film which celebrates Northern Ireland.
"When we were developing the film in 2019, we really wanted to reflect the community and people from Northern Ireland with authenticity and really highlight the vibrancy and sense of community that we have here," she continued.
"We shot the film in March 2021, one of the first productions to film here after lockdown, which presented some challenges, but we were fortunate to have a talented cast and crew, whose professionalism and passion brought great energy to the set, making the experience so special and enjoyable.
“Gerard, our screenwriter, describes it a ‘love letter to parents everywhere’ and I think that sums it up perfectly as families across the world have connected beautifully with this Belfast story.
"It's also a celebration of children, their bravery, and their ability to look beyond labels and celebrate their friends for who they are.”
During BFI Flare, the Five Films for Freedom programme will be launched at a special event in Westminster on Tuesday, 21st March, before the films are presented as part of a BFI UK Shorts Programme on Saturday, 25th March.
Shauna said: “We’re really looking forward to participating in BFI Flare as this will be our London Premiere and we’re so delighted that our first screening will be for the Flare audience.
"The special event at Westminster is also an exciting opportunity and we can’t wait to meet the other filmmakers and celebrate their films, each of which is so different.
“It’s also amazing for us to come under the campaign’s banner of ‘love is a human right’ bringing universal, heartfelt human stories to audiences around the world.
"It just means so much for a story set in the north of Ireland to be chosen and given such a massive platform – Five Films for Freedom’s reach is incredible and their endeavour to make these powerful LGBTQIA+ films accessible to everyone is so important . That’s all you can want as a filmmaker really, to reach as many people as you can.”
Since 2015 and with the programmes live for less than 100 days, Five Films for Freedom films have been viewed 20 million times by people in over 200 countries and principalities, including all parts of the world where homosexuality is criminalised, and all countries where the death penalty is in place.
Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said: “Five Films for Freedom promotes rarely heard LGBTQIA+ stories from around the world, and makes them accessible to a global audience.
"We’re so delighted then to see Just Johnny as part of this year’s campaign. Northern Ireland has always had a great tradition for storytelling, and with our screen industry continuing to thrive on the international stage, we hope Just Johnny can inspire the next generation of filmmakers, actors and writers.
“People can follow this year’s campaign through the hashtag #FiveFilmsForFreedom and watch the other four films from across the world.”
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