Young Waterford filmmakers win prestigious national award

Waterford Youth Arts’ short film, ‘Frequency 208.4’ has picked up the accolade for Best Youth Project Film at the prestigious Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards 2025.

Thtoe dystopian short film is set in a world torn apart by war, where hope becomes the last beacon of light for a scattered group of survivors.

Directed by the talented young filmmakers, Neeva Lén and Karim Mbamba, the project was produced under the mentorship of Luke Corcoran and Bee Tobin.

The project features post-production and visual effects crafted by John Bermingham, with a screenplay written by Alex Feeney.

This is not the first accolade for the young filmmakers, as their film was also a winner at First Cut Youth Film Festival earlier this year and picked up the accolade for Best Narrative (Youth) at Indie Shorts Festival, Tucson Arizona, USA.

Director Karim Mbamba represented the group of young filmmakers from Waterford Youth Arts collecting the honour at the awards ceremony, which took place on April 10, at Omniplex Cinema in Rathmines, Dublin. The ceremony was broadcast live on YouTube for a global audience.

Artistic Director, Jayne Foley praised this year’s entries for their imagination and innovation.

“The festival continues to inspire young filmmakers globally, with participants from 82 countries submitting entries. Past alumni of the festival include notable figures such as Oscar-nominated director Vincent Lambe (Detainment) and acclaimed filmmaker Dónal Foreman," she said.

"Frequency 208.4’s success underscores the thriving creative talent within Ireland's youth and serves as an inspiration for aspiring filmmakers nationwide," she added. 'Frequency 208.4' is shortlisted for finals at Baloss Milan Film Festival next month. 

Hosted by comedians Justine Stafford and Hannah Mamalis, with red carpet coverage by Faye Shortt, the event marked a record-breaking year for submissions, featuring films from over 82 countries.

The shortlisted films span across genres including dramas, documentaries, and animated shorts.

Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards awards, in an array of categories, included Best School, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Screenplay and many more, alongside specialist awards such as the Radharc Trust Award for documentaries, the new SPI, Most Sustainable Production Award, and the RTÉ Factual Award, along with the Audience Award.