Gaelic-speaking school pupil Parker Dawes is celebrating after his award-winning FilmG short film was shortlisted for the prestigious Celtic Media Festival.

Iomlaineachd (Perfection) won Best Film (-18) at last year’s FilmG Awards in February 2024 and helped to propel young Parker into an even more prominent position in the film development landscape in Scotland. Parker’s film is nominated in the Short Form category at the 46th Celtic Media Festival in Cornwall this June, where it will compete against entries from Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Galicia.

The Celtic Media Festival announced the shortlist online, and the news was later shared at this year’s FilmG Awards on 7 March at the SEC in Glasgow, where Parker also picked up the prize for Best Drama for his film noir entry Air Choire.

Parker’s father Al Dawes said: “Parker has loved making films for FilmG, and to see them not only succeed in Scotland but now compete internationally against professional entries is such an honour.”

Scottish success

Parker’s nomination is another boost for FilmG, which also had great success at the recent Scottish Youth Film Foundation Awards. Five FilmG entries were nominated across all three 13-18 categories, with three out of the four nominations for Best Documentary all coming from FilmG.

Gaelic films from FilmG won all three 13-18 categories, competing against English-language entries from across Scotland. Parker Dawes won Best Live Action for Iomlaineachd, Sgoil Lìonacleit in the Western Isles won Best Documentary and Sophie Smith from the Highlands won Best Animation.

Earlier in March, it was also announced that a number of FilmG entries have been nominated across all three categories at the new Films of Scotland competition. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in Edinburgh on March 29, 2025.

Maggie Taylor, Head of Publishing at MG ALBA, which owns FilmG, added: “FilmG is currently punching above its weight, with filmmakers like Parker excelling while it’s also developing a strong pipeline of emerging talent. It’s an exciting time for Gaelic short films and we’re delighted with the achievements of Parker and the others who have either won or been nominated at other competitions and festivals.”

For more information, visit the FilmG website, the Celtic Media Festival website and the Films of Scotland portal on the Scottish Youth Film Foundation website.

Parker’s winning films are available to view here:
Iomlaineachd (unsubtitled)
Air Choire