Chalk Talk: Headfort School celebrates second consecutive FÍS Film Awards nomination

Headfort School is celebrating another national film success after being shortlisted for the 21st Annual FÍS Film Awards.

The school’s new short film, Thalia Drake: The Lost Codex, has earned Headfort a place at the awards ceremony, which will take place at the Helix Theatre in February 2027.

The film is based on a story by Headfort pupil James and takes viewers into a magical world where a secret black magic organisation, The Onyx Order, is searching for an ancient codex containing spells with the power to travel into the past and rewrite history.

The codex is hidden in Headfort School’s ballroom and it falls to the school’s young defenders to protect it. Even with a dragon at its command, The Onyx Order faces a battle as the pupils use their own magical skills to keep the powerful book out of its hands.

Pupils involved in cinematography played an active part throughout the production, working as camera operators, actors, sound technicians, boom operators and costume designers.

They also learned about shot types, storyboarding and green screen techniques, as well as how CGI and visual effects are used in filmmaking, before putting those skills into practice on set.

The project gave the pupils an opportunity to be creative, work together and experience the different stages involved in bringing a story from the page to the screen. It marks the second consecutive year that Headfort School has been nominated at the national event, a fantastic achievement for the young filmmakers involved.The FÍS Film Awards celebrate film making in primary schools across Ireland, giving pupils the opportunity to develop their creativity and bring their own stories to life on screen.Now all eyes will be on the Helix in February, when the Headfort pupils will see how Thalia Drake: The Lost Codex fares on the national stage.