A queer Irish film centred on a father-son relationship is set to make its US premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California.
Produced and written by Philip Emo, co-produced by Killian Casey and directed by Aisling O’Regan Sargent, His House, Home is a short film starring Oskar Smith as Luke, who grapples with his sexuality. However, when a new carer, Hermes (played by Rodrigo Ternevoy), arrives to support Luke’s father, Malcolm (played by David Layde), our protagonist is forced to come to terms with his fear of coming out to his dad.
The film is a product of All My Friends, a queer-led Irish film and TV production, which was founded by Casey and Emo in 2023. His House, Home was funded by Screen Ireland’s 2024 Focus Shorts Scheme.
Last year, His House, Home was screened at the 37th Galway Film Fleadh and the Kerry International Film Festival, and it will be screened as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which runs from February 4 to 14. Irish viewers will then have another opportunity to catch it at the Dublin International Film Festival, which kicks off on February 19.
Ahead of its upcoming festival circuit, director O’Regan Sargent said His House, Home is a “new take on a queer story”.
“We have crafted an angle that is a departure from the young son coming out to his old-fashioned father trope,” she said. “His House, Home is a queer story centred in care. I have always had a great interest in the duplicitous nature of care, especially in young people, and how this level of responsibility can sabotage your sense of self, especially within relationships.”
This film, O’Regan Sargent notes, is a story that “feels lived in – raw, authentic and emotionally immediate”, with a narrative that invites the audience into Luke’s inner world.
“Much of this comes from embracing simplicity: letting dialogue emerge naturally, giving the cast room to discover their own expression, and shaping a visual language steeped in reality,” the director said.
All My Friends is currently developing several other feature films and television projects.
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