Shaunagh Connaire, Former Communications Director for George and Amal Clooney’s Justice Foundation, Sets Directorial Debut ‘Brown Bread’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Shaunagh Connaire, the two-time Emmy-nominated Irish journalist who has produced documentaries for the likes of the BBC and PBS Frontline and also served as communication director for George and Amal Clooney‘s Foundation for Justice, has made her directorial debut.

“Brown Bread,” which is set to have its world premiere at the upcoming Galway Film Fleadh, is a short film that marks Connaire’s first foray into narrative drama, turning her storytelling lens toward emigration and family tension in modern Ireland.

The film — described by Connaire as a “modern twist on the Irish emigration story” — is led by Emmy-winning actress Fionnula Flanagan (“Lost,” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”), Katie McGrath (“Merlin,” “Supergirl”) and Dermot Crowley (“Luther: The Fallen Sun,” “The Death of Stalin”).

Inspired by Connaire’s own experience of being unable to return to Ireland from the U.S. for her godmother’s funeral, “Brown Bead” follows Áine (McGrath), a woman whose return to Ireland from New York to attend her godmother’s memorial mass stirs up old tensions, grief, and unspoken affection in her rural family home. Flanagan stars as Betty, a proud but emotionally restrained mother struggling with her daughter’s return, while Crowley plays Áine’s father Seamus.

“I was very lucky to have spent the last three years working with George and Amal Clooney as Director of Communications at their foundation. I think being in their presence and learning a little bit about the world of Hollywood, gave me the confidence to enter this world,” said Connaire.

“Brown Bread was my first time stepping onto a drama set. For the past decade I’ve documented the opioid epidemic in the US, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the migrant crisis in the Middle East — environments where the stakes were very real. This film was a different kind of intensity, but just as meaningful in its own way.”

Producer Julie Ryan (“The Young Offenders”) of MK1 Studios came aboard the film after reading the script.

“Shaunagh and I have known each other since college, so this felt like a natural fit. I was immediately struck by the script. It was sharp, funny, and full of emotional truth. She’s a hugely talented writer and director with a strong sense of tone and storytelling,” said Ryan.

“With the market shifting, short film is a valuable space to develop voice and vision. It gives new filmmakers the freedom to take creative risks and tell distinctive stories on their own terms.”

“Brown Bread” was filmed in Connaire’s hometown of Longford, with support from Creative Ireland’s Longford branch and local community. The film was written and directed by Connaire, produced by Ryan for MK1 Studios, with Sam and Amelia Dennigan and Anne Heraty as associate producers.