Meet the Selectors

Maurice Galway

Animation Dingle co-founder and Festival Director, Maurice Galway has over 25 years of festival experience and he brings this each year to Animation Dingle. As a festival director, programmer, exhibitor and as an artist and filmmaker himself, Maurice has a deep understanding of what works, what needs to be seen, what audiences want to see, how to exhibit that and, ultimately, what is good!

Maurice has viewed thousands and thousands of hours worth of film and animation and is a highly experienced programmer. Maurice has programmed for Festivals, not only in Ireland, but also internationally.

Marty Boylan

Marty Boylan is a senior lecturer in the Creative Media Department of the Munster Technological University in Kerry. He is the course leader for the Animation, Visual Effects & Motion Design programme at the MTU. Marty specializes in Stopmotion, Character Modelling, 3D VFX, and Sensor Technology.

Josh O’Caoimh

Josh O’Caoimh is an Irish animation filmmaker. He graduated from The National Film School, IADT. His previous work has received a world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, qualified for the 2023 Academy Awards and won the 2022 IFTA for Best Animation. Currently he is developing a limited series with Irish animation studio ‘and maps and plans’.

Jemma Shorten

Jemma is a graduate of Animation, Visual Effects, and Motion Design from MTU. She has been with Animation Dingle since 2020, where she has been involved in the organization of three successful online festivals. With her extensive experience as a film selector, Jemma is eagerly looking forward to this year’s festival, which will be held in person and in Dingle. Her work with Animation Dingle has given her an exciting glimpse into the potential of the Irish animation industry in the coming years. Jemma finds it rewarding to coordinate and organize festival logistics and is looking forward to contributing further to this dynamic field.

Mark Cumberton

Mark is currently Series Producer for ‘Nova Jones’ - 10 X 24 minutes for CBBC and recently completed, ‘Jessy and Nessy’ - 40 X 11 minutes for Amazon Studios. He was also the Series Producer for, ‘Becca’s Bunch’ - 52 x 11 minutes for Nickelodeon US & UK + ‘Little Roy’ – 52 x 14 minutes for CBeebies & CBBC and has produced, Zig & Zag, Zogcasts and Roy series 3 & 4. He was also the Producer on the original Roy 01-04 series, Baby Jake, PICME and the Media funded, Tilly and Friends and Funky Fables. Roy has won numerous international awards including BAFTA, RTS and Kidscreen. Mark has produced several short films, most notably the Irish Film Board funded, Badly Drawn Roy and Escape.

Mark continues as COO Chief Operations Officer & Co-founder of JAM Media since its inception in 2002. His position makes him responsible for the smooth running of all operations and productions by the company, ensuring that all productions are consistent with the world class high standard synonymous with JAM. Prior to co-founding JAM Media, Mark worked with Walt Disney Feature animation on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ and ‘Hercules’ in Paris and Los Angeles and also with Don Bluth Studios in Ireland as a Special Effects Animator.

Gwen Fagan

Gwen Fagan coordinates the Animation and Games degree at Ballyfermot College of Further Education, where she also teaches life drawing and studio-based practical courses with an emphasis on design process. Gwen’s involvement with Animation Dingle began in 2015 as part of an education panel and continued with the seminal ‘Dingle Stings’ project. She’s had the privilege of traveling with students to Cartoon Forum’s Spotlight on Ireland, and regularly attends animation and game-focused festivals, conferences, and workshops. She also adjudicates the US-based Campus Movie Fest. Gwen is currently working with her teaching team in consultation with industry to complete the 5-year Programme Revalidation.

Gwen earned her BFA (hons) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a dual major in Sculpture/Technology and Art History.

Mikai Geronimo Martin Hanley

Mikai Geronimo is an Irish-Filipino animation filmmaker. She graduated from The National Film School at IADT in 2020. Her graduation film ‘Fall of the Ibis King’ has received a world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, qualified for the 2023 Academy Awards and won the 2022 IFTA for Best Animation. She has also worked as a posing artist on Cartoon Saloon’s ‘My Father’s Dragon’ and as a director and animator at And Maps And Plans where she is currently developing a limited series.

Martin Hanley ( a Tipperary native) has worked for 30 years + in the Irish and international Animation and Film industries. He started his career under the tutelage of Harry Hess and the great Jimmy T. Murakami in Blackrock. His first work experiences were with Emerald City productions and Sullivan Bluth Studios in their Layout departments where he worked on classics like Stephen Speilberg’s: Land before Time, All Dogs go to Heaven and Thumbelina etc. He’s also worked overseas in story, concept and development for MGM ( All Dogs 2) , Fox Animation (Anastasia) Panache Paris (Smog story dev) Disney ( Banshee) and as a development artist on ‘How to train your Dragon 2’ for Dreamworks Animation. He’s also been closely involved in visual media education in Ireland, on various courses ( in Animation dept., where the Dingle Stings were developed, Illustration, Ifx, Games development and VR) at BCFE /ISA, Ballyfermot where he continues to teach on their degree programme to this day.