Maeve Murphy
Biography
Maeve's first feature Silent Grace starring Orla Brady about the women on the iconic 1980 IRA Dirty Protest and Hunger Strike who were written out of history was selected to represent the UK at Cannes and The Irish Times 2020 Best 50 Irish Films Ever Made. Beyond the Fire, ICA, starring Cara Seymour had censorship issues but was given an instant broadcast by TV3, then BBC. Sushi, a short comedy, was winner Venice FF. Taking Stock starring Kelly Brook, a caper about revenging shop assistants, was "Popular on Netflix". Her short St Pancras Sunrise about a youngster arriving in Kings Cross, exec produced by Jim Sheridan, inspired by 1982 ECP women's church occupation in protest against Met police brutality, Raindance, 8 awards internationally, Long Listed Best Director at the British Short Film Awards 2024, Nominee Best Director European Short Film Awards 2025. Siobhan, St Pancras Sunrise, The Wolf 2026 ( writ/star Kellie Shirley) are 3 shorts directed by Maeve brought together as a single cumulative feminist work "The Geography of Violence" Premiere La Femme Int FF, June 2026. Maeve was short listed for Jack Gold Prize for Best Direction for The Wolf at Fastnet FF 2026.
Known For & Full Filmography2 Titles
Movie - 1995, 2h 15m • as Vicar's Wife
When a shy young man arrives on her doorstep, Alice Hartley grabs the chance to escape from her loveless marriage. She and Michael open a Growth Centre with a difference - offering sex, drugs and personalised water births.
Movie - 2001, 2h 15m • as Roisin
In 1976 the British Government put an end to the special category status of prisoners from the Provisional Irish Republican Army, no longer treating them as prisoners of war, but as common criminals. Mairéad Farrell – on whose life much of the film seems to be loosely based – was the first woman Republican to be refused political status in 1976. By 1980, when the film is set, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and doggedly resolute: “There can be no question of political status for someone who is serving a sentence for crime. Crime is crime is crime.” Silent Grace seeks to capture the struggle for the restoration of political status that was at the heart of prison protests in Northern Ireland – not just by the more celebrated male prisoners – but by a smaller number of women prisoners, led by Farrell, at the Armagh Women’s Prison.