Examining love, consent, and the right to self-determination, RTÉ and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland’s GRACE, written and directed by Anna Rodgers, will make its International Premiere at the 50th Cleveland International Film Festival.
GRACE follows a woman in her late twenties with Down Syndrome as she navigates adulthood, independence, and her first serious romantic relationship. As Grace (Fiadhnait Canning) grows closer to her boyfriend Tommy, their relationship is met with hesitation from those around them, who continue to make decisions on their behalf believing they are acting in their best interest. As she begins to find her voice, Grace pushes back against these constraints, challenging long-held assumptions about her capacity and autonomy to define her own life.
The film is grounded in the context of Ireland’s Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, enacted in 2023, which affirms that all adults have the right to make decisions about their own lives. Through Grace’s journey, the film reflects a broader societal shift toward autonomy, dignity, and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities especially when it comes to romantic experiences.
Anna Rodgers is an IFTA-winning filmmaker best known for her documentary Somebody to Love, which explored sex, love, and relationships for people with disabilities. This film contributed to debates which changed the law which addressed the sexual capacity of individuals with intellectual disabilities in 2017. She directed the acclaimed Netflix documentary How to Tell a Secret with Shaun Dunne and received the Netflix Documentary Talent Award for her short film Two Mothers. She also previously directed award winning films Hold on Tight, When Women Won and Armour Off. (*Or this final line could say “She currently has her debut feature drama in development with Storyhouse Lab Ireland.”)
Producer Nuala Carr’s recent drama credits include The Unreal Series 1 and 2 (2024, 2025) family drama series for RTÉ and Glitch (2025) children’s drama for EBU, both directed by Bonnie Dempsey. Recent documentaries include The Locals (2024) and Stories from the Street (2023) directed by Luke McManus.
Executive producer Zlata Filipovic is an EMMY and IFTA award winning producer. Her more recent credits include How To Tell A Secret, The last Balkan Cowboy, Two Mothers, Listen to the Land Speak and The Farthest. This film is an Invisible Thread Films production.
Making her screen debut, Fiadhnait Canning is a 28-year-old woman with Down Syndrome, an advocate, and a public speaker on inclusion and disability. She holds a certificate in Psychology from Yale University and is the author of In My Own Words. Her co-star Luca Malocco Mulville is also an actor with an intellectual disability and performs the role of the boyfriend Tommy in his first on screen role.
GRACE is nominated at Gradaim RTS/Royal Television Society Ireland Awards 2026 for Best Short Film and Audience Award which can be voted here.
GRACE will screen at the 50th Cleveland International Film Festival in the Parability Shorts Program — premiering on April 12 at 2:30pm EDT. Find more information here. Fiadhnait Canning will be in attendance thanks to the support of Culture Ireland.
