Kathy Raftery
@kathyraftery
Kathy is an independent filmmaker whose short films and documentaries have screened at festivals and exhibitions in Ireland and internationally. Her recent short documentary "One by One, the Lights go Out" screened at Irish Film Festa (Rome) and Docs Ireland in 2025. "A Roscommon Snapshot" won Best Foreign Film at the Veterans Film Festival in L.A (2024) and was runner-up in the Virtual Audience Awards at the Waterford Film Festival (2024). "The Buildings" screened at IFTUK (2024) and the Galway Film Fleadh (2023). Her earlier work "Maid in America" was an award winner at the Chicago Irish Film Festival (2020) and also screened at Docs Ireland that same year.
In 2025, Kathy was shortlisted for the AIB Portrait Prize, with her work exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland. Her films have also been included in exhibitions at the Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast), Black Church Print Studio (Dublin), and Roscommon Arts Centre.
She began her career as a camera trainee on Irish features before moving into directing and documentary storytelling. Her RTÉ Radio 1 documentary "Mayo Boy, Vietnam Hero" was a finalist in the Heroes Category at the 2017 New York International Radio Festival. She is currently developing this story into her debut feature-length documentary, supported by Screen Ireland and the WRAP Fund.