Michael Inside


Michael Inside is a 2017 Irish prison film written, directed and co-produced by Frank [Berry (director)|Frank Berry]. It was nominated for four 15th [Irish Film & Television Awards|Irish Film & Television Awards] and won the Best Film prize.

Plot

18-year-old Michael McCrea lives with his grandfather in a Dublin housing estate. Michael's father is in prison and his mother died of an overdose when he was young. Michael aims to put his life on the right path and find work, but he is caught in possession of a bag of drugs belonging to the older brother of a friend, and sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Production

During the film's production, research was undertaken using discussions with offenders who had passed through the Irish Prison Service's Pathways programme. Filming took place in Cork Prison and Dublin and received funding from the Irish Film Board.

Release

Michael Inside premiered at the 2017 Galway Film Fleadh, and also played at the 2017 Cork Film Festival. It went on general release in Ireland on 6 April 2018.

Reception

Michael Inside has received critical acclaim in Ireland. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 14 reviews, and an average rating of 9/10. It earned five-star reviews from Joe.ie and entertainment.ie.

Accolades

AwardsCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
Cork Film FestivalAudience AwardMichael InsideWon
Galway Film FleadhBest Irish FilmMichael InsideWon
Galway Film FleadhBingham Ray New Talent AwardDafhyd FlynnWon
Galway Film FleadhBingham Ray New Talent AwardDonna EperonNomitated
Irish Film & Television AwardsBest FilmMichael InsideWon
Irish Film & Television AwardsBest DirectorFrank BerryNomitated
Irish Film & Television AwardsBest ScriptFrank BerryNomitated
Irish Film & Television AwardsBest Actor in a Leading RoleDafhyd FlynnNomitated