Throwline

A group of taxi drivers in Kilkenny, Ireland, join together to form a suicide prevention group. Uniquely positioned to patrol the night, the drivers keep vigil over the city's streets and bridges and offer help to those who feel forlorn.

  • Mia Mullarkey
    Director
    Mother & Baby, Oh Brother, Feats of Modest Valour, Danger Overhead Powerlines
  • Mia Mullarkey
    Producer
    Mother & Baby, Oh Brother, Feats of Modest Valour, Danger Overhead Powerlines
  • Jass Foley
    Director of Photography
    Oh Brother
  • Anna Mullarkey
    Composer
    Mother & Baby, Oh Brother, Feats of Modest Valour, Danger Overhead Powerlines
  • Niall Creaven
    Sound Mixer
  • Mia Mullarkey
    Editors
  • Cara Holmes
    Editors
  • Simon Murphy
    Sound Design
    Mother & Baby, Oh Brother, Feats of Modest Valour
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Ireland
  • Country of Filming:
    Ireland
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Galway Film Fleadh
    Galway
    Ireland
    July 16, 2017
    World Premiere
    Winner - Best Short Documentary
  • Wexford Documentary Film Festival
    Wexford
    Ireland
    September 23, 2017
    Winner - Best Short Film
  • Saratov Sufferings Documentary Drama Film Festival
    Saratov
    Russian Federation
    September 22, 2017
    Russian Premiere
    Winner - Special Jury Award
  • Largo Film Awards

    Switzerland
    July 25, 2017
    Swiss Premiere
    Winner - Best Documentary
  • Rivne International Film Festival
    Rivne
    Ukraine
    September 27, 2017
    European Premiere
    Winner - Second Prize Best Short Documentary
  • TriForce Short Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 2, 2017
    Winner - Best Non-Scripted
  • TriForce Short Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 2, 2017
    Winner - Audience Choice Award
  • Waterford Film Festival
    Waterford
    Ireland
    November 5, 2017
    Winner - Runner-Up Best Short Film
  • Kerry Film Festival
    Kerry
    Ireland
    October 19, 2017
    Nomination - Best Short Documentary
  • Oslo Independent Film Festival
    Oslo
    Norway
    November 25, 2017
    Norwegian Premiere
    Nomination - Best Short Documentary
  • Oregon Documentary Film Festival
    Oregon
    United States
    November 11, 2017
    North American Premiere
    Nomination - Best Cinematography
  • Irish Film Festival London
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 3, 2017
    Official Selection
  • Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival
    Kells
    Ireland
    August 5, 2017
    Official Selection
  • Irish Film Institute Documentary Festival
    Dublin
    Ireland
    September 29, 2017
    Official Selection
  • IndieCork Festival
    Cork
    Ireland
    October 11, 2017
    Official Selection
  • OFFline Film Festival
    Offaly
    Ireland
    October 13, 2017
    Official Selection
  • SHORT to the Point

    Romania
    July 19, 2017
    Official Selection
  • Panorama of European Film Festival
    Cairo
    Egypt
    November 12, 2017
    Egyptian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Capital Irish Film Festival
    Washington DC
    United States
    March 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Toronto Irish Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    March 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Dingle International Film Festival
    Dingle
    Ireland
    March 24, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Euregion Film Festival
    Heerlen
    Netherlands
    March 24, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Millenium Documentary Film Festival
    Brussels
    Belgium
    March 26, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Belfast Film Festival
    Belfast
    Ireland
    April 15, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival
    Vienna
    Austria
    May 7, 2018
    Nominated International Shorts Award
  • CheapCuts Documentary Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 19, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Fastnet Film Festival
    Cork
    Ireland
    May 22, 2018
    Nominated Best Documentary
  • Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    July 8, 2018
    Australian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Illinois Independent Film Festival
    Illinois
    United States
    July 19, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Still Voices Film Festival
    Longford
    Ireland
    August 16, 2018
    Nominated Best Short Documentary
  • Bleeding Pig Film Festival
    Dublin
    Ireland
    September 11, 2018
    Audience Award
  • BendFilm Festival

    United States
    October 11, 2018
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Mia Mullarkey

Following her studies in philosophy and psychology, and after working as a psychologist for a short time, Mia completed a masters in film production and theory in 2009. In 2011 she set up a production company called Ishka Films to create music videos and digital content and later on to produce short films. Mia's film 'Throwline', a short documentary about Irish taxi drivers trained in suicide prevention, won numerous awards world-wide including Best Short Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh 2017. Mia's short documentary 'Feats of Modest Valour', co-directed with Alice McDowell, looks at a new potential cure for Parkinson's Disease and won the prestigious Scientist Award at Imagine Science 2017 awarded by Nobel Laureate Professor Martin Chalfe. Mia's most recent short documentary, 'Mother & Baby', explores the memories of Mother & Baby Home survivors who were sold or fostered out by the Irish church and state if their mothers conceived them out of wedlock. 'Mother & Baby' was funded by the Irish Film Board and premiered at Cork Film Festival 2017 where it won Best Short Documentary.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Moved by how many people were being rescued, I embarked on filming Taxi Watch in action. To capture the driver's world at night we had a special car roof mount built to counteract the bumps of the road. Cameras were also attached to the bonnets and doors of cars to create an immersive visual experience. My main goal when creating the film was to reveal the deep kindness of the drivers involved in Taxi Watch.