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Retirement Plan

Disillusioned with life, Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) dreams of the beauty and joy he will find in retirement.

  • John Kelly
    Director
  • John Kelly
    Writer
  • Tara Lawall
    Writer
  • Andrew Freedman
    Producer
    Katie, His & Hers, Kissing Candice
  • Julie Murnaghan
    Producer
    The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
  • Domhnall Gleeson
    Key Cast
    "Ray"
    The Revenant, Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 13, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Ireland
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    2D animation
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Galway Film Fleadh
    Galway
    Ireland
    July 12, 2024
    World Premiere
  • Dublin International Film Festival
    Dublin
    Ireland
    February 22, 2025
  • SXSW FIlm & TV Festival
    Austin, Texas
    United States
    March 7, 2025
    International Premiere
    🏆 Grand Jury Award + Audience Award — Animated Short Competition
  • Kaboom Animation Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    March 21, 2025
    Dutch Premiere
  • Animation Dingle
    Dingle
    Ireland
    March 21, 2025
    🏆 Best Irish Professional Short
  • Irish Film Festa Rome
    Rome
    Italy
    March 26, 2025
    Italian Premiere
    🏆 Best Short Film + Student Jury Award
  • Aspen Shortsfest
    Aspen, Colorado
    United States
    March 31, 2025
  • Los Angeles Festival of Movies
    Los Angeles
    United States
    April 3, 2025
    California Premiere
  • Athens International Film and Video Festival
    Athens, Ohio
    United States
    April 7, 2025
    🏆 Special Jury Mention
  • RiverRun International Film Festival
    Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC
    United States
    April 11, 2025
  • San Francisco International Film Festival
    San Francisco, California
    United States
    April 17, 2025
  • Atlanta Film Festival
    Atlanta, Georgia
    United States
    April 24, 2025
  • Milwaukee Film Festival
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    United States
    April 24, 2025
  • Pictoplasma
    Berlin
    Germany
    April 30, 2025
    German Premiere
  • Flatpack Festival
    Birmingham
    United Kingdom
    May 15, 2025
    UK Premiere
  • Seattle International Film Festival
    Seattle, Washington
    United States
    May 15, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Fastnet Film Festival
    Schull, Cork
    Ireland
    May 21, 2025
  • Irish Animation Awards
    Galway
    Ireland
    May 24, 2025
    🏆 Best Animated Short Film
  • Bali International Film Festival
    Bali
    Indonesia
    June 1, 2025
    🏆 Best Short Animation
  • SXSW London
    London
    United Kingdom
    June 2, 2025
  • Animafest Zagreb
    Zagreb
    Croatia
    June 2, 2025
    Croatian Premiere
  • Lighthouse International Film Festival
    Long Beach Island, New Jersey
    United States
    June 4, 2025
  • Guadalajara International Film Festival
    Guadalajara
    Mexico
    June 6, 2025
    🏆 Honorable Mention
  • Norwegian Short Film Festival
    Grimstad
    Norway
    June 11, 2025
  • Palm Springs International Shortfest
    Palm Springs
    United States
    June 24, 2025
    🏆 Best of the Festival Award
  • Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    July 10, 2025
  • Indy Shorts International Film Festival
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    United States
    July 22, 2025
    🏆 Comedy Award
  • Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    August 5, 2025
    🏆 Audience Choice Award — Animated Short
  • Melbourne International Film Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    August 7, 2025
    Australian Premiere
  • Hollyshorts
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    August 7, 2025
  • Vashon Film Festival
    Vashon Island, Washington
    United States
    August 7, 2025
  • Indie Street Film Festival
    Red Bank, New Jersey
    United States
    August 23, 2025
  • Fantoche
    Baden
    Switzerland
    September 2, 2025
    Swiss Premiere
  • Lake County Film Festival
    Grayslake, Illinois
    United States
    September 4, 2025
  • Viborg Animation Festival
    Viborg
    Denmark
    September 8, 2025
    Danish Premiere
  • Atlantic International Film Festival
    Halifax
    Canada
    September 10, 2025
  • Calgary International Film Festival
    Calgary
    Canada
    September 18, 2025
  • Nashville Film Festival
    Nashville, TN
    United States
    August 18, 2025
  • Encounters Film Festival
    Bristol
    United Kingdom
    September 24, 2025
  • Short Com International Comedy Film and Animation Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    September 27, 2025
  • Bolton Film Festival
    Bolton
    United Kingdom
    October 1, 2025
  • Bend Film Festival
    Bend
    United States
    October 8, 2025
  • Sapporo Short Film Festival
    Sapporo
    Japan
    October 10, 2025
  • Santa Fe International Film Festival
    Santa Fe
    United States
    October 15, 2025
  • San Jose International Short Film Festival
    San
    United States
    October 15, 2025
  • Chicago International Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    October 15, 2025
  • Newport Beach Film Festival
    Newport Beach
    United States
    November 15, 2025
  • TAF Thessaloniki Animation Festival
    Thessaloniki
    Greece
    October 15, 2025
  • Philadelphia Film Festival
    Philadelphia
    United States
    October 16, 2025
  • Animation is Film
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 17, 2025
  • The Chilliwack Independent Film Festival
    Chilliwack
    Canada
    October 22, 2025
  • Naples International Film Festival
    Naples
    United States
    October 23, 2025
  • Bucheon International Animation Festival
    Bucheon
    South Korea
    October 24, 2025
    Jury Special Mention
  • SCAD Savannah Film Festival
    Savannah
    United States
    October 25, 2025
  • Bitbang
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    October 28, 2025
  • Norwich Film Festival
    Norwich
    United Kingdom
    November 3, 2025
  • Aesthetica Short Film Festival
    York
    United Kingdom
    November 5, 2025
  • Coronado Island Film Festival
    Coronado Island
    United States
    November 5, 2025
  • Leeds International Film Festival
    Leeds
    United Kingdom
    November 6, 2025
  • Sulmona International Film Festival
    Sulmona
    Italy
    November 6, 2025
  • Dublin Animation Film Festival
    Dublin
    Ireland
    November 7, 2025
  • Cinanima
    Espinho
    Portugal
    November 7, 2025
  • Arena Theater Short Film Festival
    Point Arena
    United States
    November 7, 2025
  • Linea D'Ombra Festival
    Salerno
    Italy
    November 8, 2025
  • Manchester Animation Festival
    Manchester
    United States
    November 9, 2025
  • Key West Film Festival
    Key West
    United States
    November 12, 2025
  • Foyle Film Festival
    Derry
    United Kingdom
    November 19, 2025
  • Three Rivers Film Festival
    Pittsburgh
    United States
    November 20, 2025
  • New York City Short Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 22, 2025
  • Leuven International Short Film Festival
    Leuven
    Belgium
    November 28, 2025
  • London International Animation Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 28, 2025
  • Glas Animation Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 6, 2025
  • Séquence Short Film Festival
    Toulouse
    France
    December 11, 2025
Distribution Information
  • Network Ireland Television
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - John Kelly

John Kelly is a filmmaker specialising in animation. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. His film RETIREMENT PLAN won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Animated Short Competition at SXSW 2025 and was nominated for an Oscar® at the 2026 Academy Awards. He’s currently developing an animated docuseries, alongside too many other things.

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