Chris Higgins is a 30-year-old filmmaker with Harp Media, Granard. Having grown up in Granard, he pursued film in Pulse College, and has been involved in creating the short film ‘Angel’s Guard Thee’ (Harp Media) in 2018. He has recently just filmed a short film called ‘I’m Alright’ which is due to be released in 2026. At the moment, he is in the process of editing it.
Chris has been one of the many people involved in helping foster creative talent for teenagers to pursue filmmaking, and endeavours to bring the industry into midlands Ireland.
Harp Media is a name that is putting Longford on the map. They not only create original works, but get involved in commercial projects. Works with the company have won the Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Festival and four IFTA nominations for ‘Lakelands’. Harp Media was the company that also filmed the Battle of Ballinamuck documentary (2023).
Chris came to chat with the ‘Longford Leader’ about the experience of being a filmmaker in Co Longford, and why it is important to have talent beyond Dublin.
Read more: Bon voyage: Talented Longford singer and musician setting off on big Australian adventure
Where in County Longford are you from?
I’m from Granard, where myself, Robert and Paddy from Harp Media are all from. I live just outside the town in Lisryan, which is a bit more rural.
Would you tell me about your first experience with filmmaking?
It’s funny. I was in film school way back in 2018 and I saw an ad for a smartphone film festival screening little short films shot with phones. I got together and wrote a small script that I shot with my classmates. The chat show, Ireland AM, were doing a segment on the film festival so I ended being interviewed on the show. That was my first interview so I thought it would be plane-sailing from that point on career-wise. But here I am 7 years later doing my second interview. It was a great first experience because the only tool I had was literally my phone. I cast a couple of my friends and people local to where I was studying in Dublin at the time. What I learnt from it was, you can just create something with whatever is available to you, even if your tools and money are limited.
Did you pursue filmmaking in college, and what was that experience like?
I studied film production in Pulse College, that’s based out of Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. I found it great because within a couple of weeks of classes we were out filming things. It wasn’t overly theoretical, it was very practical. You had a camera thrust into your hands very quickly so you learnt on the spot, rather than talking or thinking about it. This underlined that filmmaking isn’t some scary, unrealistic thing, it’s just about how much you’re ready to apply yourself and put yourself out there.
What is it like to be part of a midlands media company, and not somewhere like Dublin?
I think in terms of our kind of bread and butter, commercial stuff, corporate videos, it’s been an advantage because less people are doing it so there are opportunities for work that may not be going in Dublin or wherever. From a creative point of view, our features and shorts, it’s been a massive benefit as well. When you’re looking to shoot in a local area as a location, people are a lot more open. People particularly from Longford are very proud of where we’re from and they’re really excited to have it showcased. I’ve also made two shorts in Dublin and it’s very different. It’s more closed off than in a town where everyone knows each other.
What was your first professional experience?
Harp Media was actually founded while I was still studying. Our first professional experience I think we all felt we were kind of chancing it and learning on the job. We made our first short with Harp, “Angel’s Guard Thee” and Robert and Paddy co-directed it. We hired in a professional cinematographer and sound recordist, so you’re trying to raise your game to their level. You never stop feeling like that, you just have to put faith in yourself as the productions get bigger.
Are you able to give a little taster into anything you are working on at the moment?
I’ve just filmed a new short film called “I’m Alright”. It was supported by the Actor as Creator scheme from Screen Ireland with Dafhyd Flynn writing and acting in it. I directed it with our company Harp Media producing. The short also starred Yasmin Seky (Kin), Lewis Brophy (Christy), Justin Daniels (Video Nasty), and Jason Corbett. It’s a social-realist drama about a guy trying to get hold of his life again after his friend has committed suicide. I’ve just shot it, we’re editing it now and aiming to premiere it sometime in 2026.
Do you think it is important for Longford to be recognised as a place to be taken seriously in the arts scene?
One hundred percent. It’s one of the main things I think about. When I was studying in Dublin people would sometimes make jokes about being from Longford. I think one thing we did with our feature “Lakelands” is that we showed a side of Ireland that’s not usually depicted. Quite normal, midlands life. Throughout the year at Harp, we do a lot of filmmaking courses for teenagers; kids from 13 to 17 or 18. We always find that there’s such tremendous creativity and interest in film but when we ask them at the end of the course if they want to pursue a career in film, they say they’d love to but they feel that it’s not realistic. One thing I always try to tell them is there’s a way to make a living on this to be a filmmaker or artist. There are greater funding opportunities than previously. There is an audience that perhaps wasn’t there previously. In our small way in making films in Longford, we’re hoping to show younger people that it’s possible.
What have been the biggest challenges and achievements–so both sides of the coin?
It’s strange, the challenges and the achievements are intertwined. We work with such a small group of people and they’re people we’ve worked with over and over again. Having a small team can be difficult. There’s a great amount of responsibility beyond whatever role you are doing on paper. When we did our feature film “Lakelands”, I was the producer but I also ended up as production designer, dressing the sets. It’s that that makes it feel like such a real achievement. It makes the film feel like a real handmade piece of art. We always refer to them as “community projects” with a small group of people throwing in together to do it. It’s the greatest challenge and satisfaction to pull something together with a small group and a small budget.
Read more: Longford Entrepreneur Wows on the Red Carpet at Special Screening of Downton Abbey Movie
Would you have any advice for aspiring Longford filmmakers who do not know where to start or what to do?
Just film with whatever you have at your disposal. A phone camera today can shoot 4K footage better than most proper cameras available when I was younger. If you don’t like the footage you’re getting, try editing existing films and mash them up into something original. Young people now have a shorthand for this with Tiktok and Instagram – that’s a way to get into filmmaking, a basic feel of how it works. You can only learn by doing it.
