Being a producer is one of the toughest jobs in the film industry. It can occasionally feel like the most thankless too, with the creatives coming at you from one side, and stakeholders coming at you from another, all giving out about the limitations in play. But, as Orson Welles understood, limitations are an integral part of producing good art. Without them, there is the danger of spoiling. Good producers are unafraid of limitations. They have enough vision to see beyond them.

There is a reductive image of producers as overly obsessed with the bottom line but someone has to be. The best producers are not simply hustling for money and obsessing over profit margins though, they are a vital part of the creative process. They are problem solvers. The best producers are those who problem-solve with grace, generosity and ingenuity. Rebecca is a prime example of this kind of producer.

And she’s been problem-solving for quite some time. She knows the film industry from all angles. From newbie freelancer to development executive at what was then the Irish Film Board, from setting up Rubicon films to co-steering Treasure Entertainment into its position as one of Ireland’s leading independent production companies. She’s produced both award-winning TV – THE RUNNING MATE, YOUR BAD SELF and SMOTHER; and films – THE ECLIPSE, MY BROTHERS, GOOD VIBRATIONS, THE STAG, HANDSOME DEVIL, VIVA, PAPI CHULO and KATHLEEN IS HERE. She is truly admired and appreciated by so many, including director and long-time collaborator John Butler, ‘I’ve always believed that when it comes to finding partners for a work project – or a career – you go where the love is. Making films and TV shows can be bruising, but if you love the people you work with and you feel they see the world the same way that you do then the journey will never be wasted. Rebecca’s an incredibly smart, intuitive and creative producer and an absolute joy to walk alongside on the road to telling stories.’.

On hearing about the award, Rebecca said, ‘I am thrilled and honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Maureen O’Hara award. I grew up in a household that followed Orson Welles’ old adage: When it came to films, we studied the old masters, and by that, we meant John Ford, John Ford and John Ford. So often, in these almost exclusively male worlds, Maureen O’Hara stood out as the worthy female counterpart: spirited, smart, beautiful and quick-witted. She was my first female hero of the silver screen and was instrumental in developing my enduring love of cinema. So it is quite literally a dream come true to be linked to her in this real and esteemed way. Míle, míle buíochas to the Kerry International Film Festival for considering me a worthy recipient. I look at the list of wonderful women who have gone before me and I am deeply proud to have my name included in this list.