'Inspiring': Four local schools recieve awards at first-ever Carlow Rubbish Film Festival

Four local schools are now celebrating after receiving high praise at the Carlow Rubbish Film Festival Awards, which celebrate the creativity, commitment and environmental leadership of Transition Year students from across the county.

Held on the morning of Tuesday, February 4 at VISUAL Carlow, nine schools took part, with 12 TY students from each school producing a series of concise inspirational, high-quality short films.

As part of the project, the young people chose the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that best aligned with their film topics, encouraging deeper engagement with global environmental and social challenges. Each film was supported by a student-designed poster, created to visually showcase the message and impact of their work.

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The event was officially opened by Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council Ken Murnane, with proceedings MC’d by James Lakes, who praised the standard, originality and passion that was evident in all of the films.

Awards presented on the day included:

• Best Film Winner, awarded to Knockbeg College for Whispers of The Forest
• Best Film Runner Up Award to Presentation De La Salle, Bagenalstown, for True Cost
• Most Impactful Film to St Mary’s CBS
• Best Poster Award to St Leo’s College for Go Fish

Judges highlighted the overall quality of filmmaking, the clarity of environmental messaging and the inspirational nature of the students’ work. The full Carlow show reel can be found on YouTube.

The winners of Best Film and Best Poster will now progress to a national awards ceremony in Dublin this coming April, representing Carlow on a national stage.

All award winners received Rubbish Film Festival t-shirts sponsored by JD Sports, along with a mystery gift pack of clothing from Change Clothes in Dublin, provided by Carlow County Council.

Dave Sheehan from Create Schools, who worked directly with the students throughout the programme, said: “The young people took real ownership of their films, from selecting the SDGs to shaping their messages and visuals. The creativity, teamwork and passion they showed was inspiring, and the quality of the finished films speaks for itself.”

Dee Sewell, Environmental Awareness Officer also praised the students’ efforts, saying: “This project shows how powerful young voices can be when they are given the space and support to explore environmental issues creatively. The standard of work was exceptional, and it’s encouraging to see students making strong connections between local actions and global sustainability goals.”

This event was made possible through funding from Carlow County Council and the Anti-Litter and Dumping Grant, supporting youth-led action and creative engagement around waste, sustainability and environmental awareness.