Press
Peter Coonan in Between The Canals (2011)
Between The Canals (2011)
"Sometimes funny, sometimes violent and sometimes dramatic, Between The Canals won't disappoint."
Entertainment.ie
"Between the Canals is the best Irish film I have seen in a long time."
Film Ireland
"...what makes Mark O'Connor's debut feature stand out is the credibility of his characters and dialogue...pacey, gritty and unafraid to reveal the violence, depravity and humour of urban life."
RTE Ten
Stalker (2012)
"O’Connor’s script is a fresh and sharp alternative to much mainstream American cinema; consciously rejecting the typical straightforward formula of superficial slapdash story-telling, and instead deconstructing his audience’s expectations and challenging them to think about these real-life issues."
In Dublin
"Stalker is as fascinating an Irish film as I have seen in quite some time."
Cine Ireland
"... Stalker is a brilliant and terrifying Irish film; the best for me since Inside I'm Dancing."
Cherry Sue Doin' The Do
King of the Travellers (2013)
"(King of the Travellers) marks a confident turn by writer-helmer Mark O’Connor... (with) moments of genuinely engrossing action in the well-staged fight scenes."
Variety
"King of the Travellers has verve... (and) when O'Connor delves into the authentic side...the movie really shines"
Entertainment.ie
"It’s effectively lit, has a stirring soundtrack and makes strong use of archive footage, and has an unflinching dramatic climax."
The Irish Post
"It’s effectively lit, The bare-knuckle bouts are gritty, visceral and realistic... and feels like an authentic portrayal of Traveller life."
The Irish Star
Out of Here (2014)
"There's a terrible pretence to proclaiming any film "important", yet few other words could do justice ot a film that understands its intended audience like no other."
Next Projection
"The finest Irish film screening at JDIFF (2014) might well be 'Out Of Here'"
Indiewire
"Donal Foreman, one of Ireland's most exciting short film-makers, transitions to feature-length with no little aplomb... Out of Here has plenty to say about the state of the nation, masculinity and identity. That it can do so while keeping up lively, authentic banter is a marvel."
The Irish Times