YDA Winner Ian Hunt Duffy on Reaching Gridlock

Ian Hunt Duffy's short film, Gridlock, was gritty, engaging and all-too realistic - which perhaps explains why he won the Gold award for the Short Film category at this year's YDA show. While he may have had us hooked in our seats in the auditorium, we caught up with the emerging director to find out how he came up with the mystery concept which required the audience to think to understand.

How did you become a director?

As a child I spent hours with the camcorder attempting to recreate my favourite movie scenes. I always knew I wanted to be a director. At Ireland’s National Film School I was exposed to different aspects of filmmaking and I also met many like-minded individuals. After graduating, it was tough getting work or getting films commissioned, but I kept at it and eventually started my own production company. Now I’m finally sat in the director’s chair.

What inspired Gridlock?

I love high-concept thrillers set in a single location. I was stuck in traffic one day, when the idea of a traffic jam thriller came to me and the sort of suspense that could be created in that restricted environment really excited me. From there I had the idea of a father whose daughter goes missing from their car. I pitched the concept to writer Darach McGarrigle and he liked how it touched on very primal fears like losing a child and not being able to trust people around you. We’re both fans of TV shows that fit tension and suspense into a 20-minute episode, so we wanted to achieve that in a short film and create an exciting mystery for the audience to solve.

What challenges did you have to overcome on set?

Creating the traffic jam was complicated. Given the small budget, we couldn’t afford many action vehicles, so we made the traffic jam using most of the cast and crew’s cars. But at the end of each day, everyone would drive away! So we’d have to reset and restage the traffic jam every morning.

How did you maintain momentum?

You never want a short film to outstay its welcome. I spent a lot of time with my editor honing its pace and flow. The sound design and score were equally crucial in building suspense. We held a test screening ahead of locking the picture to see how it played with an audience and one of the biggest compliments was that the film didn’t feel 20 minutes long.

Tell us about the protagonist.

Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, so I wanted Eoin to be an everyman – someone the audience can empathise with. I needed an actor who could confidently convey a whole range of emotions – confusion, fear, anger, despair. Moe Dunford has a great physicality and edge that worked well.

What have you learned from making the film?

To be willing and ready to adapt when problems arise. We had to change our location at the last minute. Thankfully the tighter, more restricted road boxed us in, creating more claustrophobia on screen and allowing us to get closer to the action.

What does it mean to you to win a YDA?

I’ve enjoyed previous success as a producer, but directing was always my first passion, so it’s an incredible honour and a real boost for me personally.

Representation Worldwide: failsafefilms.ie