Irish filmmaker Barry Dignam is born in Dublin on March 31, 1971. Some of his films are Stages (1998), Dream Kitchen (1999), Chicken (2001), A Ferret Called Mickey (2003) and Bounce (2004).

Dignam studies drama at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and film at the National Film School of Ireland, part of the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT). He makes a number of internationally successful shorts including Chicken, Dream Kitchen and A Ferret Called Mickey. His films have been recognised on a global stage, with films screened at prestigious festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival and have been shown at over 150 international festivals and distributed through major broadcasters, on-demand platforms, and theatrical releases. He has been nominated for a Palme d’Or at Cannes and a Berlin Golden Bear. His work has been screened by top broadcasters including Film Four, PBS, Canal+ and have been released on DVD and theatrically in both Europe and the United States.

As a teacher, Dignam has over twenty years of experience working with students and researchers at all levels. At IADT, he serves as the Head of the Department of Film & Media, Chair of Film & Television, and Irish Course Director on the Erasmus+ Joint Master of Art in Cinematography.

In 2021, Dignam becomes IADT’s Programme Director of FilmEU, the European University for Film and Media Arts. FilmEU represents a pioneering approach to arts and culture education, uniting eight higher education institutions from across Europe. FilmEU has grown into a transformative initiative that enhances the academic landscape for film and media while addressing critical societal issues such as sustainability, inclusion, and digital transformation.

Dignam and his partner, Hugh Walsh, are one of the first couples to enter into civil partnership in Ireland, and the first to do so after the mandatory three-month wait (six previous couples are granted exemptions on compassionate grounds).