New Boy

Most children have enough to be worried about on their first day at school, but young African boy Joseph is different from all the other pupils. His arrival attracts the unwanted attention of teacher’s pet Hazel and kings of the playground Christian and Seth.

Adapted from a Roddy Doyle short story, New Boy brings the audience to Joseph’s level on his nerving-wracking first day  as he tries to navigate the unfamiliar culture and strange rules of an Irish primary school. Joseph’s new environment is cold and dull in comparison to his home, as his tragic past unfolds in brightly coloured flashbacks. Despite a rocky start, Joseph does find some common ground with his classmates and the future begins to look a little brighter.

Steph Green has subsequently directed the feature film Run and Jump and acclaimed television series including The Americans and Scandal, and received an Emmy nomination in 2020 for her work on Watchmen. 

New Boy is part of F-Rated: Short Films by Irish Women. To view more from this collection, click here. New Boy is also part of The Oscar® Collection: A Selection of Irish Academy Award® Nominated Short Films. It was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Short Film (Live Action) in 2007. To see more from The Oscar® Collection, click here. It is also part of Children on Film, to see more from that collection, click here.

IFCO certification: 12