Kate Haley is an award-winning filmmaker from Co. Donegal, Ireland. She holds an Honours Degree in English Literature and M.Phil in Screenwriting from Trinity College Dublin. As a Fulbright Scholar, she earned her MFA in Film & TV at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in the USA, specialising in directing.

Her short films have garnered international acclaim. A Death in the Family (2020) won Best Irish Short at the Disappear Here Film Festival and Best Cinematography at the WFT Short Film Showcase. Splash! (2023) earned two NATAS Southeast Student Emmy nominations. Her MFA thesis film, A Fairytale Romance (2024), won Best Student Short at the Kerry International Film Festival. Emergency Accommodation (2026) was funded by Virgin Media / Screen Ireland as part of Virgin Media Discovers.

Her debut feature film The Shadow of Me was selected for development with Screen Ireland as part of their prestigious new pilot scheme Perspectives. 

Kate has been recognized with the Northern Exposure Award, Donegal County Council Artist’s Bursary, and was one of eight European directors selected for the 2025 CineSud Directors Village. She’s drawn to bold narratives that challenge societal norms and explore themes of identity and belonging.