Talented Ballinasloe-born Director and Film-maker, Gar O’Rourke, has won the Grand Prix in the Creative Strategy category at the 2026 Cannes Lions Awards for his short film, ‘The Pub That Refused to Die’ .
This award comes quickly on the heels of two cinematography awards for his new documentary, The Siege of Paradise, which received its Irish premiere at the recent Galway Film Fleadh.
Gar is the son of Betty and Tony O’Rourke, who live in Beechlawn. He attended Creagh National School, and then Athlone Community College. He initially trained as a landscape architect in London, “before I realised that my heart was in film-making all along.” He currently lives in Lisbon, but still “frequently” makes it home to see his parents, and his sister, who lives in Oranmore (other siblings live abroad).
‘The Pub That Refused To Die’ tells the story of locals in Kilteely, Co. Limerick, who joined forces to ensure that their local pub, didn’t close. The Cannes Lions Awards are the most prestigious advertising and creative marketing awards worldwide. In
addition to its Grand Prix win, the film received Bronze Lions for four other categories: Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Business-to-business, and Entertainment.
Speaking of his win, Gar said: “Winning at Cannes was a genuine thrill. It’s essentially the Oscars for creative advertising work, so to see an Irish story about a small rural pub and its community resonate with international juries meant a huge amount.”
Gar’s first full-length documentary, Sanatorium, was the Irish nomination for International Feature Film for the 2026 Oscars. His most recent film, The Siege of Paradise, is currently touring the festival circuit, having premiered at the world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival where it won a Special Jury Mention for cinematographer Lukas Gut. It also won an award for “Best Cinematography in an Irish Film” at the Galway Film Fleadh.
The Siege of Paradise explores mass tourism, focussing on the area of Cinque Terre, a collection of five fishing villages on the Italian Riviera that have become overwhelmingly popular with tourists. Gar said of the film: “Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful and
most visited places on earth… The film follows the locals and the visitors through one chaotic season, and it’s funny and sad in equal measure.” The film will go on theatrical release in the autumn and will be broadcast on BBC Storyville next year.
