Creative Documentary & Film Production in Ireland
How We Work
Development. Before anything else, there's time spent in conversations with contributors, their families, the people around the edges of the story. Understanding what the film actually is before a camera turns up. Access isn't something you get given, it's something you build, and we take that part seriously.
Production. We shoot on location and we stay a while. New Wave was filmed across ten months on the Irish coast with full access to contributors and their families. We work with a small, skilled crew who understand that observational documentary depends on being present without being in the way.
Post-Production. Marc was an editor before he was a director, with 27 years in the chair and a guild membership to show for it. The film is found in the edit, and the edit takes as long as it takes. We cut our own work and we take on editing for other filmmakers too.
Partnerships. We work with broadcasters, producers and funders in Ireland and internationally. Recent partners include RTÉ and the Irish Surfing Association.
Why We Make What We Make
We want the films to matter. Not in a change-the-world way, that's a tall order for a small company on the edge of Clare, but in the sense that someone watches and thinks about it afterwards. Stays with them for the walk home. Comes up again a week later. That's the bar, and we don't always clear it, but we keep trying.
Contact
If you've got a story you want to tell, or you're looking for an editor, or you just want to say hello: info@gonewest.media
We make documentaries. Observational, patient, close to people and place. We've been doing this for 27 years across drama, factual and feature documentary, which is either a lot of films or a lot of weather, depending on how you count.
Current work includes New Wave, an 8-part series for RTÉ following Ireland's junior surf team, RTS Ireland nominated in 2026. Swell Season, a feature documentary in development, following the same coast and some of the same surfers as they step into adulthood. And Garbage Girls, a feature documentary in production for 2027 release.
Run by Marc O'Gleasáin, director and editor, member of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and Irish Screen Editors. Previous work includes Marathon Men (Special Jury Prize, Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale), edited; Rising Tides, a recent three-part series, edited; and Eco Eye on RTÉ, where Marc has edited fourteen seasons and directed on four seasons.
We're small, west-facing, and still quite fond of the job.