Magic Markers premieres internationally at Cleveland International Film Festival

Magic Markers, featuring an original score by Irish film composer Emer Landers, continues its festival run with an international premiere at the 50th Cleveland International Film Festival.

The film will screen as part of Family Shorts Programme 1 on Saturday, 11 April 2026 at the Allen Theatre, Playhouse Square Campus, Cleveland. The 2026 edition marks the festival’s 50th anniversary, with screenings taking place from 9–18 April across multiple venues in the city. Established in 1977, the Cleveland International Film Festival is an Academy Award-qualifying festival and one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the United States.

Written and directed by Jason Branagan and produced by Emer Durcan, Magic Markers has already screened at several major Irish festivals. The film had its world premiere at the Academy Award-qualifying Cork International Film Festival, where it was presented as part of the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Shorts programme at The Everyman, Cork, during the festival’s 70th edition. It was also selected for the Dublin Film Festival in February 2026.

The cast includes James McGowan, Flynn Gray, Colman Hayes, Joseph Connolly, Jake Farmer, Dylan Bowe, Caroline Harvey, and Lochlann O’Mearáin.

Produced by Playbook Media with support from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the film brings together a wide creative team including director of photography Brian Durcan and sound designer Nikki Moss. Post-production was completed at First Element.

The thematic orchestral score by Irish film composer Emer Landers draws on the style of classic 1990s family films, using recurring motifs and a warm, nostalgic palette to reflect the film’s emotional arc and sense of childhood imagination.