Kate Dolan

Kate Dolan
Born
Dublin, Ireland
Occupations
  • Director
  • writer
Years active2010–present
Notable work
RelativesMichael Keegan-Dolan (uncle)
Websitekatedolan.net

Kate Dolan (born 1991)[citation needed] is an Irish filmmaker. She is known for directing the horror films You Are Not My Mother (2021) and Soulm8te (2026).

Early life and education

Dolan grew up in North Dublin. She graduated from IADT in 2012 with an Honours Degree in Film & Television Production. Her graduate film Breathe In (2012) was selected for a number of Irish and international film festivals. She is the niece of choreographer and dancer Michael Keegan-Dolan.

Career

After graduating from university, Dolan worked on commercials as well as making short films and music videos. She wrote and directed the drama short film Little Doll, which premiered at Berlinale in 2016. She then wrote and directed the horror short film Catcalls, which premiered at the Cork International Film Festival in 2017, which she won the Emerging Director Award for best short film in 2018.

In 2021, she made her directorial debut with the psychological horror film You Are Not My Mother, which premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness programme. The cast includes Hazel Doupe, Carolyn Bracken and Ingrid Craigie. The film was the runner-up for the TIFF People's Choice Midnight Madness Award. The film also won various awards for Dolan, including the Jury Prize for best film at the 2022 Gérardmer Film Festival.

In 2023, she directed two episodes of the second season of Kin. For this work, Dolan won an IFTA. In 2024, she directed two episodes of the second season of The Tourist.

In 2024, she was brought on to co-write and direct the science fiction thriller film Soulm8te, a spin-off and third installment in the M3GAN franchise. It was produced by James Wan and Jason Blum through their Blumhouse-Atomic Monster banner and stars Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, and Claudia Doumit. Principal photography took place from September to November 2024 in Dublin. It was released straight-to-digital on August 1, 2026 by Universal Pictures.

Personal life

Dolan is openly queer.

Filmography

Short film

Year Title Director Writer
2012 Breathe In Yes Yes
2016 Little Doll Yes Yes
2017 Casual Yes No
Catcalls Yes Yes
Small Shoes Yes No

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2021 You Are Not My Mother Yes Yes Directorial debut; Role as Pharmacist
2026 Soulm8te Yes Yes

Television

Year Title Notes
2023 Kin 2 episodes
2024 The Tourist

Music video

Year Title Artist
2017 "Of Heart" Bitch Falcon
2018 "Prime Number"
"Gay Girls" Pillow Queens
2019 "Brothers"
2020 "Holy Show"
"Handsome Wife"
2022 "Be by Your Side"
2024 "Heavy Pour"

References

  1. ↑ "National Film School Graduate Success with POV Film, You Are Not My Mother". iadt.ie. Institute of Art, Design + Technology.
  2. 1 2 "Kate Dolan". First Cut! Youth Film Festival.
  3. ↑ "Breathe In". Berlinale-talents.de.
  4. ↑ Lyons, Thomas (May 8, 2024). "IFTA Best Director award winner Kate Dolan has proud Longford links'". longfordleader.ie.
  5. ↑ Mullally, Una (February 17, 2020). "Kate Dolan: 'Working in film can be a struggle. You get a lot of rejection'". The Irish Times.
  6. 1 2 "Podcast: In Conversation with Kate Dolan". filmireland.net. January 10, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Berlinale".
  8. ↑ "Berlinale programme (Berlinale)".
  9. ↑ "You Are Not My Mother: Official Selection, Midnight Madness, 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)".
  10. ↑ McIntyre, Sarah (March 4, 2022). "You Are Not My Mother director Kate Dolan: 'Horror is my happy place'". rte.ie.
  11. ↑ Neglia, Matt (September 18, 2021). "The 2021 TIFF Award Winners". nextbestpicture.com.
  12. ↑ Linehan, Alice (January 31, 2022). "Queer Irish filmmaker Kate Dolan wins Jury Prize at French film festival". gcn.ie.
  13. ↑ "FIRST LOOK AS HIT DRAMA "KIN" STARTS PRODUCTION ON SEASON 2". rte.ie. July 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Lisa Mulcahy & Kate Dolan Win at IFTAS". sdgi.ie. April 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ Yossman, KJ (April 13, 2023). "Jamie Dornan Starrer 'The Tourist' Starts Production on Season 2, Adds New Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com.
  16. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (June 20, 2024). "'M3GAN' Universe Expands With Erotic Thriller 'Soulm8te,' Dated for 2026". variety.com.
  17. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 19, 2024). "'The Boys' Alum Claudia Doumit Latest To Join 'M3GAN' Spin-Off 'SOULM8TE'". deadline.com.
  18. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (July 8, 2026). "'M3GAN' Spinoff 'SOULM8TE' to Skip Theaters, Will Be Released Directly to VOD". thewrap.com.
  19. ↑ Carson, Lexi (August 4, 2026). "'Soulm8te' Director Kate Dolan on Her Twisty Journey After 'M3GAN 2.0' and What That Ending Could Mean". hollywoodreporter.com.
  20. ↑ Tsirbas, Christos (September 13, 2021). "Irish filmmaker Kate Dolan harnessed family trauma and mental illness to make a genuinely scary horror film". xtramagazine.com.
  21. ↑ McNeice, Katie (July 26, 2016). "IFTN talks to Guiding Lights participant and 'Little Doll' director Kate Dolan". iftn.ie.