Saoirse Ronan is stepping behind the camera. Her directorial debut PAPER PLANE has been selected to screen at the Venice International Film Festival, where it will compete against fifteen other shorts for the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 83rd edition this September. The Oscar-nominated actress also wrote the Screen Ireland-supported film, which stars Martha Malone, KIN’s Clare Dunne, and Tim Creed.

Ronan, who most recently starred in and produced THE OUTRUN, spoke to Deadline back in October 2024 about her long-held ambition to direct, crediting Greta Gerwig, the filmmaker behind LITTLE WOMEN and BARBIE, for pushing her toward it. She said she’d love to do that next, explaining that Gerwig encouraged her to get properly into the preparation stage first, since that’s where the real work of directing takes shape. She also credited her time producing as a kind of crash course, noting that navigating the tough early decisions on a project gave her more confidence as a storyteller.

Up next for Ronan is Jonatan Etzler’s BAD APPLES, followed by a high-profile turn as Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopics, where she’ll star opposite Paul Mescal’s Paul McCartney.