Paul Mescal joins Irish short 'Mary Is Missing' as executive producer

Paul Mescal has joined the Irish short film 'Mary Is Missing' as executive producer. The attachment was reported by Variety on 6 October 2026. An executive producer typically lends backing and support rather than running the day-to-day shoot.

The film is a psychological thriller short made to Oscar-qualifying standard. That means it has met the festival or release requirements to be considered for the Academy Awards. It was directed by Aisling Byrne and produced by Killian Coyle for Run of the Mill and Arcade Film, according to the same report.

The story follows care worker Mary, who vanishes from the Yellow Tree Day Service. Garda Foley investigates and hears contradictory accounts from witnesses. Garda is the term for an Irish police officer. Lloyd Cooney plays Foley.

The production was made in Maynooth, the County Kildare town where Mescal grew up. The story was developed through a 12-week writers' room hosted by Run of the Mill, working with learning-disabled artists. Thirteen of the 19 cast members are artists with intellectual disabilities.

The script was co-written by Byrne and Caitríona Daly, according to Run of the Mill. Dan Keane served as cinematographer, the person in charge of camera and lighting, according to the National Talent Academies.

'Mary Is Missing' is the third Oscar-qualifying short for Byrne and Coyle as a team. Their earlier shorts were 'Headspace' and 'Turnaround'. 'Headspace' won the Grand Prix Irish Short at the Cork International Film Festival. It then became Ireland's short film candidate for the 2023 European Film Awards.

'Turnaround' won qualifying awards at both Galway Film Fleadh and Foyle Film Festival. It was later nominated for an IFTA, an Irish Film and Television Award, and acquired by Disney+. Byrne's separate short 'Misread' was an RTE/Ardan commission. It won Best Irish Short at Catalyst International Film Festival.

Byrne, Coyle and Arcade Film are now developing Byrne's debut feature. The project is among the final 10 selected for Screen Ireland's Perspectives scheme, a development programme for emerging filmmakers.

What makes this stand out is the method. The cast and writers' room put disabled artists at the centre of a genre story. For audiences, it is a short thriller with a familiar set-up and an uncommon production behind it.