Orla O’Rourke is a visual media composer and violinist from Ireland. In 2017, she composed the score for the feature film A Christmas Star, produced by Cinemagic in Belfast, which was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival. Her work on the 2019 short film Undergrowth, directed by Evin O’Neill, received a nomination for Best Score at the Underground Cinema Awards in Ireland, and the film itself was nominated for Best British/Irish Short at the London Critics’ Circle Awards.
In 2021, she scored “Scrap”, a short film that earned a nomination for IFTA’s Best Live Action Short in 2022. Her next project, “Calf,” won Best Live Action Short at the IFTAs in 2024 and was longlisted for the 2025 Oscars.
“Haunting music from Orla O’Rourke”
“The sombre tones of string instruments fill the air as Cáit deals with tragedy. As they surround her, the film becomes heavier still, weighing down viewers, nearly depressing them along the way. Calf is a trying film, one that expresses some of the worst parts of humanity—and the musical notes that accompany it strengthen it, allowing it to soar.”
“The film’s scene shifts and doleful, eery score by Orla O’Rourke are what sell the short.”
“Complementing this is a meticulously curated score that amplifies the film’s atmosphere, enriching the sense of what’s yet to come.”