Cathal Gaffney — Chief Innovation Officer & Co-Founder
Cathal Gaffney is Brown Bag Films' Dublin-based studio co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer whose credits include Oscar-nominated shorts and global kids’ hits.
Co-founder, director, and industry trailblazer—Cathal Gaffney has been shaping animation for over 30 years.
About
As Chief Innovation Officer, Cathal Gaffney leads BBF Labs, a new division dedicated to shaping the future of animation across Brown Bag Films’ global studios. He oversees the development of new production workflows and artist-first tools designed to enhance quality, efficiency, and creative collaboration.
A co-founder of Brown Bag Films, Cathal helped scale the studio into a global leader in animation. An Oscar nominee and multiple Emmy winner, he later became Chief Operating Officer of 9 Story Media Group, overseeing production, HR, and technology. Cathal brings deep creative, operational and technological expertise to this pioneering role.
Cathal Gaffney was the director of the Oscar®-nominated short film Give Up Yer Aul Sins. Released in 2001, the film humorously animates real audio recordings of Dublin schoolchildren from the 1960s, originally captured by teacher Peig Cunningham and later rediscovered by EMI.
The film was a breakout success, earning an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Short in 2002. It screened at nearly 50 international film festivals, winning accolades including Best Animation at the Galway Film Fleadh, Best Irish and Best International Animation at the Cork Film Festival, and a Special Award for Original Idea at Cartoons on the Bay.
Give Up Yer Aul Sins not only showcased Brown Bag Films’ early creative voice but also helped establish the studio’s reputation for blending heart, humour, and technical excellence.
