Four Lead Roles:

RACHEL - LYNETTE CALLAGHAN

Lynette Callaghan won an award at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival in Belfast for her portrayal of Rachel, the attractive, ambitious but devious marketing executive who dominates many
of the film's key scenes. Life should be good for Rachel but instead it is a series of disappointments as she constantly strives for a Celtic Tiger lifestyle that is beyond her means. Her story begins
on Sunday evening with a startlingly harsh encounter with her furious boyfriend where he brutally ends their relationship and
her dreams of buying a wildly over-priced apartment in an exclusive part of Dublin. However, first thing Monday morning, armed with
an unbreakable resolve, she is determined to get that apartment
by whatever means necessary even if it involves deceit and blackmail. Her goal of the dream apartment finally becomes achievable but at a very high personal cost.

Lynette Callaghan trained at the Manchester Metropolitan School
of Theatre and has a BA (hons) in acting. Film and Television work includes The Tudors (HBO),The Clinic (Parallel Films),Raw (RTE),
Situations Vacant (Grand Pictures),Cold Feet (Granada TV) and Emmerdale (Yorkshire TV). Theatre work includes Look Back in Anger (Andrews Lane),An Evening with Pronsias OFerfaille (Bewleys Cafe Theatre),The Glory of Living (The Project) and Volta (SpiegalTent).

 

EOIN - VICTOR BURKE

Eoin, played by Victor Burke, appears to have everything going for him. He has looks, he makes a good living working as a computer programmer and
has a loving fiancee who cannot wait to get married and has become
totally obsessed with organising the perfect wedding. However, Eoin is far from certain about the marriage, largely because of an intimate encounter
he had with Simon, a handsome man he once met at a party. Eoin appears
to have consigned this incident to his past but a phone call at work from
Simon puts it right back on the agenda. Simon wants to meet him again today and asks Eoin the hard question that has been haunting him for a
long time, does he prefer girls or boys?

Dublin born actor Victor Burke made his stage debut with the Abbey Theatre. His stage credits include The Last Apache Reunion and The Plough & The Stars. Film work includes the short film Home Boy and the feature film Welcome To September. Television work includes eight series of RTE's Fair City to which he has recently returned.

 

FRANK - ART KEARNS

Frank, played by Art Kearns is a burly, reliable, team leader. He is a mans man. Someone who enjoys a few beers and a round of golf with his mates, particularly
his best friend David. However, Frank has been troubled during the past few months as he has become increasingly suspicious
of his friends uncomfortably close
friendship with his wife Ruth. Is it just harmless friendship or something too treacherous to contemplate? For a man
for whom friendship and marriage are everything, on Monday morning he remains shaken after the shocking events of the weekend.

Art Kearns trained with the Focus Theatre in Dublin. Theatre work includes: Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn (St. Anthonys Theatre), Lone Star by James McLure (Focus Theatre), and Bug by Tracy Letts (New Theatre). He won an award for his role in The Passion of Jerome by Dermot Bolger (Axis Theatre). TV work includes The Clinic (2008) and numerous commercials.

 

TONY - JONATHAN BYRNE

Tony, played by Jonathan Byrne is an unpleasant product of Celtic
Tiger Ireland. He is very good at his job, attractive, charismatic, the owner of a penthouse apartment and a flash car but he treats women badly. He is a serial womaniser with little real affection for his many lovers. However, his hedonistic lifestyle of parties and one night
stands quickly grinds to a halt when he is confronted by the mother
of Rosemary, a vulnerable 19 year old student that he seduced the previous year. A sensitive girl, quickly forgotten by Tony, Rosemary
later took her own life. Her eccentric mother, Maggie (played by Geraldine Plunkett) holds Tony to blame for her death and is
determined he should be accountable. Tony's story is probably the
most surprising and controversial story in "8.5 Hours".

Jonathan Byrne has appeared in a number of leading Irish TV dramas including On Home Ground, The Clinic and Fair City. Other feature film work includes lead roles in the The Honeymooners and Little Foxes.