Mark Mahon

A native of Cork City, Ireland, Mark Mahon started out at a young age as a singer/songwriter and wrote over forty songs, several of which were recorded. At the age of eighteen, he trained to be an actor. During this time, he successfully completed his L.A.M.D.A (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) acting examinations with distinction.

At the age of 22, Mark was severely injured in an accident and had to spend several months in hospital recovering. Left in a wheelchair for three years, he turned his love of acting and his passion for the industry to writing feature films to stay involved in his chosen career. Left with a permanent disability, he has completed five scripts and one novel.

In 2005, he won the 'Best Screenplay Unproduced' Award at the International Action on Film Ceremony in Los Angeles for Freedom Within The Heart, which was launched in conjunction with Atlantis Studios in late 2007, as a four edition, full color comic book series. He also set up his production company Maron Pictures, which now has offices in Ireland and Los Angeles.

Always wanting to direct and not being able to find a director who shared his vision, Mark decided that he would helm his first project himself. So in early 2006, he went to London and received his Director's Diploma from the Raindance Organization. Then, Mark directed his first feature Strength and Honour starring Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones and Richard Chamberlain.

In 2007, Mark made the cover of the April edition of 'Hollywood Scriptwriter' and was recently honored by the Action on Film Awards by having 'The Mark Mahon Award of Excellence in Writing' named after him. Strength and Honour has taken over 24 wins and 36 nominations, as well as official selections from film festivals all across the world, including selection for some of the world's most prestigious non-competitive festivals such as Cairo, Cambridge, Portugal, Moscow, Rome, Seville and Shanghai.

A great honor was the Film's selection by the Beijing Olympics Committee for their Sports Film Screening Week in 2008. In 2009, the Film was selected to screen at the Writers Guild of America and received a review in the Los Angeles Times that described it as 'another Slumdog Millionaire'. Months later, Michael Madsen and Mark Mahon appeared on the TODAY show in New York. Then, on March 17th, 2010, Mark Mahon and the film's main cast were invited by Prince Albert of Monaco to a Royal screening at the Palace of Monaco for the Royal family.

A member of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Irish Film and Television Academy, Mark is now planning his next feature 'Freedom Within the Heart.'