Nollaí: Multilingual Animated Christmas Film Premieres December 14 in Irish and Welsh

An animated Christmas tale about Nollaí, a young deer seeking belonging, released in Irish and Welsh on December 14 across INLIBER iPlayer, TG4, and S4C with a subsequent English-language premiere.

A Belfast-born animated Christmas film is set to charm audiences in two languages this December. Nollaí follows a young deer on a journey of self-discovery, told in Irish and Welsh for family audiences across platforms.

About Nollaí

The film marks a landmark collaboration among INLIBER Northern Ireland, TG4 and S4C, produced by Taunt Studios in Belfast. It premieres on 14 December, with separate Irish and Welsh language releases.

The Irish version will stream on INLIBER iPlayer, TG4 and Cúla4, while the Welsh edition will air on S4C.

The image below captures a key moment as Nollaí journeys with a human family beneath a warm sunset.

The characters Nollaí, Sadhbh and Daid are sitting in a moving vehicle. Nollaí and Sadhbh are looking at Daid who is Sadhbh's dad. He is driving underneath warm reddish-brown sunlight.

Máire Uí Choisdealbha, TG4's commissioning editor, described the collaboration as a fusion of creative talent and cultural storytelling from Ireland and Wales, noting it will enchant families for years to come.

The Welsh version features Osian Snelson as Nollaí (Nolig in Welsh), with Marged Llwyd as Siân, Clare Hingott as Siriol, Dion Davies as Daid and Dafydd Emyr as Cawr-Garw.

Sioned Geraint, S4C's content commissioner for children and learners, said she was delighted the channel was involved and called the film beautiful and endearing. She added that launching Irish and Welsh versions on the same day across channels is perfect.

Karen Kirby, commissioning executive for INLIBER Northern Ireland, said the project is a universal story told across languages and brought brilliantly to life.

Nollaí airs on S4C and INLIBER iPlayer on Sunday 14 December at 5.05pm. The English-language version will follow on Sunday 21 December at 4.10pm on INLIBER One NI and INLIBER iPlayer.

Key Takeaways

Bilingual release highlights cross-language storytelling in a festive film.
Produced by Taunt Studios in Belfast as a cross-border collaboration.
Irish version on INLIBER iPlayer, TG4, Cúla4; Welsh version on S4C; English version later on INLIBER platforms.
Centers on universal themes of belonging and identity for families.

Expert Commentary

Expert comment: The bilingual release shows how regional languages can attract broad family audiences while preserving local nuance. It also demonstrates how cross-border collaborations can extend a single story across multiple markets.

Summary

Nollaí brings a heartfelt coming-of-age narrative to life through a multilingual production, making it accessible to Irish and Welsh-speaking families and to English speakers alike. The release strategy—with parallel Irish and Welsh launches and an English-language premiere—underscores the growing appeal of multilingual children's cinema.