‘Mary Boyle: The Untold Story’ has won another international award in the United States.
The film about the missing Donegal child, which was released in July, has been honoured with a gold prize at the Spotlight Documentary Film Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.
The awards are dedicated to recognising international filmmakers who have compelling stories to tell and are chosen from more than 40 countries and thousands of entries.
Investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty, the director of ‘Mary Boyle: The Untold Story’ recently screened the film in Washington DC. In February, it will be shown in New York.
Closer to home, the film has also been nominated for selection at an upcoming London film festival.
O’Doherty says her priority has been to highlight the case outside of Ireland where she believes it continues to be covered up.
‘It is very encouraging to see how the case is gaining international traction especially in the US and the UK. People are contacting me from the four corners of the world asking me about it. They are generally appalled by it though not overly surprised that a child’s disappearance could be covered up in Ireland.’
Almost a quarter of a million people have viewed the documentary since its summer release.
O’Doherty plans to release more information about the case in the run-up to the 40th anniversary of Mary’s disappearance in March 2017. 
Over Christmas, local justice campaigners tied purple ribbons and angels in Cashelard, Ballyshannon where Mary vanished the day after St Patrick’s Day.
More vigils are planned to remember the little girl in the coming weeks.
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