Last week we had the opportunity for a little questions and answers session with current hot property Irish director Mark O'Connor, who previously brought us King Of The Travellers and Between The Canals, and February sees the release of his latest film, Stalker.

Against the back of this dark and insightful drama, we got talking about shining a projector on the dark corners of cinema, working with the stars of Love/Hate, and the potential future of Irish cinema.

Be sure to check out Stalker when its released in Irish cinemas on February 26th.

To start off, where did the idea for "Stalker" come from?

The idea sprang from some interesting characters I knew when I lived in Ranelagh. I spoke to John Connors about the idea for Oliver and from there we sat down together and fleshed out the character and then wrote the story.

Were there any other movies or directors that have inspired your work, or inspired "Stalker" specifically?

I would say Alan Clarke, Shane Meadows, Peter Mullan, Ken Loach are artists I look up to. No one influenced Stalker. Stalker was born out of the political and social climate in the country. However Charlie Casanova gave us the encouragement to go and shoot a feature on a very small budget.

From "Between The Canals", "King Of The Travellers" and now "Stalker", you're tackling some heavy Irish subject matters. Do you purposefully seek out these almost "taboo" issues to make movies about?

No, an idea can come from anywhere and I don't purposefully look for taboo subjects. If you get inspired and are passionate about an idea you go with it. Most art has a world view and is political and my surroundings naturally seep through into what I write.

The trailer of "Stalker" shows the movie to be quite dark and intense. Where you ever concerned that you might alienate or even frighten away your potential audience?

Stalker is part of a new wave of Irish film which does not pander to the conventional mainstream. We are looking to create a new path for Irish cinema and break boundaries. Some of my favourite films such as Festen or Kids divided audiences when released. These are dark times for Ireland and people are living in extreme conditions with mass emigration and high unemployment. People have become homeless due to this crisis and there's a lot of anger towards the government at how they are handling it. This film is a reflection of the times told through the eyes of a character who is the product of this broken system.

John Connors, who plays the lead actor in 'Stalker', spoke a bit about his methods for getting into character, such as living in homeless conditions. Was this something that you supported?

John had already starred in King of the Travellers and I knew from working with him on that film that he had the ability to pull this character off. I encouraged him to sleep homeless and to go full method. John became the character and slept in his costume. When he got up on stage at the protest and spoke to 10,000 people it was Oliver, not John!!

Peter Coonan was your lead actor in "Between The Canals", which was also his first major acting role. How do you go about discovering these actors? Is there a long casting process?

I go to plays,drama groups, the north inner city project and I also watch any new Irish films that get released. The casting process involves an interview where you get a feeling for their ability to not only be themselves but also have something special on screen. I like actors who reveal their souls and give human performances. Actors like Peter Mullan.

You've worked with John Connors on two of your three movies, and Peter Coonan on all three. What is it about these actors that makes you want to keep working with them? Also, they have both gone on to have their profiles raised significantly by the popularity of Love/Hate. How does it feel to know you essentially gave them the kick-starts to their careers?

It feels good that they are getting more opportunities but that's because they are both very talented. But there's a good few other guys as well who I brought through and have now appeared in Love hate and other films. Barry Keoghan who I cast in Between the Canals has starred in 4 feature films this year and also Love Hate. Also guys like Stephen Clinch and Stephen Jones are also very talented.

2014 looks like to be a very interesting year for Irish cinema, with the release of "Stalker", the Sundance rave reviews for the likes of "Calvary" and "Frank", an Irish director working on a large budget sci-fi flick "The Last Days Of Mars", just to name a few. What is your opinion on the current state of Irish film?

I am extremely excited by a new wave of Irish cinema coming through which is totally unique and groundbreaking. Some films which have really excited me recently are Limp, Out of Here, Trampoline and Jack and Ralph plan a murder.

Any hints on what you're working on next?

I'm working on a few projects. One is called Cardboard Gangsters which is written by John Connors. Another is a script I have written about growing up in the 1980's.

Any advice to give to aspiring Irish writers and/or directors out there?

Work harder than anyone else and create your own path. Don't talk about it, just go and do it whether you can get funding or not. Work everyday to improve your craft and be constantly looking to learn. Have a strong vision but also be open to ideas because film is a collaboration. I find the single most important trait for an artist is curiosity.