Belfast and An Cailín Ciúin lead nominations for Irish film and television awards

The nominees for the 2022 Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards in film and in TV drama have been announced. Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, also a competitor at the Oscars, and Colm Bairéad's An Cailín Ciúin, set to open this week's Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, scored the most mentions with 10 each. The crime drama Kin, competing in 13 categories, scored top of the television charts.

Áine Moriarty, chief executive of Ifta, commented: “What a spectacular line-up of nominees who have been shortlisted for Irish Academy awards this year, after a record-breaking production year for the Irish industry. The work being recognised this year showcases to the world what our small but talented industry has to offer.”

Belfast, a semi-autobiographical study of life in that city, has been a competitor for awards since its buzzed-about premiere last September at the Telluride Film Festival. Ciarán Hinds, who plays the young protagonist's grandfather, follows through on his Oscar nomination with a place in the race for best supporting actor at the domestic awards. Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, touching as the hero's mum and dad, missed out at the American academy, but secure places here in best supporting actress and best supporting actor. Jude Hill, who plays a stand-in for the director in this semi-autobiographical tale, is nominated in best lead actor.

“We all feel very proud and honoured by this recognition,” Branagh commented. “Cinema-goers across the whole of Ireland have been incredibly supportive of our film, and it’s wonderful that a story designed for the big screen has been met by such a massive return of audiences to their local cinemas across the island. Thank you!”

Colm Bairéad's delicate, beautifully composed An Cailín Ciúin has been drawing attention since becoming the first Irish-language feature to play at the Berlin Film Festival. Based on Claire Keegan's story Foster, the film stars Catherine Clinch as a young girl who learns life lessons when sent to stay with relatives in the country during the early 1980s. Clinch, just 12-years-old, is nominated in lead actress alongside talent such as Angeline Ball, star of Deadly Cuts, and Niamh Algar, searing in the horror film Censor. Carrie Crowley, superb as the heroine's foster mother in An Cailín Ciúin, competes in best supporting actress.

Six titles jostle for best film. An Cailín Ciúin and Belfast are joined by Rachel Carey's Deadly Cuts, a raucous hairdressing comedy, Benjamin Cleary's Swan Song, a science fiction film starring Mahershala Ali, Graham Cantwell's Who We Love, a coming-of-age story, and Kate Dolan's horror film You Are Not My Mother, a hit at the recent Toronto International Film Festival. "Absolutely delighted to see our film get six Ifta noms this morning," Dolan said. "The film was made by such a hard-working cast and crew and I couldn't be more grateful for them."

Jessie Buckley, Oscar-nominated for The Lost Daughter, scores again with Ifta in the best supporting actress category. Ruth Negga, who unexpectedly missed at the American awards, is mentioned against Buckley for her role in Rebecca Hall's Passing.

The other series competing for best TV drama are Smother, Hidden Assets and Vikings: Valhalla.

The Ifta awards have had an irregular history in recent years. They did not happen in 2019. Awards for titles released in 2018 and 2019 were presented at a virtual ceremony in October 2020. A virtual event for 2020 film and TV drama occurred last July. “This year, as we move out of restrictions and hopefully leave the pandemic behind us, the Irish academy will host both virtual and physical events,” a press statement explained. “A virtual awards event in March which will be followed by a physical industry gathering in April, for the presentation of awards in Dublin.”

Deirdre O’Kane will host the virtual awards ceremony on Virgin Media One on Saturday, March 12th. The academy will “shortly announce” details of the event in April.

IFTAS 2022 – THE NOMINEES

FILM CATEGORIES

Best film

An Cailín Ciúin
Belfast
Deadly Cuts
Swan Song
Who We Love
You Are Not My Mother

Director film

Benjamin Cleary – Swan Son
Colm Bairéad – An Cailín Ciúin
Graham Cantwell – Who We Love
Kate Dolan – You Are Not My Mother
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast

Script film

Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Philip Doherty – Redemption of a Rogue
Benjamin Cleary – Swan Song
Graham Cantwell & Katie McNeice – Who We Love
Kate Dolan – You Are Not My Mother

Lead actor film

Aaron Monaghan – Redemption of a Rogue
Dónall Ó Héalai – Foscadh
Jude Hill – Belfast
Moe Dunford – Nightride
Peter Coonan – Doineann

Lead actress film

Angeline Ball – Deadly Cuts
Catherine Clinch – An Cailín Ciúin
Gemma-Leah Devereux – The Bright Side
Hazel Doupe – You Are Not My Mother
Niamh Algar – Censor

Supporting actor film

Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
Cillian O Gairbhí – Foscadh
Dean Quinn – Who We Love
Jamie Dornan – Belfast
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor – The Bright Side

Supporting actress film

Amy-Joyce Hastings – Who We Love
Caitríona Balfe – Belfast
Carrie Crowley – An Cailín Ciúin
Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
Ruth Negga – Passing

The George Morrison feature documentary award

Castro's Spies
Love Yourself Today
Lyra
Pure Grit
The Dance
Young Plato

Short film

A White Horse
Best Foot Forward
Debutante
Harvest
Nothing to Declare
Scrap
Ship of Souls
Silence
The Colour Between
The Passion

Short animation

Bardo
Da Humbug
Fall of the Ibis King
Memento Mori

DRAMA CATEGORIES

Best drama

Hidden Assets
Kin
Smother
Vikings Valhalla

Director drama

Ciaran Donnelly – The Wheel of Time
Dathaí Keane – Smother
Diarmuid Goggins – Kin
Hannah Quinn – Vikings: Valhalla
Lisa Mulcahy – Ridley Road

Script drama

Declan Croghan – Vikings: Valhalla
Kate O'Riordan – Smother
Morna Regan – Hidden Assets
Peter McKenna – Hidden Assets
Peter McKenna – Kin

Lead actor drama

Aidan Gillen – Kin
Jimmy Nesbitt – Stay Close
Liam Cunningham – Domina
Sam Keeley – Kin

Lead actress drama

Angeline Ball – Hidden Assets
Clare Dunne – Kin
Dervla Kirwan – Smother
Niamh Algar – Deceit
Sinead Keenan – Three Families

Supporting actor drama

Andrew Scott – The Pursuit of Love
Ciarán Hinds – Kin
Emmett J Scanlan – Kin
Owen McDonnell – Three Families
Peter Coonan – Hidden Assets

Supporting actress drama

Cathy Belton – Hidden Assets
Justine Mitchell – Smother
Lola Petticrew – Three Families
Maria Doyle-Kennedy – Kin
Simone Kirby – Hidden Assets

CRAFT CATEGORIES

Cinematography

Burschi Wojnar – Redemption of a Rogue
James Mather – Kin
Kate McCullough – An Cailín Ciúin
Narayan Van Maele – You Are Not My Mother
Peter Robertson – Vikings: Valhalla

Editing

Dermot Diskin – Kin
John Murphy – An Cailín Ciúin
Nathan Nugent – Swan Song
Tony Cranstoun – Zone 414
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast

Production design

Derek Wallace – Kin
Emma Lowney – An Cailín Ciúin
Joe Fallover – Wolf
Tamara Conboy – Deadly Cuts
Tom Conroy – Vikings: Valhalla

Costume design

Eimear Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh – Foundation
Kathy Strachan – Deadly Cuts
Louise Stanton – An Cailín Ciúin
Susan O'Connor Cave – Vikings: Valhalla
Susan Scott – Zone 414

Makeup & hair

Sian Wilson – Belfast
Lyndsey Herron and Edwina Kelly – Deadly Cuts
Linda Gannon and Clare Lambe – Foundation
Eileen Buggy, Audrey Doyle and Barrie Gower – The Green Knight
Dee Corcoran, Joe Whelan and Thomas McInerney – Vikings: Valhalla

Sound

Aza Hand and Alan Scully – Boys From County Hell
John "Bob" Brennan, Fionan Higgins, Nikki Moss, Mark Henry and Andrew Kirwan – Smother
Karl Merren and Johnny Marshall – The Green Knight
Steve Fanagan – Swan Song
Steve Fanagan, John "Bob" Brennan and Brendan Rehill – An Cailín Ciúin

Original music

David Holmes – Kin
Die Hexen – You Are Not My Mother
Joseph Conlan – Who We Love
Stephen Rennicks – An Cailín Ciúin
Van Morrison – Belfast

VFX

Ed Bruce and Andrew Barry – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Ed Bruce and Andrew Barry – The Nevers
Ed Bruce and Manuel Martinez – Swan Song
Ed Bruce and Sam Johnston – The Book of Boba Fett
Kevin Cahill and Eric Saindon – The Green Knight