BUDDING AND not quite so budding Irish actors, writers and directors have been nominated for this year’s Irish Rising Star awards from the Irish Film and Television Academy and the Irish Film Board.
Those whose hearts will be thumping on awards day, February 14th, include 17-year-old Dublin actress Sarah Bolger, for her performance in fantasy film The Spiderwick Chronicles, and writer and director Lance Daly for his movie about two runaways in Dublin, Kisses.
Dublin writer Enda Walsh has been nominated along with actor Michael Fassbender for the award for their involvement in award-winning movie Hunger, which tells the story of Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger-striker who died in May 1981 in the Maze Prison.
Bolger's filmography includes A Love Divided, In Americaand Tara Road.
She has been nominated as Ifta best supporting actress for her role in The Spiderwick Chronicles. She has also picked up the nomination for rising star at the Berlin Film Festival next month.
Daly wrote and directed his first film, Last Days in Dublin, in 2001. His second movie The Halo Effect(2004) was nominated for five Ifta awards. Kisses, released last November, won best Irish feature at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Fassbender's first major role was as Sgt Burton Pat Christenson in Band of Brothers. His roles in Hungerand TV drama The Devil's Whorehave earned him two Ifta nominations.
Walsh, whose works include award-winning play Disco Pigs, co- wrote the screenplay for Hungerwith director Steve McQueen. The film has already won international awards, including the Cannes Camera d'Or, and is nominated for best film at the Bafta awards. Walsh is nominated for an Ifta best script award.
Last year, the Rising Star award went to actress and Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan for her performance in the film of Ian McEwan's book, Atonement.
Simon Perry, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, said the award was an excellent showcase of talent in front of and behind the camera.
“This year’s nominees have all broken through in significant films and we are delighted to see their talent and recent achievements recognised in the award,” Mr Perry said.
Áine Moriarty, Ifta chief executive, said the four nominees had shown themselves to be world-class talents in their respective fields and would be counted among the wealth of leading Irish talents over the coming years.
