IFTA BOARD

• Liam Cunningham
  Actor

  Irish actor Liam Cunningham has appeared in both the highest, and second highest, grossing Irish independent film The Guard (2011) and The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006). In 2012, Cunningham joined the main cast for the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones and was nominated for an IFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and he won the award in 2018.

• Áine Moriarty
  IFTA CEO

  Áine Moriarty is the founder and Chief Executive of the Irish Film & Television Academy (www.ifta.ie) est. in 2003 which has 1,140 Members of Irish industry professionals and runs an Educational Programme of c50 events annually including the John Ford Ireland - Film Symposium. She has Executive Produced 17 x IFTA Awards Ceremonies; is a founding member of the Film Academies Network of Europe; and lectured annually at the Digital MEDIA Business School in Spain for five years. She founded the IFTN Network (www.iftn.ie) in 1995 and previously was manager of Film Ireland Magazine for 3 years. She is a member of the Audiovisual Federation of Ireland: Member of the Film Steering Group Kerry; Board Member of the Kerry Film Festival.

• Neasa Hardiman
  Director / Writer

  Neasa is a BAFTA-winning director and screenwriter. Currently writing a thriller screenplay with Dreamworks, Neasa recently directed Jessica Jones for Marvel / Netflix, after teaming with New York's Killer Films to direct the story of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Z: The Beginning of Everything, and making acclaimed gritty murder drama Happy Valley for BBC/Netflix. She directs her award-winning sci-fi screenplay Sea Fever this summer. Born in Dublin, Neasa holds two Master's degrees. Her early formation includes producing and directing with RTÉ, where she designed the corporate logo, made award-winning creative and investigative documentaries, before becoming the youngest director of in-house drama Fair City.

• John Gleeson
  Partner - Head of Media and Entertainment, Grant Thornton

  John leads Grant Thornton's Irish, Northern Irish and International Media and Entertainment Practice. He has over 23 years commercial experience in providing tax advice and advisory services to individuals and corporates across a range of issues and tax heads - with a particular focus on the media and entertainment sector. John has particular experience in film and television projects having raised finance and advised on a broad range of transactions involving large international television series, animation series for the US market and numerous feature films including: Vikings, Ripper Street, Cardboard Gangsters, The Breadwinner, Nightflyers and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

• Deirdre Hopkins
  Head of Film, BAFTA

  Deirdre Hopkins is the Head of Film at BAFTA with responsibility for the Film Awards; across awards submissions, liaising with distributors, Jury management, rules & guidelines, campaigning, voting, results, managing ticketing, and guestlists.  Previously she worked full time at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA), working across the educational programme and the annual Irish awards (both Film & Television) across submissions, voting, Jury, rules & guidelines, results, managing ticketing, guest lists, etc.

• Nick Linnane
  Nick Linnane & Co

  Nick Linnane is Managing Director of Nick Linnane & Co which provides financial & business advice and accountancy services to businesses in Ireland and have offices in Dublin city and Westmeath. Nick works with a wide range of businesses in Ireland from media and technology to manufacturing and publishing.