Winners announced at the IFTA Awards 2022

WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT THE IFTA AWARDS 2022

Winners were revealed at a virtual ceremony hosted by comedian Deirdre O’Kane.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the IFTA awards, hosted by the Irish Film & Television Academy last night on Virgin Media One at 8.30pm, with Deirdre O’Kane at the helm.

Saturday Night’s Virtual IFTA Awards 2022 was a Star-studded affair, with Chris Pine, Colin Farrell, Michael Moore, Roma Downey,  Fionnula Flanagan among the stellar line-up of guests at the ceremony, presenting awards to the likes of Ciarán Hinds, Jessie Buckley, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Moe Dunford, Kin and An Cailín Ciúin.

The incredible array of guest presenters also included Nicola Coughlan, Chris O’Dowd, Charlie Cox and many more who virtually presented awards to Irish Talent for their extraordinary achievements.

Nominees joined the show virtually and were clearly enjoying the camaraderie of talking with their fellow nominees in the various categories and many of the nominees hosting their own IFTA-viewing parties with their fellow cast and crew, as well as friends,family.

The event was hosted by Deirdre O’Kane who took the helm with her trademark wit and elegance including a tribute to Ukrainian president, and fellow comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

VIEW FULL LIST OF WINNERS HERE

Groundbreaking Win for the Irish Language!

Hollywood Leading Man Chris Pine (Star Trek, Wonder Woman) presented the Best Film Award on the night, which went to An Cailín Ciúin, written and directed by Colm Bairéad.  A historic milestone for the IFTA Awards, when an Irish language feature film has won Best Film.  In her emotional acceptance speech, the film’s producer Cleona Ní Chrualaoi, who is married to the director, said “I think this is a watershed moment for Irish Language Cinema and we're just so proud to be part of this.”

Chris Pine acknowledged the power of Irish storytelling: “I’ve long been a fan of Irish Storytelling, and I’ve had the pleasure of performing in Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore.  I love your countryside, and I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in Galway, the Aran Islands, and Dublin, and just recently I had the good fortune to do some filming in Antrim.”

He also praised the standard of Irish screencraft saying: "Throughout tonight, you have seen first-hand the incredible films and filmmakers you have in Ireland….I salute and congratulate all of you! “

Bairéad also took home the award for Best Director Film  which was presented by Irish acting Legend Gabriel Byrne. Accepting the award Bairéad said:

“Oh my God!  Wow!  That's amazing! Thank you IFTA for this extraordinary honour. Thanks to the Cine4 Scheme, which made our film possible, Screen Ireland, and  the BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland). Thank you guys for believing in our quiet little film that has a big heart. .

An Cailín Ciúin’s success continued when young debutante Catherine Clinch received the Best Lead Actress Film award from Marvel’s Daredevil and lead of Kin, Charlie Cox. An emotional Clinch, shocked by the win, was joined by her mother who said: “Catherine said there was absolutely no way she would win so she didn't prepare anything as that would look cocky and there was no way. So thank you so much!”

Daredevil, Charlie said “I have such fond memories of my time spent in Dublin with my family while I was shooting Kin during lockdown.  We were there for seven months, and had such an amazing time, getting to know so many wonderful and talented people and to see first-hand the incredible artistry and craft within the industry there; I was fortunate to work with some brilliant Irish Actors and Actresses while I was there.”

Kin Family Reunited for the Award Celebration

KIN won Best Drama,  presented by high-profile Hollywood Producer and actor Roma Downey.  This was one of an impressive six wins in total for the Dublin crime drama, which included Sam Keeley who won Best Actor Drama, and Maria Doyle-Kennedy who was presented with the  Best Supporting Actress Drama award by Liam Cunningham.  Joining from a Kin nominee party where the team had assembled for the Awards, Keeley received his award while sat next to co-star and fellow nominee Aidan Gillen and said “Thank you very much.  To my fellow nominees, it's an honour to be even considered among you in this category. I have huge respect for all of you, especially this man (Gillen), no offense.  Thank you so much to the Irish Academy for the recognition. Peter McKenna for writing such a wonderfully complex character and giving me full autonomy to play that.”

KIN’s Showrunner and writer McKenna received his award from IFTA-winning actor and writer John Connors, while Clare Dunne won Best Actress Drama, which was accepted on her behalf by her on-screen husband, Emmett J Scanlon, who explained that Claire was on the side of a mountain in Peru on the Inca trail.

Victoria Smurfit connected in to the Show from her trailer at the filmshoot of Bloodlands, “People think that filmmaking is all glamour - It’s not!  It’s waiting around in the elements: the heat, the wind, the rain.  So nights like tonight, this is our glamour.”

Smurfit presented one of the IFTAs to Ciarán Hinds, who won two IFTAs last night for both Best Supporting Actor Drama for Kin and also for Best Supporting Actor Film for his role as Pop in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast.  Accepting the award in a manner perhaps more suited to Eamon Cunningham, his drug lord character in Kin, from what he explained was “A car in the backstreets of London…due to ‘circumstances’,”

Hinds praised Kenneth Branagh’s script and film for reconnecting him to his roots: “This film Ken wrote touched me very deeply. As much as the story was of Ken’s childhood it was also the story of my childhood, and the people I knew, and the community and the wonderful, wry-humoured, stoic people of the north of Ireland.”

Actress Fionnula Flanagan, presented Hinds with his Supporting Actor Film award for Belfast, and took a moment to pay tribute to the people of Ukraine: “To the writers, the artists, the actors, the directors, the producers and everyone concerned with making film and theatre in Ukraine…our hearts go out to you…and we admire your courage…and we hope that someday soon you will have a peaceful future.”

The screenplay that so touched Hinds won Branagh the award for Best Script Film.  Brannagh, who is filming Christopher Nolan’s J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic in New Mexico at present, which stars Cillian Murphy in the lead role, gave an acceptance speech via his IFTA-winning editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle who edited Belfast as well as Death on the Nile for Branagh.  

Branagh said  “My homeland gave me a hell of a story to tell and has been very patient in waiting for 50 years until I could tell it.  People from up and down the island have responded with such deep-hearted appreciation to a story that it seems many of us share through our very own family experiences. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and would also like to salute my fellow nominees and their incredible work. What an honour to have been in their company. Thank you cinema-goers of Ireland and thank you IFTA.”

Elsewhere on the night, Moe Dunford won Best Lead Actor Film for his role in Stephen FIngleton’s Nigthride. The Film was shot in ‘one single take’, which sees Dunford as a small-time criminal, trying to pull off one last drug deal with cash he borrowed from a dangerous loan shark. Accepting the award, the Waterford native thanked his parents saying “Thank you for letting a 5-year old run along the cinema seats at The Fugitive, you're my best friends, my brother Eoin, my son Charlie. This is for you, this is for the crew, and that policeman, you brought out the inner 16 year old and that's why we make movies. God bless. 

Bridgerton and Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan, presented the Screen Ireland IFTA Rising Star Award, having received the Award in 2021. Speaking of the award Coughlan said: “I am still so honoured and so very proud to have won this Award last year, and I can tell you how much it means.  Wherever your work takes you in the world,  it really means so much to be rewarded at home, to receive this recognition from your peers, and the incredible people in this industry here in Ireland.” The award went to An Caiín Ciúin’s writer/director Colm Bairéad, capping off a successful evening for the Irish-Language feature.

Michael Moore - “We Live In Dark Times Right Now”

Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11) presented the George Morrison Feature Documentary Award.  

Moore spoke about the importance of non-fiction filmmaking, especially in light of the current situation in Ukraine and world politics: “I would encourage anybody out there who is interested in non-fiction films, because we live in a dark time right now and authoritarians around the world (we had our experience with the former guy), they are not truth-tellers. The lies that they build their world on stick with us to this day and our hearts of course go out to the people in the Ukraine and having to suffer through being invaded by somebody again who does not believe in non-fiction so… all of you who are documentary filmmakers keep going - It's important work.”

He also took time to speak about the legacy of Morrison himself who celebrates his 100th birthday this year.  He made many films but one classic film was called Mise Éire. What was radical and historic about this film about the 1916 rising, is that it was the first Irish film to be distributed entirely in the Irish-Language.”

The Award was presented to Young Plato, which was accepted by co-director Declan McGrath. Young Plato charts the dream of Headmaster Kevin McArevey and his dedicated visionary team, illustrating how Philosophy, critical thinking, and pastoral care can empower and encourage children to see beyond the boundaries and limitations of their own community. “

Jessie Buckley - “Long Live the Brilliant Women”

Connecting from his home in Los Angeles, Colin Farrell presented the award for Best Supporting Actress Film and said: “I’m thrilled, this year has been an incredible year of work in films that have been globally lauded and performances that are raw and empathetic and that show a true mastery of the craft, and I couldn’t be more honoured to tip my hat to you on your nominations.”I 

Farrell announced Jessie Buckley as the winner, for her role in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter. She paid tribute to her fellow nominees saying “Thank you so much, this is so lovely. Thanks, IFTA. It’s not mine it’s all of ours, you are all amazing women, I’m so proud to stand beside you now and all of our life.“ Buckley thanked her director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s  before signing off with a tribute to her fellow actresses saying, “long live the brilliant women!”

Hannah Quinn won Best Director Drama for helming the Netflix series Vikings: Valahalla presented by 1917 and Wolf leading man George MacKay. Introducing the award MacKay, who recently shot here on Wolf, spoke of his love of Ireland. Saying: “it's an absolute honour to be here celebrating this amazing Irish Talent with you, and to be part of the night in any way is a very, very  special thing. I've had the pleasure of working in Ireland recently and always, growing up, right up to now, being inspired by all the talent and amazing talent that's come from Irish storytelling.“

Accepting the award, Quinn praised the crew on Vikings: Valhalla, which shot in Ashford Studios in Wicklow: “I absolutely loved working on Valhalla, a brilliant show, the cast and crew have been magnificent and I just loved working on the show, so this win is for everyone who has worked on it.”

The young stars of Belfast Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie and Lara McDonnell presented the Short Animation award to Fall of the Ibis King while the winner of best short was Nothing to Declare, the charming story of two Irish boys aged 10 and 13 on a stowaway adventure of a lifetime from Dublin to New York in the summer of 1985.

Speaking about the ceremony IFTA CEO  Áine Moriarty said: 

“Last night was a magical night of celebration for the Irish screen industry, with the wonderful Deirdre O’Kane welcoming our guests virtually from all around the world.  Congratulations to all of our nominees and winners for your achievements in what has been a record breaking year for the industry in Ireland.”  

The IFTA Awards is funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, and also supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), Tourism Ireland, and Virgin Media Television.

VIEW FULL LIST OF WINNERS HERE

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