IFTA Red Carpet 2015

Red Carpet Showdown as stars of Vikings, Game of Thrones and Love/Hate converge at the IFTA’s

The IFTA Film & Drama Awards take place this Sunday, May 24 at the Mansion House and attendees are advised to bring their body armour as the leading actors and warriors of Vikings, the battlers of Game of Thrones and the gangsters of Love/Hate are all set to descend on the red carpet.

And the battle is sure to continue into the ceremony as all three shows are up for the Best Drama IFTA – a category which this year places Ireland veritably in the international spotlight for producing high-quality engaging drama as Vikings (shot in Ashford Studios in Wicklow), Game of Thrones (shot in Northern Ireland) and Love/Hate (filmed and set in Dublin) all continue to sell worldwide.

Guest presenters on the night include Sean Bean, Ciaran Hinds, Patrick Bergin, Amy Huberman, Adrian Dunbar, Sean McGinley, Peter Coonan, Colin O'Donoghue, Pat Shortt, Miriam O Callaghan, Cecelia Ahern, Amanda Byram among others.

The IFTA Film & Drama Awards will honour the finest work produced by Irish screen talent in the past 12 months. The nominees in 25 IFTA Award categories were announced 29th April and amongst the 2015 shortlist are: Stephen Rea, Michael Fassbender, Colin Farrell, Deirdre O’Kane, Domhnall Gleeson, John Carney, Terry McMahon, Lenny Abrahamson, Gerard Barrett, Frank Berry, Ciaran Donnelly, Dearbhla Walsh, Moe Dunford, Charlotte Bradley, Sarah Greene, Andrew Scott, James Nesbitt, Sinead Cusack, Jack Reynor, Jamie Dornan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Aisling Franciosi, Catherine Walker, among many.

Filmmaker Jim Sheridan will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, a tribute to his highly decorated and illustrious career that spans 30 years with credits that include My Left Foot, The Boxer, In America, In the Name of the Father, The Field, Brothers, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ and Some Mother’s Son.

Also attending will be the four IFTA Rising Star nominees. Selected by a special jury and sponsored by the IFB, the Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award in that it aims to highlight exceptional new and breakthrough talent working in all areas of Irish Film & Drama; this year’s nominees are actress Caitriona Balfe of Outlander fame, Patrick’s Day actor Moe Dunford, Out of Here director Donal Foreman and Noble actress Sarah Greene.

Invading the IFTA’s from the History Channel’s hit series Vikings (nominated for six IFTA’s overall) is English actor Clive Standen. Trading his suit of armour for a suit of Armani for one night, Standen has received acclaim for playing Rollo, the fierce and impulsive brother of Ragnar, in the wildly successful series.

From Ragnar’s brother to Ragnar’s lover; Queen Aslaug will also be conquering the red carpet. Alyssa Sutherland, who portrays Aslaug, is an Australian-born actress and supermodel who has previously starred in films such as The Devil Wears Prada, Day on Fire and Don’t Look Up as well as having a modelling resume which consists of appearances in campaigns for Bulgari, Ralph Lauren, Garnier, Calvin Klein to name but a few.

Joining Standen and Sutherland on the red carpet is English actor Linus Roache – who plays the sophisticated and visionary King Ecbert on the show.  Like the character he portrays, Roache also has an impressive ancestry; he is the son of William Roache who has played Ken Barlow for over 50 years on Coronation Street. Among Linus’ many credits is a Golden-Globe nominated performance in the mini-series RFK.

Also assaulting the carpet is actress Maude Hirst, who plays the loyal and beautiful Helen on the show. Hirst is the daughter of Vikings creator Michael Hirst, who also created the internationally renowned period drama The Tudors, with Maude also having a role on that show.

The ground-breaking fantasy series Game of Throne’s Sean Bean aka Ned Stark, will also be hitting the battleground. Game of Thrones, which is shot in Northern Ireland, is nominated for three IFTA’s (including Best Drama). Sean Bean is well-known to Irish audiences for playing Tadgh McCabe in Jim Sheridan’s classic The Field as well as playing Boromir in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Sean Bean will be joined by fellow Game of Thrones cast-member Aidan Gillen who plays the crafty, cunning and resourceful Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish in the HBO series. Gillen is up for an IFTA nomination on the night for his role as former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey in the RTÉ mini-series Charlie and will also be seen in John Carney’s upcoming musical drama Sing Street, which will be out later this year.

Ned Stark and Littlefinger will be joined on the frontline by the charismatic and cool-headed Mance Raydar – as Northern Irish actor Ciarán Hinds will also be attending - as well as reformed smuggler and reliable vassal Davos Seaworth played by Liam Cunningham, who is up for an IFTA for his role on the show.

The Game of Thrones warriors have seen bloodshed, beheadings and dragons but they have never seen Nidge.  Love/Hate actor Tom Vaughan Lawlor is up for an IFTA once again for his acclaimed role in the show and he will also be gunning it out on the red carpet. He will be joined by niece Siobhan aka Charlie Murphy, who is up for two IFTA’s on the night, as well as John Connors aka Patrick and Mary Murray aka Madame Janet, who are both also up for IFTA gongs.

This year TV3 will deliver coverage of all the excitement around the Nominees, International Guests and Winners from the Ceremony and the Red Carpet in an exclusive (non-live) one hour ‘Awards Special’ programme.