IFTA Announces

The Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Nominees 2022

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Nominees for 2022, with the Winner to be announced at the IFTA Virtual Awards, which will be broadcast on Virgin Media One on Saturday, March 12th at 08:30 pm.  Details about this year’s international guest presenters will be announced in the coming days.

Selected by a special jury, the Screen Ireland Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award, in that it puts an international spotlight on Irish professionals who have not only honed their crafts in the formative years of their career but have also excelled in their respective fields. This would not be possible without the great work of Screen Ireland in financing Irish film production, and creating opportunities for Irish writers, directors, actors, and crew.

Ireland has recently enjoyed a record-breaking year in terms of film and television production. The past year saw Irish directors, writers, producers, cast and crew create world-class stories that have engaged audiences around the globe. The nominees for this year’s Rising Star Award are at the vanguard of the next wave of Irish Screen Talent, whose incredible work will keep Ireland at the forefront of the global screen industries.

The 2022 Nominees are:

Benjamin Cleary (Writer/Director - Swan Song)

Colm Bairéad  (Writer/Director -  An Cailín Ciúin)

Hazel Doupe (Actress - You Are Not My Mother)

Kate Dolan (Writer/Director - You Are Not My Mother)

Sam Keeley (Actor - Kin)

See BIOG details below for each Nominee

Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Saoirse Ronan, Michael Fassbender, Tomm Moore, Domhnall Gleeson, John Michael McDonagh, Sarah Greene, Gerard Barrett, Jamie Dornan, Aisling Franciosi, Stephen Fingleton, Patrick Gibson, Jacob McCarthy and Nicola Coughlan; all of whom have gone on to garner recognition and accolades both in Ireland and internationally.

Speaking about the 2022 Rising Stars:

Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive of the Irish Film and Television Academy said:

“This prestigious Award shines a light on five superb Irish professionals who are proving themselves to be world-class talents, exemplifying high-quality craft, skill and expertise on the world stage. As Ireland’s Rising Stars, they are a reflection of a brilliant new wave of Irish talent in what may be a Golden Era for the Irish Screen industry, and the Academy is proud to recognise their achievements.”

Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said:

“Huge congratulations to all the Rising Star nominees announced today. The nominees are all recognised for their strong creative vision, both in front of and behind the camera. Screen Ireland is proud to support the Rising Star Award, highlighting the incredible achievements of Irish screen talent, and look forward to the future work of all the nominees.”

THE SCREEN IRELAND - IFTA RISING STAR NOMINEES 2022

Benjamin Cleary (Writer/Director - Swan Song)

Benjamin is an Oscar winning writer/director from Dublin. He has recently completed his feature debut Swan Song, which he wrote and directed, and which stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina.  In 2015 Benjamin wrote, directed and edited his short film Stutterer.  The film won an Irish Academy Award (IFTA) and went on to win an Oscar for Best Live action Short in 2016, a Cannes Young Director Award along with c 25 awards across festivals worldwide.  Prior to this, Benjamin produced another short film Wave featuring Jarvis Cocker which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2017 and also won an Irish Academy Award (IFTA) and multiple festival awards worldwide.

Benjamin is also nominated for Best Director and Best Script at the 2022 IFTA - Irish Academy Awards, while Swan Song is nominated for Best Film, Editing, Sound and VFX.

Speaking about this Nomination Benjamin Cleary said: “What a lovely surprise to be nominated for Rising Star!  It’s a huge honour to receive this nomination from the Irish Film & Television Academy. Go raibh míle maith agat!”

Colm Bairéad  (Writer/Director -  An Cailín Ciúin)

An Cailín Ciúin is Colm's narrative feature film debut. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival where An Cailín Ciúin won The Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for Best Film.  He has directed a number of award-winning short films including Mac an Athar (His Father’s Son), Finscéal Pháidí (Páidí’s Tale) and An tÁdh (Luck) and directed many hours of documentary television for TG4, including a feature-length documentary film on Mise Éire and the four-part observational documentary series, An Ceoldráma.  Colm has garnered festival awards worldwide for his work and received a distinction from the Screen Directors' Guild of Ireland for his outstanding work as a director in the Irish language.  Colm is Nominated for an Irish Academy Award for Best Director in 2022, while An Cailín Ciúin is nominated across 11 categories in total, including Best Film.

Speaking about this Nomination Colm Bairéad said: “Given the incredible array of Irish talent that has been nominated for the Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star award over the years, I'm pinching myself looking at my name on this year's list. Huge congratulations to the other nominees agus buíochas ó chroí le IFTA agus Fís Éireann as ucht na honóra áille seo."

Hazel Doupe (Actress - You Are Not My Mother)

Hazel is an Irish Actress who can currently be seen in the central role of Char in Kate Dolan’s You Are Not My Mother.  Doupe started her career as a guest star in the episode Shot Down of the second series of Jack Taylor. In 2015, she starred as Wendy Darling/Lucy Rose in the modern-day television adaption of Peter Pan, which was broadcast on ITV.  In 2017, she starred in Frank Berry’s IFTA-winning Michael Inside. She is best known for her role as Frances, an Irish Traveller teen who idolises boxing legend Muhammad Ali and trains herself to become a boxer in Carmel Winters’ film Float Like a Butterfly, which premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently, she portrayed Ingrid in the RTÉ One’s hit thriller drama series Smother, which also starred Dervla Kirwan, Niamh Walsh, Seána Kerslake and Gemma-Leah Devereux . Hazel is nominated for Lead Actress - Film at the 2022 Irish Academy Awards for her role in You Are Not My Mother, which has 8 nominations in total including Best Film, and a Rising Star nomination for its writer/director Kate Dolan.

Speaking about this Nomination Hazel Doupe said: “Thank you so much to the IFTA panel for this rising star nomination. I feel beyond honoured to be recognised amongst the huge wave of Irish talent that is emerging."

Kate Dolan (Writer/Director - You Are Not My Mother)

Writer/ Director Kate Dolan’s debut feature film You Are Not My Mother premiered at TIFF Midnight Madness in Sept 2021 and had its Irish Premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival in February 2022.  Kate graduated from the National Film School, IADT in 2012. Along with directing many commercials and music videos over the years, Kate was selected for Berlinale Talents in 2014, where she wrote and directed short film Little Doll. The film premiered at the Berlinale in 2016. Catcalls, Kate's next short film funded by Screen Ireland in 2017 premiered at many of the leading international festivals including BFI London Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and Fantasia Film Festival. Kate was chosen to take part in Guiding Lights, the UK's leading mentoring scheme for filmmakers and in 2019 was listed as one of Ireland's leading emerging creatives under 30.  Kate is nominated for Best Director and Best Script at the 2022 Irish Academy Awards for You Are Not My Mother.

Speaking about this Nomination Kate Dolan said: "A few days ago I went to my Granny's grave and asked her to send me luck for our upcoming Irish cinema release, and god she must have sent triple the luck I needed. It's amazing to receive this on top of the other IFTA nominations for You Are Not My Mother. There is a great feeling of support for myself and the film from the Irish film industry and I am feeling absolutely delighted."

Sam Keeley ( Actor -  Kin)

Sam Keeley is an Irish actor who plays Eric 'Viking' Kinsella in the hit Irish-US co-production Kin.  Keeley has a major role in the new dramatized retelling of Netflix hit Tiger King where he plays John Finlay, one of Joe Exotic's husbands, in the eight-part show for NBC, which also sees Kate McKinnon play Carole Baskin, and John Cameron Mitchell as Exotic.  Sam has starred in Dublin Murders for BBC/RTÉ, in Julian Fellowes' The English Game for Netflix, as well as the lead role in 68 Whiskey for Paramount Television. He appeared in the films Monsters: Dark Continent, and Netflix Original The Siege of Jadotville in 2016, Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea, Burnt starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, and The Cured.  He has also featured in award-winning series Misfits, Kin is nominated for a total of 13 Awards at this year’s Irish Academy Awards.

Speaking about this Nomination Sam Keeley said: "It’s a huge honour to be considered for this award especially given the incredible pool of talent we have in Ireland at the moment. I’ve been working away from home for a long time. To have my work be acknowledged in this way by my home country, means the world to me."

THE IFTA AWARDS BROADCAST - VIRGIN MEDIA ONE, 8.30PM,SATURDAY MARCH 12TH

Deirdre O’Kane will host the 2022 IFTA Film & Drama Awards, which will be broadcast on Virgin Media One, at 8.30pm on Saturday March 12th.  The 2022 IFTA Awards will be a great celebration and spotlight on Ireland, with high-profile international Guest Presenters taking the time to participate and say hello to Ireland and to present a key award on the night.

Other Nominees across the IFTA Award Categories include:

Nominations for this year’s best film Colm Bairéad’s debut An Cailín Ciúin, ia gorgeous and mesmerising story of a young girl’s summer break away from her dysfunctional family in 1980s Ireland, when she stays with a foster couple featuring new-comer Catherine Clinch and Carrie Crowley;  Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, is the tender, personal and very humorous story of one boy’s childhood during the Troubles in 1960’s Belfast, featuring Caitriona Balfe, Ciarán Hinds, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, and Dame Judy Dench;  Rachel Carey’s debut Deadly Cuts is the hit comedy about a group of inner-city Dublin hairstylists-turned-vigilantes, starring Angeline Ball; Swan Song, is the superb debut Sci-Fi feature from Oscar-winning Irish filmmaker Ben Cleary (Stutterer), featuring Oscar Winner Mahershala Ali who decides to clone himself in the hope of protecting his family when he’s gone; Graham Cantwell’s Who We Love, an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama that is funny and uplifting despite Lily having to navigate tough terrain starring Amy-Joyce Hastings and Dean Quinn; and Kate Dolan’s debut feature You Are Not My Mother, an Irish Folk-Horror following Char (Hazel Doupe) after her mother Angela (Carolyn Bracken) briefly goes missing, only to return with a radically changed personality.

This year, as we move out of restrictions and hopefully leave the Pandemic behind us, the Irish Academy will host both virtual & physical events.  The Virtual Awards Event will be followed by a Physical industry gathering in April, for the presentation of Awards in Dublin. The Academy will shortly announce details of the upcoming Physical Event taking place in April in Dublin, to celebrate the industry along with the Awards presentations, the venue, the guests and more.

The IFTA Film & Drama Awards is funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and is also supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and Virgin Media Television.  Screen Ireland works in partnership with the Irish Academy across the Rising Star Award each year.

For further information contact:

Telephone:  +35319053599

Heather Mackey

acemediapr@gmail.com

press@ifta.ie

www.ifta.ie        -    @ifta -           #IFTA