Stars set to gather for 20th Anniversary IFTA Awards as legendary Costume Designer, Joan Bergin, receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The countdown has begun for the 20th Anniversary Irish Academy Awards Ceremony (the IFTAs), hosted by Deirdre O’Kane.  The Red Carpet will be unveiled in style at the new Dublin Royal Convention Centre, beside Dublin Castle, on Sunday, May 7th, and broadcast on RTÉ. 

This milestone 20th Anniversary Ceremony will welcome guests from around the world including screen talent, filmmakers, craftspeople, executives, and major studios and streaming giants to celebrate the work being achieved and the international collaborations that have been developed across the industry. These include Netflix, Apple TV+, Sky Cinema, Disney, Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Starz, Universal Pictures, alongside Irish players such as Wildcard Distribution, Break Out Pictures, and Volta Pictures.   

To mark this milestone 20th year, IFTA has announced that renowned veteran Costume Designer Joan Bergin will be honoured with the Irish Academy’s Industry Lifetime Achievement  Award, for her outstanding contribution to the Irish and international screen industry, across both film and television. 

Bergin is an international multi-award winning designer who has worked with some of the best directors and actors in the world including Jim Sheridan, Christopher Nolan, Mike Newell, Joel Schumacher, Neil Jordan, and has designed costumes for stars such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Amy Adams, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Bale, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Alan Rickman, Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, and Richard Harris.

Joan has worked on iconic productions such as Disenchanted (for which she is also IFTA nominated this year), The Prestige, The Tudors, Vikings, In The Name of the Father, The Field, and My Left Foot (see full bio below).

Acknowledging Bergin’s extraordinary contributions to filmmaking in Ireland, 

IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty said:  “To mark 20 years, the Irish Academy is delighted to present Joan Bergin with the highest honour the Academy can bestow on behalf of this industry as a whole.  She has been such an influential and prolific figure across the Irish screen industry for over 40 years. Joan has been an avid member and supporter of the Irish Academy since its inception in 2003 and an extraordinary mentor to new talent coming through, sharing her knowledge and expertise for new generations to come.  We are all so very proud of her achievements.”

Responding to the announcement, Joan Bergin said:

“I am truly delighted to be the recipient of such a prestigious honour from the Irish Academy on this 20th Anniversary of Ireland’s own ‘Oscar salute’ to our craft and skills. In this age of saturated coverage of the stars, across an industry that grows through strength and daring, and poses a competitive challenge to all, it is a personal pleasure to receive this award for my craft and on behalf of my crew from the Irish Academy.”

Bergin leads a roster of incredible women being recognised on the night, including the cast of Bad Sisters - Sharon Horgan’s Apple Original Series, as well as female-led film titles Aisha, The Wonder, God’s Creatures, and Róise & Frank. In the mix for Drama are woman-focused titles such as Derry Girls, Smother, Conversations With Friends, and The Dry.

The Best Film nominees this year showcase a diverse and exciting line-up of Irish feature films, with Aisha, The Banshees of Inisherin, God’s Creatures, Lakelands, Róise & Frank, and The Wonder vying for the night’s biggest award.

Meanwhile, Bad Sisters, Conversations With Friends, Derry Girls, Smother, The Dry, and Vikings: Valhalla present a strong competition in the Best Drama category. 

Among the Actor Award nominees on the night are Jessie Buckley, Brendan Gleeson, Caitriona Balfe, Andrew Scott, Colin Farrell, Sharon Horgan, Ciarán Hinds, Paul Mescal, Stephen Rea, Anne Marie Duff, Barry Keoghan, Aisling Franciosi, Sarah Greene, Genevieve O’Reilly, Kerry Condon, Pierce Brosnan, Dervla Kirwan, Jason O’Mara, Liam Neeson, Aidan Turner, Brenda Fricker, Seána Kerslake, Moe Dunford, Tommy Tiernan, Elaine Cassidy, Eileen Walsh, Eve Birthistle, Eanna Hardwicke, Eve Hewson, Conleth Hill, Brian Gleeson, Michael Smiley, Bríd Ní Neachtain, and more. 

With first-time IFTA nominees in attendance including Daryl McCormack, Siobhan McSweeney, Danielle Galligan, Alison Oliver, Roisin Gallagher, Kelly Gough, Vinnie McCabe, Kerr Logan, and newcomers Zara Devlin, Ollie West, Kíla Lord Cassidy, and Alisha Weir. 

Irish actors also attending are John C Reilly, Liam Cunningham, Charlie Murphy, AJ Buckley, Victoria Smurfit, Niamh Algar, and Clare Dunne, among others.

Among the Film and Drama Directors being recognised on the night include Dearbhla Walsh, Martin McDonagh, Dathaí Keane, Lenny Abrahamson, Paddy Breathnach, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Emer Reynolds, and first-time nominees Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy, Laura Way, and Aoife McArdle.

A special welcome will be given on the night to Oscar winners including the cast and filmmakers of An Irish Goodbye and Netflix’s All Quiet On The Western Front, fresh from winning numerous international awards including Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, and who are also IFTA nominated.

A full list of IFTA Guest Presenters & international guests will be announced closer to the date for the Awards Show. 

The IFTA Awards is funded by Screen Ireland, and also supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and Tourism Ireland.