Nominees Announced for 2024 Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Award ahead of April 20th Ceremony

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland are delighted to announce the 2024 Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Nominees with the winner to be announced at the 21st Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 20th.

Selected by a special jury and sponsored by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, this Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award, in that it puts an international spotlight on Irish professionals who have honed their craft in their formative years and have excelled in their respective fields. The nominees this year 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.

Ireland has enjoyed another exceptional year in terms of film and television production with screen professionals creating and producing world-class stories that have engaged audiences around the globe. 

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

The Nominees for the 2024 Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Award are:

Agnes O’Casey (Actor - Lies We Tell, The Miracle Club, Small Things Like These)

Alison Oliver (Actor - Saltburn, Sound & Colour, Conversations with Friends)

Ian Hunt-Duffy (Director - Double Blind, Gridlock)

Kwaku Fortune (Actor - Line of Duty, Hidden Assets, Twig, Normal People)

Siobhán Cullen (Actor - Obituary, The Dry, Bodkin, The Bright Side)

THE IRISH ACADEMY AWARDS - SATURDAY APRIL 20th

Baz Ashmawy will host the 2024 IFTA Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, April 20th in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, and broadcast on RTÉ.

This year is set to be one of the biggest gatherings for the home industry in Ireland with an spectacular lineup of screen stars set to return home to celebrate the work being achieved both in Ireland and internationally.  Guests will include recent Oscar winner Cillian Murphy (nominated for his work in Oppenheimer), iconic star Pierce Brosnan (nominated for The Last Rifleman) and Lily Gladstone (Oscar nominated star of Killers of the Flower Moon) for example, alongside this year’s Lifetime Achievement recipient Stephen Rea. 

Other nominated actors at this year’s awards include Sharon Horgan, Caitriona Balfe, Aidan Gillen, Clare Dunne, Sam Keeley, Niamh Algar, Éanna Hardwicke, Eve Hewson, Andrew Scott, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Barry Keoghan, Bronagh Gallagher, Jessie Buckley, Emmett J. Scanlan, Paul Mescal, Catherine Walker, Cathy Belton, Danielle Galligan, Barry Ward, Chris Walley, Fionnula Flanagan, Daryl McCormack, Liam Carney, Bríd Brennan, Diarmuid Noyes, David Wilmot, Saoirse Ronan, Jared Harris and Kenneth Branagh.

Speaking about the 2024 Rising Stars:

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

“These five superb individuals are a true reflection of the brilliant new wave of Irish talent who are proving themselves to be world-class screen professionals.  

This prestigious Award has recognised many great Irish talents in the early stage of their careers and, for the five Nominees this year, we hope this recognition will bolster the next phase of their creative journey internationally. Congratulations to each of them.”

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

“Sincere congratulations to the 2024 IFTA Rising Star Award nominees announced today, demonstrating creative vision and talent, both in front of and behind the camera.

Screen Ireland is proud to continue supporting new and established talent across the industry, and we look forward to seeing each of the nominees' work as they move into the next stage of their careers."

THE SCREEN IRELAND - IFTA RISING STAR NOMINEES 2024

Agnes O’Casey (Actor - Lies We Tell, The Miracle Club, Small Things Like These)

Agnes O'Casey studied at The Lir Academy, and made her television debut in the 1960s-set BBC One drama Ridley Road, starring as the lead character Vivien Epstein. More recently, she made her feature film debut in The Miracle Club, and plays the lead in Lisa Mulcahy’s Lies We Tell. She will next be seen in Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy. Agnes is nominated for Lead Actress - Film (for Lies We Tell) and Supporting Actress - Film (for The Miracle Club) at the 2024 IFTA Awards.

Alison Oliver (Actor - Saltburn, Sound & Colour, Conversations with Friends)

Alison Oliver is from County Cork and studied at The Lir Academy. She debuted as Frances in 2022’s Conversations With Friends, adapted from the Sally Rooney novel, for which she received her first IFTA nomination. In 2023, she starred opposite Barry Keoghan in Emerald Fennell’s BAFTA nominated film Saltburn, and opposite Sharon Horgan in BBC drama Best Interests. She will soon be seen in a major HBO series opposite Mark Ruffalo, and in Justin Kurzel’s film The Order opposite Jude Law. Alison is nominated for Supporting Actress - Film (for Saltburn) at the 2024 IFTA Awards, and also stars in the short film Sound and Colour, nominated for Live-Action Short Film.

Ian Hunt-Duffy (Director - Double Blind, Gridlock)

Ian Hunt-Duffy is from County Louth and is a graduate of the National Film School. Ian established Failsafe Films in Dublin, producing the IFTA Nominated short Love is a Sting in 2015, directed by Vincent Gallagher and written by Benjamin Cleary. Ian’s short film Gridlock won awards at festivals worldwide, including a Young Director Award at Cannes Lions. He was nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at Galway Film Fleadh 2023, where his debut feature Double Blind premiered. Ian is nominated for Director - Film at the 2024 IFTA Awards, with Double Blind nominated for a total of 11 awards including for Best Film.

Kwaku Fortune (Actor - Line of Duty, Hidden Assets, Twig, Normal People)

Kwaku Fortune was born in Roundwood, County Wicklow, and is a graduate of The Lir Academy. His early feature film roles included Aoife McArdle’s Kissing Candice in 2017 and Sophie Hyde’s Animals in 2019. He played Philip in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, and DS Marks in Season 6 of Line of Duty. Since 2021, he has played Josh on IFTA-nominated drama Hidden Assets, and has appeared in Redemption and The Dry.  This year, he will be seen in Marian Quinn’s feature film TWIG opposite Sade Malone and Brian F. O’Byrne, which premiered at Dublin International Film Festival.

 

Siobhán Cullen (Actor - Obituary, The Dry, Bodkin, The Bright Side)

Siobhán Cullen is from Dublin and graduated from Drama and Theatre Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She has acted since she was a child, having first appeared on stage at the Abbey in 1998. She has appeared in films such as The Inside and The Limehouse Golem, and co-starred in IFTA-nominated The Bright Side in 2021. Since 2022 she has played Caroline Sheridan on IFTA-winning drama series The Dry, and in 2023 she took on the lead role in Obituary, for which she has received her first IFTA nomination. This year she will star with Will Forte and Robyn Cara in Netflix’s Bodkin. Siobhán is nominated for Lead Actress - Drama (for Obituary) at the 2024 IFTA Awards.

The 21st Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.  The Awards are supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, RTÉ and other industry partners.

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