Father and son go head -to-head in IFTAs

Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson nominated in the best actor category

Actor Brendan Gleeson signs autographs at the ‘Calvary’ premiere during 64th Berlinale International Film Festival earlier this month. Photograph: Getty
Actor Brendan Gleeson signs autographs at the ‘Calvary’ premiere during 64th Berlinale International Film Festival earlier this month. Photograph: Getty

John Butler’s comedy The Stag and John Michael McDonagh’s state-of-the-nation piece Calvary have topped the charts in the nominations for the upcoming Irish Film and Television Awards.

Both films received six nominations. The shortlist for best Irish film was completed by Neil Jordan’s Byzantium, Steph Green’s Run & Jump and Stephen Brown’s The Sea.

Rather neatly, Calvary, which stars Brendan Gleeson as a priest coping with a death sentence, opened the recent Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, and The Stag, an ensemble comedy based around a stag party, closed that event.

The Stag is released in cinemas next week. McDonagh’s picture will hit cinemas in early April.

READ MORE

To nobody’s great surprise, the gangster series Love/Hate, among the most-discussed shows of the last few years, topped the television charts with eight nominations, including mentions for best drama, best director and best script.

“This year’s nominations showcase to the world what Ireland’s small but excellent film and television community has to offer,” Aine Moriarty, the Academy’s CEO, commented.

“Their hard work over the last 12 months has delivered world-class standards with some of the most diverse and engaging Irish films, dramas and documentaries along with great entertainment and factual programmes.”

There was happy news for John Banville, the celebrated Irish novelist, with two adaptations of his work registering in the nominations.

Mr Banville received a best script nod for his own adaptation of The Sea, his 2005 Booker Prize winner, and Ciarán Hinds is shortlisted as best actor for the same film.

Quirke, the TV series derived from Banville's crime novels written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, was nominated for best TV drama, best TV script and – acknowledging the performance of veteran Gabriel Byrne – best actor in a leading TV role.

An impressive array of stars was listed in this morning's nominations. Joining Brendan Gleeson and Ciarán Hinds in the best film actor race were Domhnall Gleeson for About Time, and Andrew Scott – Moriarty in the BBC's Sherlock – for The Stag.

The best film actress nominations are Antonia Campbell-Hughes for 3096 Days, Jane McGrath for Black Ice, Saoirse Ronan for Byzantium and Kelly Thornton for Life's a Breeze.

The Academy also reaches out to the world by honouring a best international film. Four nominees for the best picture Oscar, awarded this Sunday night, made the IFTA shortlist: 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street.

The IFTAs will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel at Hilton Burlington Road on Saturday April 5th and will be broadcast on RTÉ 1 television. Over 311 titles were submitted in 40 categories.

The full list of IFTA nominees:

FILM NOMINATIONS:

Byzantium (Alan Moloney, Stephen Woolley, Parallel Films, Number 9 Films)

Calvary (James Flynn, Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez Marengo, Octagon Films, Reprisal Films)

Run & Jump (Tamara Angie, David Collins, Martina Niland, Samson Films)

The Sea (David Collins, Samson Films)

The Stag (Robert Walpole, Rebecca O’Flanagan, Treasure Entertainment)

Director Film

John Butler, The Stag (Treasure Entertainment)

Neil Jordan, Byzantium (Parallel Films and Number 9 Films)

John Michael McDonagh, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

Ruairi Robinson, The Last Days on Mars (Qwerty Films and Fantastic Films)

Script Film

John Banville, The Sea (Samson Films)

Ailbhe Keogan, Run & Jump (Samson Films)

John Michael McDonagh, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

John Butler and Peter McDonald, The Stag (Treasure Entertainment)

Actor in a Lead Role Film

Brendan Gleeson, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

Domhnall Gleeson, About Time (Universal Pictures)

Ciarán Hinds, The Sea (Samson Films)

Andrew Scott, The Stag (Treasure Entertainment)

Actress in a Leading Role Film

Antonia Campbell-Hughes, 3096 Days (Constantin Film)

Jane McGrath, Black Ice (Bandit Films)

Saoirse Ronan, Byzantium (Parallel Films & Number 9 Films)

Kelly Thornton, Life’s A Breeze (Fastnet Films)

Actor in a Supporting Role Film

Colin Farrell, Saving Mr.Banks (Walt Disney Studios)

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave (Entertainment One)

Edward MacLiam, Run & Jump (Samson Films)

Peter McDonald, The Stag (Treasure Entertainment)

Actress in a Supporting Role Film

Sinead Cusack, The Sea (Samson Films)

Fionnula Flanagan, Life’s A Breeze (Fastnet Films)

Amy Huberman, The Stag (Treasure Entertainment)

Orla O’Rourke, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

International Film (sponsored by American Airlines)

12 Years a Slave

Gravity

Philomena

The Wolf of Wall Street

International Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

Michael Douglas Behind the Candelabra

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey Dallas Buyers Club

International Actress

Amy Adams American Hustle

Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock Gravity

Judi Dench Philomena

Drama in association with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

The Fall (Stephen Wright, Allan Cubitt, BBC Northern Ireland, Artists Studio)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Love/Hate (Suzanne McAuley, Steve Matthews, Octagon Films)

Quirke (Ed Guiney, John McColgan, Joan Egan, Element Pictures, Tyrone Productions, BBC Drama)

Vikings (Michael Hirst, Morgan O’Sullivan, James Flynn, History Channel)

Director TV Drama

David Caffrey, Love Hate (Octagon Films)

Ciaran Donnelly, Vikings (History Channel)

Ian Fitzgibbon, Moone Boy (Grand Pictures, Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions & Sprout Pictures for Sky 1)

Thaddeus O’Sullivan, Amber (Screenworks)

Script Drama

Stuart Carolan, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Neil Jordan, The Borgias (Octagon Films)

Nick Vincent Murphy & Chris O’Dowd, Moone Boy (Grand Pictures, Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions and Sprout Pictures for Sky 1)

Conor McPherson, Quirke (Element Pictures and Tyrone Productions)

Actor in a Leading Role Television

Gabriel Byrne, Quirke (Element Pictures and Tyrone Productions)

Jamie Dornan, The Fall (BBC Northern Ireland and Artists Studio)

Chris O’Dowd, Moone Boy (Grand Pictures, Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions & Sprout Pictures for Sky 1)

Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Actress in a Leading Role Television

Eva Birthistle, Amber (Screenworks)

Charlie Murphy, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Mary Murray, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Deirdre O’Kane, Moone Boy (Grand Pictures, Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions & Sprout Pictures for Sky 1)

Actor in a Supporting Role Television

Peter Coonan, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Liam Cunningham, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Aidan Gillen, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Allen Leech, Downton Abbey (Carnival Films)

Actress in a Supporting Role Television

Elaine Cassidy, The Paradise (Masterpiece and BBC Productions)

Caoilfhionn Dunne, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Michelle Fairley, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Victoria Smurfit, Dracula (NBC/SKY)

CRAFT / TECHNICAL CATEGORIES (FILM/DRAMA)

Costume

Joan Bergin, Vikings

Consolata Boyle, Philomena

Lorna Marie Mugan, Ripper Street

Leonie Prendergast, Moone Boy

Director of Photography Film/Drama

PJ Dillon, Ripper Street

Kate McCullough, Here Was Cuba

Ruairi O’Brien, The Fall

Robbe Ryan, Philomena

Editing Film/Drama

Nick Emerson, Starred Up

Una Ni Dhonghaile, Ripper Street

Nathan Nugent, Run & Jump

Emer Reynolds, Here Was Cuba

Makeup & Hair sponsored by M.A.C.

Byzantium

The Fall

Ripper Street

Vikings

Production Design

Tom Conroy Vikings

Mark Geraghty, Ripper Street

Ton McCullough, The Fall

Donal Woods, Downton Abbey

Original Score

Liam Bates, Earthbound

Patrick Cassidy, Calvary

David Holmes, The Fall

Nick Seymour, The Summit

Sound Film/Drama

Game of Thrones

Here Was Cuba

Last Days on Mars

Ripper Street

TELEVISION PROGRAMMES

Childrens/Youth

An Ceoldrama

Doc McStuffins

Octonauts

Punky

Current Affairs

Breach of Trust (RTÉ)

Inside Irish Nationwide (Animo for RTÉ)

Spotlight Housing Whatever It Takes (BBC NI)

Vincent Browne Tonight (TV3)

Documentary

Danny Boy: The Ballad that Bewitched the World

Donal Walsh - My Story

The Disappeared

The Scholarship - Class of 2018

Documentary Series

1916 Seachtar Dearmadta

Bliain in Árainn Mhór

The Estate

John Lonergan’s Circus

Entertainment

Irish Pictorial Weekly

The Late Late Show

Moone Boy

Mrs Browns Boys

Factual

John Sheahan: A Dubliner

Nationwide

Seamus Heaney - Postscript - Imeall

The Zoo

Reality

Dúshlán 1881 - Living the Eviction

The Great Irish Bake Off

Jockey Eile

Operation Transformation

Sports

Batmen

Páidí Ó Sé - Rí an Pharóiste

R.O.G. The Ronan O’Gara Story

We Got Game

Irish Language

1916 Seachtar Dearmadta

An Ceoldrama

Scúp

Páidí Ó Sé - Rí an Pharóiste

CRAFT / TECHNICAL CATEGORIES (TELEVISION)

Director TV

Anna Rodgers, Somebody to Love

Colm Bairéad, An Ceoldráma

Tom Johnston, Áine Lawlor: Facing Cancer

Maurice Sweeney, John Sheahan: A Dubliner

Director of Photography TV

Barry Donnellan, Secrets of the Irish Landscape

Ronan Fox, John Sheahan: A Dubliner

Richard Kendrick, In Good Hands The Power of Metal

John Murray, The Secret Life of the Shannon

Editing TV

Mick Mahon, John Sheahan: A Dubliner

Mick Mahon, We Got Game

Emer Reynolds, The Secret Life of the Shannon

Ray Roantree, Looking After No. 1

Sound TV

1916 Searchtar Dearmadta

John Sheahan: A Dubliner

R.O.G. The Ronan O’Gara Story

The Secret Life of the Shannon

Donald Clarke

Donald Clarke

Donald Clarke, a contributor to The Irish Times, is Chief Film Correspondent and a regular columnist


IN THIS SECTION