Ondine, Eclipse lead IFTA award nominees

With eight nominations apiece, Neil Jordan's Ondine and Conor McPherson's The Eclipse lead the film categories in the seventh annual Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards. Ironically neither film has been released theatrically in Ireland, although a Spring release has been scheduled for Ondine.

It so happens that many unreleased films figure strongly in the nominations this year, although some have received festival screenings over the last twelve months or more. The five shortlisted Best Feature Film nominees are Margaret Corkery’s drama Eamon; McPherson’s The Eclipse; Jordan’s Ondine; Tomm Moore’s animated feature The Secret of Kells and John & Kieran Carney’s comedy Zonad.

Of the five titles only The Secret of Kells has been theatrically released in Ireland. Jordan, McPherson and the Carney brothers have also been nominated in the directing category, as has Jim Sheridan for Brothers, another unreleased title. [update: Eamon is being released exclusively at the IFI on Feb 5th]

In another anomaly The Eclipse (RTE) is nominated in the film categories whereas Five Minutes of Heaven (BBC) is restricted to the TV categories, although the latter film was given a cinema release. There is no mention in the lists of many other, possibly eligible titles like Triage, Occi Against the World, or The Race. They either were submitted and did not make the nominations or they were not submitted and may turn up at the 2011 awards.

In the film acting categories, Darren Healy is nominated as Actor in a Lead Role for Savage (also unreleased), alongside Colin Farrell (Ondine), Ciarán Hinds (The Eclipse) and Stephen Rea (Nothing Personal). The latter film is a Netherlands-originated production, not to be confused with the earlier Irish production with the same title.

Michael Fassbender is nominated in the Supporting Actor category for his role in Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank, with Simon Delaney (Happy Ever Afters), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince) and Aidan Quinn (The Eclipse).

Nominations for the Lead Actress award go to Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones), Amy Kirwan (Eamon), Jade Yourell (Happy Ever Afters) and Janice Byrne (Zonad). In the Supporting Actress category, previous IFTA winners Anne Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy) and Ger Ryan (Happy Ever Afters) feature alongside Nora Jane Noone (Savage) and Dervla Kirwan (Ondine).

The Bass Player: A Song for Dad, Colony, His & Hers, and The Yellow Bittern – The Legend of Liam Clancy are all shortlisted for the George Morrison Feature Documentary Award.

The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 20th February at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin and will be broadcast live by RTÉ.

IFTA received almost 250 titles submitted for consideration across the 37 film and television award categories. IFTA says that all of the categories have been shortlisted by IFTA members and jury panels of industry experts from around the world.

Film Nominations for the 7th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards

Best Film
Eamon - Seamus Byrne (Zanita Films)
The Eclipse - Robert Walpole, Rebecca O'Flanagan (Treasure Entertainment)
Ondine - Neil Jordan, James Flynn (Octagon Films)
The Secret of Kells - Paul Young (Cartoon Saloon)
Zonad - Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, John McDonnell (Element Pictures)

Director
John Carney, Kieran Carney - Zonad (Element Pictures)
Neil Jordan - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Conor McPherson - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Jim Sheridan - Brothers (Lionsgate)

Script
John Carney, Kieran Carney - Zonad (Element Pictures)
Margaret Corkery - Eamon (Zanita Films)
Neil Jordan - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Billy Roche, Conor McPherson - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)

Actor in a Lead Role
Colin Farrell - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Darren Healy – Savage (SP Films)
Ciarán Hinds - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Stephen Rea - Nothing Personal (Fastnet Films)

Actress in a Lead Role
Janice Byrne - Zonad (Element Pictures)
Amy Kirwan - Eamon (Zanita Films)
Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones (Paramount)
Jade Yourell - Happy Ever Afters (Newgrange Pictures)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Simon Delaney - Happy Ever Afters (Newgrange Pictures)
Michael Fassbender - Fish Tank (Artificial Eye)
Michael Gambon - Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince (Warner Bros)
Aidan Quinn - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)

Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Marie Duff - Nowhere Boy
Dervla Kirwan - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Nora Jane Noone - Savage (SP Films)
Ger Ryan - Happy Ever Afters (Newgrange Pictures)

Feature Documentary
The Bass Player: A Song for Dad – Niall McKay (Media Factory)
Colony – Morgan Bushe, Macdara Kelleher (Fastnet Films)
His & Hers – Andrew Freedman (Venom Film)
The Yellow Bittern – The Life & Times of Liam Clancy – Alan Gilsenan (Crossing the Line Films)

Short Film
If I Should Fall Behind - Morgan Bushe (Fastnet Films)
Moore Street Masala - David O'Sullivan (Fish Films)
Runners - Rob Burke, Ronan Burke - (Black Sheep Productions)
Sunshower - Liam Gavin (Samson Films)

FILM & TV CRAFT / TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
Costume Design
Joan Bergin - The Tudors (World 2000 Entertainment)
Consolata Boyle – Chéri (Pathé)
Alison Byrne - Cracks (Optimum Releasing)
Eimear Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh – Ondine (Octagon Films)

Director of Photography
Tom Comerford - Savage (SP Films)
Suzie Lavelle - One Hundred Mornings (Blinder Films)
Ivan McCullough - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Ruairí O'Brien - Five Minutes of Heaven (Big Fish Films)

Editing
Mairead McIvor - Savage (SP Films)
Emer Reynolds - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Isobel Stephenson - Pure Mule - The Last Weekend (Accomplice Television)
Ken Wardrop - His & Hers (Venom Film)

Make Up & Hair
Five Minutes of Heaven - Pamela Smyth (Big Fish Films)
The Take - Lorraine Glynn, Morna Ferguson (Company Pictures)
The Tudors - Sharon Doyle, Dee Corcoran (World 2000 Entertainment)
Zonad - Eileen Buggy, Barbara Conway (Element Pictures)

Original Score
Brian Byrne - Zonad (Element Pictures)
Neil Hannon - Wide Open Spaces (Grand Pictures)
The Henry Girls - A Shine Of Rainbows (Sepia Films)
Stephen McKeon – Savage (SP Films)

Production Design
Tom Conroy - The Tudors (World 2000 Entertainment)
Susie Cullen - The Take (Company Pictures)
Ashleigh Jeffers - Occupation (Kudos Film and Television)
Anna Rackard - Ondine (Octagon Films)

Sound
The Eclipse - Ronan Hill, Jon Stevenson, John Fitzgerald (Treasure Entertainment)
Five Minutes of Heaven - Ronan Hill, Jon Stevenson, John Fitzgerald (Big Fish Films)
Ondine - Brendan Deasy, Tom Johnson, Sarah Gaines (Octagon Films)
Savage - Patrick Hanlon, John Fitzgerald, Fiadhnait McCann (SP Films)