Tim Mielants’s Small Things Like These, a searing adaptation of Claire Keegan’s eponymous novella, unexpectedly slipped past Rich Peppiatt’s much-fancied Kneecap to take best film at a rainy Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards ceremony in central Dublin (or the “All-Ireland final for people who are useless at sport,” according to sparky host Kevin McGahern).
Starring Cillian Murphy as a coal merchant in 1980s New Ross who uncovers secrets about the Magdalene laundries, the film attracted large audiences in its domestic run during the summer.
[ Oscars 2025: Kneecap's failure to get a nomination is a genuine upsetOpens in new window ]
Murphy managed the rare feat of back-to-back best actor wins here. Twelve months after triumphing for Oppenheimer, the Cork actor was back at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre to take a deserved prize for a film he produced.
On the stage he amusingly noted that a full three actors from the Northern Irish romp were up against him. “Sorry Kneecap,” he said. “They had me outnumbered.”
Peppiatt won the award for best director, one of four Iftas to go the way of his film. “This is the second best thing that happened to me today,” the English-born film-maker said from the stage. “Earlier on, at three o’clock, I had my Irish citizenship ceremony.”
It was a big night for the nation’s established actors. Saoirse Ronan won twice: best actress for addiction drama The Outrun and best supporting actress for Steve McQueen’s second World War drama Blitz.
“I’m going to take this more as a symbol of how far we’ve come,” Ronan said, accepting her award for Blitz. Ronan brought fellow nominee Alisha Weir, teenage star of Abigail, on stage with her to accept the best actress award. “I’m so incredibly proud of her,” she said. “I’m bringing her up here because I know we’re going to see so much of her over her life.”
Peppiatt’s irreverent film, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Sundance film festival a year ago, has proved a strong performer at awards season. It racked a scarcely believable 17 nominations at Ifta, including seven in acting categories. On Sunday night it competes in six categories at the British Academy of Film and Television awards (Bafta).
Ifta operates an eccentric system that has TV drama honoured on the same night as film. The big winners from the small screen were Sharon Horgan’s dramedy Bad Sisters and Disney’s Say Nothing, a ruthless tale of the Troubles.
Accepting the best actress award for Say Nothing, Lola Petticrew was defiant. “The first step in moving on and moving forward would be providing decent mental health facilities, investment in services and a proper standard of living for all working-class people in the North,” she said.
Bad Sisters just snuck past the Say Nothing to take best drama.
In recent years the Iftas have taken place in a quiet corner of April or May, sometime after Oscar fever has died down, but this year they returned to the heart of awards season. That did mean the red carpet had to be moved indoors for a warmer, but considerably more cramped, celebrity experience.
Andrew Scott, nominated for Ripley, talked to The Irish Times about playing composer Richard Rodgers opposite fellow Dubliner Simon Delaney’s Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers’s lyricist, in Richard Linklater’s upcoming Blue Moon.
“It’s a really, really interesting premise,” he said of the project. “A really interesting cinematic device. And Richard Linklater is a bit of a legend.”
Alisha Weir addressed rumours she is to play the young Dorothy in the sequel to Wicked. “There definitely is a lot of rumours for sure,” she said, cryptically. “How cool would that be? I am a big fan of Wicked. It’s the most incredible film. I love musicals.”
Told there was time for just one question, Kneecap quipped: “Celtic or Rangers?” You’d expect nothing else.
WINNERS OF THE IFTA AWARDS 2025
Film Categories
Best Film
- Small Things Like These
Director – Film
- Rich Peppiatt – Kneecap
Script – Film
- Enda Walsh – Small Things Like These
Lead Actor – Film
- Cillian Murphy – Small Things Like These
Lead Actress – Film
- Saoirse Ronan – The Outrun
Supporting Actor – Film
- Brían F O’Byrne – Conclave
Supporting Actress – Film
- Saoirse Ronan – Blitz
TV Drama Categories
Best Drama
- Bad Sisters
Director – Drama
- Dearbhla Walsh – Bad Sisters
Script – Drama
- Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
Lead Actor – Drama
- Colin Farrell – The Penguin
Lead Actress – Drama
- Lola Petticrew – Say Nothing
Supporting Actor – Drama
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor – Say Nothing
Supporting Actress – Drama
- Hazel Doupe – Say Nothing
Other Award Categories
George Morrison Feature Documentary
- The Flats
Live – Action Short Film
- Clodagh
Animated Short Film
- Dembaya
Craft Categories
Casting
- Kneecap – Carla Stronge
Cinematography
- Bird – Robbie Ryan
Costume Design
- Kneecap – Zjena Glamocanin
Production Design
- Abigail – Susie Cullen
Hair and Makeup
- The Apprentice – Sandra Kelly, Tom McInerney
Sound
- Oddity – Aza Hand, Hugo Parvery
Original Music
- Fréwaka – Die Hexen
Editing
- Kneecap – Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill
VFX
- Shögun – Ed Bruce, Andrew Barry
