Ifta 2015 film and drama nominees announced

Two very different films concerning troubled men have topped the nominations for this year’s Irish Film and Television Awards (Ifta).

Lenny Abrahamson's Frank stars Michael Fassbender as an eccentric musician who wears a huge false head at all times. Terry McMahon's Patrick's Day features a breakout performance by Moe Dunford as a mentally ill man in conflict with his domineering mother.

Both films picked up nine nominations when the shortlist was announced.

“This year’s Nominations showcase to the world what Ireland’s small but excellent film and television community has to offer,” Aine Moriarty, CEO of the Academy, said. “Their hard work over the last 12 months has delivered world-class standards with some of the most diverse and engaging Irish films and dramas along with great feature documentaries and shorts.”

Gerard Barrett's Glassland and Frank Berry's I Used to Live Here – two hugely praised realist films set in Tallaght – were also short-listed for best film alongside Stephen Bradley's Noble, a biopic on Christina Noble, and Tomm Moore's Oscar-nominated animation Song of the Sea. There will be much rejoicing in Ms Noble's camp as In A House That Ceased to Be, Ciarín Scott's searing documentary concerning the campaigner, is also nominated for best documentary.

This year’s Ifta nominations, covering films released or first screened in 2014, come later than usual. Following last year’s controversial broadcast, criticised for excessive levels of background noise and for overrunning, RTÉ declined to show the 2015 awards live.

One becomes two
In March, Ifta confirmed that this year's ceremony would progress in a bifurcated state.

The Ifta Film and Drama Awards are to be held on May 24th the Mansion House in Dublin; the Ifta Television Awards will be held in October. TV3 will subsequently broadcast a one-hour Awards Special with all the highlights and interviews with nominees and winners.

The slightly idiosyncratic split in nominations means that today's announcement also covers television drama. Unsurprisingly, the hugely popular Love/Hate tops the charts with seven nods. It shares that spot with the hairy period drama Vikings. Among the other domestically shot series figuring strongly were Charlie, The Fall and Game of Thrones.

The acting nominations take in a nicely balanced array of supernovae and newcomers. The two biggest male Irish stars of the moment are on the best actor list: Colin Farrell for Liv Ullmann's Miss Julie and Michael Fassbender for Frank.

Rather inconveniently, the Ifta ceremony takes place on the same night as the awards bash at the Cannes Film Festival. Both Farrell and Fassbender also feature in films vying for the Palme d'Or: the former for Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster; the latter for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth.

Jack Reynor, superb in Glassland, and the excellent Dunford complete the best actor nominations.

The best actress shortlist comprises Tara Breathnach for A Nightingale Falling, Simone Kirby for Jimmy's Hall, Deirdre O'Kane for Noble and – most encouragingly -- Jordanne Jones for I Used to Live Here.

Ms Jones, a teenager, had never acted on screen before her stunning turn in Mr Berry’s film. She has since secured an agent and set her sights on a career in the business. The nomination gives her a deserved boost.

THE FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS

Best Film
Frank
Glassland
I Used to live here
Noble
Patrick's Day
Song of the Sea

Director Film
Lenny Abrahamson — Frank
Gerard Barrett — Glassland
John Carney — Begin Again
Terry McMahon — Patrick's Day

Script Film
Gerard Barrett — Glassland
Frank Berry — I Used to Live Here
Will Collins — Song of the Sea
Terry McMahon -Patrick's Day

Actor in a Lead Role in Film
Moe Dunford — Patrick's Day
Colin Farrell — Miss Julie
Michael Fassbender — Frank
Jack Reynor — Glassland

Actress in a Lead Role in Film
Tara Breathnach — A Nightingale Falling
Jordanne Jones — I Used to Live Here
Simone Kirby — Jimmy's Hall
Deirdre O'Kane — Noble

Actor in a Supporting Role in Film
Domhnall Gleeson — Frank
Allen Leech — The Imitation Game
James Nesbitt — Gold
Andrew Scott — Pride

Actress in a Supporting Role in Film
Kerry Condon -Gold
Sinéad Cusack — Queen and Country
Sarah Greene — Noble
Catherine Walker — Patrick's Day

George Morrison Feature Documentary
Blood Fruit — Ferndale Films
In A House That Ceased To Be — Atlantic Film Alliance
One Million Dubliners — Underground Films
Road — DoubleBand Films
Unbreakable- Ross Whitaker

Animation Short
An Ode to Love — Matthew Darragh
Fresh Cut Grass- Boulder Media
Somewhere Down the Line — Julien Regnard
The Ledge End of Phil (from accounting) — Paul Morris

Short Film
Boogaloo and Graham — Michael Lennox / Ronan Blaney / Brian Falconer
I Am Here -David Holmes
Rockmount — David Tynan
Skunky Dog — James Fitzgerald

Drama In Association with BAI
Charlie
The Fall Season 2
Game Of Thrones
Love/Hate 5
Vikings

Director Drama
David Caffrey — Love/Hate 5
Ciaran Donnelly — Vikings
Colm McCarthy — Peaky Blinders Series 2
Dearbhla Walsh — Penny Dreadful

Script Drama
Stuart Carolan — Love/Hate 5
Tom Collins/Eoin McNamee/Paul Walker -An Bronntanas
Colin Murphy — The Guarantee
Colin Teevan – Charlie

Actor in a Lead Role in Drama
Jamie Dornan — The Fall Series 2
Aidan Gillen — Charlie
Cillian Murphy — Peaky Blinders Series 2
Tom Vaughan Lawlor — Love/Hate 5

Actress in a Lead Role Drama
Caitriona Balfe — Outlander
Michelle Beamish — An Bronntanas (The Gift)
Maria Doyle Kennedy — Corp + Anam
Charlie Murphy — Love/Hate

Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama
John Connors — Love/Hate
Liam Cunningham — Game of Thrones
Stephen Rea — The Honourable Woman
Andrew Scott — Sherlock: His Last Vow

Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama
Charlotte Bradley — An Bronntanas (The Gift)
Aisling Franciosi — The Fall Series 2
Charlie Murphy — The Village (Series 2)
Mary Murray -Love/Hate 5

Director Of Photography
PJ Dillon -Vikings
Michael Lavelle — Patrick's Day
James Mather — Frank
Piers McGrail -Glassland

Costume Design
Joan Bergin — Vikings
Consolata Boyle — Miss Julie
Lorna Marie Mugan — Peaky Blinders
Eimear Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh -Jimmy's Hall

Editing
Uná Ní Dhonghaíle -The Missing
Nathan Nugent — Frank
Emer Reynolds — One Million Dubliners
Emer Reynolds — Patrick's Day

Make-Up & Hair Sponsored By M.A.C
All is by My Side
Frank
Ripper Street
Vikings

Original Score
Ray Harman — Patrick's Day
David Holmes – '71
Stephen McKeon — Queen and Country
Stephen Rennicks – Frank

Production Design
Tom Conroy — Vikings
Mark Geraghty — Vikings
John Paul Kelly — The Theory of Everything
Donal Woods — Downton Abbey

Sound
The Canal
Frank
Game of Thrones
Patrick's Day

International Film
'71
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

International Actor
Steve Carrell – Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhall – Nightcrawler
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

International Actress
Patricia Arquette — Boyhood
Toni Collette — Glassland
Jessica Chastain — Miss Julie
Julianne Moore — Still Alice