Cillian Murphy, celebrated for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, wrapped up an extended awards season with a finest actor triumph at the Irish Film and Television Academy’s (Ifta) 21st anniversary ceremony. The best film award fittingly went to Pat Collins’ critically lauded rendition of John McGahern’s last novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun.
In attendance at the Dublin Royal Conference Centre close to Dublin Castle, Murphy received the award from Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone. The renowned stoic actor shared his gratitude and his discomfort on stage, saying, “Thank you. Yes, kindly take your seats. I continue to be dreadful at this.”
The actor further shared his appreciation for being in the company of his colleagues and friends, recounting his early days as an actor and the encouragement he received.
Murphy’s win caps off a season that started four months ago with the Golden Globes. Backstage, the actor joked about encountering the golden post box erected by An Post near his parental house in Cork in honour of his Oscar-winning performance. He confirmed that he saw it while disguising himself with a hoodie.
In Christopher Nolan’s absence, Murphy also received the Ifta for best international film for Oppenheimer. The accolade of the best Irish film at the Dublin International Film Festival recently went to That They May Face the Rising Sun, starring Barry Ward, a delicate narrative portraying a year in a rural community. Collins, also from Cork and known for his smart hybrid documentaries, was typically humble on stage.
Collins paid tribute to John McGahern while accepting the award, he said, “Regardless of me, this film wouldn’t have happened without John McGahern’s book,” and thanked Madeline McGahern, the author’s widow, who he had met about six or seven years ago and who had given her approval to the adaptation.
Lies We Tell, a creative interpretation of J Sheridan Le Fanu’s Uncle Silas by Lisa Mulcahy, was the film that received the most awards. The movie earned three Iftas, among them the best actress award for Agnes O’Casey, the great granddaughter of Sean O’Casey. O’Casey triumphed over esteemed candidates such as Jessie Buckley, Eve Hewson, and Saoirse Ronan. “This is dedicated to my grandmother,” she stated from the stage. “She ushered me into the world of theatre and is now at home nursing a broken leg.”
The ghostly portrayal in All of Us Strangers by Paul Mescal secured him the best supporting actor honour, although he was unable to attend the ceremony. Alison Oliver, another accomplished Cork talent, bagged the best supporting actress award for her role as a debauched upper-class persona in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn.
An impressive ensemble of gifted individuals were present at the occasion. Gladstone, a recent Oscar nominee for Killers of the Flower Moon, was thrilled about her inaugural visit to Ireland. The indigenous American actress acknowledged the aid provided by the Choctaw nation to those affected by the major famine of the 1840s while interacting with red carpet interviewers. Although, for Poor Things, Emma Stone prevailed over Gladstone for the best international actress accolade. The film was produced by the Irish firm, Element Pictures.
Making a splash on the red carpet were the members of the immensely popular Belfast rap group, Kneecap. They are eager for the forthcoming launch of their eponymous film, which had recently triumphed at the Sundance Film Festival. The group addressed attempts to prevent them from talking about the Gaza dispute at events.
“They’ve tried, but to no avail,” they stated. “If you’re successful, they’ll let you have free reign. If the film had been a disaster, they would have more control over your actions. But as we received the audience award at Sundance, they can’t really object.” The band received a warm ovation when they announced Neil Hannon, their fellow Belfast native, as the winner of the best score for LOLA.
Eve Hewson, recognised for her role in Flora and Son by John Carney, shared her experiences of dealing with heartbreak and disappointment in a challenging industry. She reflected on the roller coaster of emotions that come with almost landing a job, only to face rejection, and expressed hope in the belief that getting close to success means that it’s only a matter of time before achieving it.
The esteemed lifetime accomplishment award was bestowed upon the renowned Belfast-born actor, Stephen Rea. Making light of his age, Rea joked that the accolade could have been given posthumously if it had come a little later. He reminisced about the substantial transformation of the film industry in Britain and Ireland, particularly recalling the exclusive production of The Crying Game during his early years.
The Ifta awards have always had a unique system of combining television drama awards with film accolades. The television category was largely dominated by RTÉ’s crime drama, Kim, recently released on Netflix and sweeping the Ifta’s with an exceptional five awards.
The host for the occasion, Baz Ashmawy, expertly manged the ceremony, infusing humour into the event, particularly referencing the exposed performance of a local actor in a recent high-profile film. He highlighted the absence of Barry Keoghan, nominated for leading actor for Saltburn, expressing his delight at seeing a fellow Dubliner achieve such success.
Highlights of the 2024 Ifta awards included:
Best Film – That They May Face The Rising Sun; Best Directors – Lisa Mulcahy for Lies We Tell; Best Script – Elisabeth Gooch for Lies We Tell. In the acting categories, Cillian Murphy bagged the award for Lead Actor in Oppenheimer, while Agnes O’Casey secured the Lead Actress award for her role in Lies We Tell. Supporting awards went to Paul Mescal for All of Us Strangers and Alison Oliver for Saltburn.
In the category of Drama Awards held recently, the top honours went to the drama KIN. The drama was highly reputable, earning the best drama award, along with the best drama director award which was handed to Kate Dolan. Furthermore, Peter McKenna also excelled in the script category with KIN. Éanna Hardwicke and Clare Dunne found themselves in the spotlight for their outstanding performances in “The Sixth Commandment” and “KIN” respectively, winning the lead actor and actress awards for drama. The supporting actor and actress were decorated by Richard Dormer for “Blue Lights” and Maria Doyle Kennedy for “KIN”.
Turning to the International Film Awards, Oppenheimer clinched the best international film award. The stars of the event were none other than Paul Giamatti for “The Holdovers” and Emma Stone for “Poor Things”, securing the best international actor and actress.
In other award categories, George Morrison’s feature documentary was won by “The Days of Trees”. Meanwhile, “Calf” and “Wind & The Shadow” found success in the live-action short film and animated short film sections respectively. The brilliance of Robbie Ryan on “Poor Things” for cinematography and Lara Campbell’s creative costume design for “LOLA” won them awards as well.
Under the craft categories, John Paul Kelly, for “A Haunting in Venice”, received recognition for production design, while makeup and hairstyling went to Orla Carroll and Lynn Johnston for “The Pope’s Exorcist”. “Barbie” had Nina Rice handling the sound, and the original music was composed by Neil Hannon for “LOLA”. Michael Harte crafted a triumph in the editing category for “Still: A Michael J Fox Movie”. The visual effects award was shared by Kev Cahill and Diana Giogiutti for their imaginative work on “Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves”.
The spotlight moment of the ceremony came when the Screen Ireland Rising Star Award was presented to Siobhán Cullen for her outstanding talent in the industry.