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The Independent
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Saoirse Ronan among Irish stars in eye-catching gowns at Ifta awards
Saoirse Ronan and Nicola Coughlan were among the Irish stars who stepped out in eye-catching gowns for the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards. Ronan, who won best lead actress in a film for her starring role in addiction-recovery drama The Outrun, looked elegant in a strapless sky blue dress for the ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Friday. The actress, 30, accessorised with a simple pair of dark-toned drop earrings and her hair pulled back into a low bun. Bridgerton star Coughlan wore a black gown with billowing sleeves, ruffle detailing and sparkly black straps on the shoulders. Coughlan, who was up for best actress in a drama for her role as Penelope Featherington in the hit Netflix period drama, paired the outfit with a black Kate Spade bag. Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy wore a navy double-breasted suit jacket over a white shirt and black tie which was haphazardly tied. The Oppenheimer star won best lead actor in a film for his starring role in the historical drama Small Things Like These. Bad Sisters stars Sarah Greene, Eva Birthistle and Sharon Horgan walked the red carpet together on Valentine's Day. Greene wore an all-black outfit of black leather jacket over trousers and a high-neck top, while Horgan wore a deep purple dress with high leg splits. Birthistle leaned into the day of romance with a scarlet strapless gown and matching red heels. Their Apple TV+ black comedy series won three awards. Ruth Negga also opted for a black gown which featured sheer cap sleeves. She paired it with a white bag. Members of rap trio Kneecap, Mo Chara and Moglai Bap, dressed casually in black hoodies and trousers while fellow member JJ O'Dochartaigh wore a suit and his signature Irish flag balaclava. Their self-titled Irish language film won four awards after receiving 17 nods in various categories across the Iftas.
The Independent
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Kneecap shake up Iftas and say they are going to go ‘back to roots'
Rap trio Kneecap shook up the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards as they promoted the success of their multi-nominated Irish language film. The film won four awards after receiving 17 nominations. They have been nominated for six Baftas, which are being held on Sunday, including for outstanding British film. The Belfast group descended on the red carpet in Dublin holding drinks and hugging fellow actors. Say Nothing's Anthony Boyle wrapped his arms around his fellow actor on the series Tom Vaughan-Lawlor while he was being interviewed, explaining that he was 'in that energy' after speaking to Kneecap. The rap trio and film's director played down the perceived Oscar nomination snub, after the film was shortlisted for Best International Feature and Sick In The Head was shortlisted for Best Original Song. Mo Chara suggested it was 'a fix' and that it was to do with the band's support for Palestine. But Moglai Bap said the past year had been 'class'. 'We put the film out we didn't expect it would do (so good). We didn't expect anyone in America to know what we were talking about,' to which Mo Chara interjected: 'And we were right.' Moglai Bap added: 'They didn't know what we were on about, but they enjoyed it, that's a good sign.' Asked about how to harness that power, he said they would go back to 'focus on the music', 'back to the language, back to the culture' in the time ahead. 'Just want to get back to my roots, man,' Mo Chara added. Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt said that not getting nominated for an Oscar was soon forgotten. 'When we made this film we just made it for the people of west Belfast, we didn't do it for awards or anything like that, and any filmmaker will tell you you do it for the work,' he told the PA news agency. 'The film has had so much success – the Oscar thing was forgotten in about two pints. So we're not worried about that. 'It's been great, it's been a lovely experience, we're just very happy to be here, the amount of nominations we got, the Baftas, it's great. 'We like that we're in an international tussle between who wants to claim this film as their own. But – don't tell them – it's an Irish film, it's not a British one.'
The Independent
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Kneecap and Say Nothing among winners at Irish film and television awards
Belfast rap trio Kneecap and Troubles series Say Nothing were among the big winners at the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards on Friday. Stars Saoirse Ronan and Cillian Murphy won for leading actor and actress in a film for their roles in The Outrun and in Small Things Like These respectively. Kneecap's self-titled Irish language film won four awards and Say Nothing also won four for its starring actors. Small Things Like These won best film and best script, and comedy series Bad Sisters won three awards. As she accepted her award, Ronan took young Irish actor Alisha Weir on stage with her. Weir is rumoured to be cast as Dorothy in the next instalment of Wicked and Ronan praised her as a young talent. Ronan also won the best supporting actress award for Blitz, and Brian F O'Byrne took best supporting actor for his role in Conclave. Both expressed surprise at their win. Rich Peppiatt, director of the Kneecap film, celebrated winning best director two hours after becoming an Irish citizen. 'Today I went from a subject to a citizen,' he said, as he held a pin of the Irish flag up, wearing a knitted balaclava on his shoulder. Anthony Boyle, who was in the historical drama Say Nothing and blockbuster Masters Of The Air, won the rising star award, while Tom Vaughan-Lawlor won best supporting actor for a drama series. Lola Petticrew won best lead actress in a drama for her role as Dolours Price in Say Nothing. In her acceptance speech she spoke about what she said was 'insurmountable inter-generational trauma and insufficient services to deal with it'. 'I would say that the first step in moving on and moving forward would be providing some decent mental health services, investing in youth services, and proper standard of living for all working-class people in the North.' Both Petticrew and her colleague in Say Nothing, Hazel Doupe, who won for best supporting actress in a drama series, said 'free Palestine' during their acceptance speeches. Dublin actor Andrew Scott has said he was 'really proud' of the recognition that Irish talent is receiving on the global stage, and said he would like to work more with other Irish actors. Scott, known for Fleabag and Sherlock, was nominated for an award in the lead actor in a drama category, for his role in Ripley, a thriller miniseries based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr Ripley. He lost out Colin Farrell, who won for his role in the Batman spin-off series The Penguin. Speaking to the PA news agency on the red carpet before the award ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Friday, Scott said: 'I feel really, really proud of us. 'Particularly because I'm such an admirer of all the people – Saoirse (Ronan) and Cillian (Murphy) and Colin (Farrell) and Paul (Mescal), obviously, and Jessie (Buckley) and Ruth (Negga) and Alison (Oliver) and just so many people, Jamie (Dornan), it's incredible. 'I feel like it's great to just be part of that gang, I hope I just get to work with them a little bit more.' Scott, who is returning to New York in the coming weeks to perform his hit West End play Vanya, joked the actors should all come together for a 'big Irish superhero movie'. Weir, who had been nominated for her starring role in 2024 vampire horror Abigail, was asked about the Dorothy rumours. 'How cool would that be?' she said. 'I'm such a big fan of Wicked and I'm such a big fan of Ariana Grande and Cynthia (Erivo) and (director) Jon M Chu, that would be amazing.' Part one of Wicked, starring Oscar-nominated actress Erivo and Grammy-winning pop star Grande, was released last year, with the second half of the two-part film expected in November. On being surrounded by top Irish talent at the ceremony, she said: 'It feels so incredible, I am so honoured to be in the same room as so many incredible people from the film industry that I look up to and aspire to be like when I'm older. 'And especially, it's such an incredible Irish event that celebrates the Irish in the film industry, which is just incredible.' Kneecap's members – Naoise O Caireallain, J.J. O Dochartaigh and Liam Og O hAnnaidh – were all nominated for their film, a semi-fictionalised account of the raucous band's formation, but ultimately lost out to Murphy. Along with Peppiatt's win for best director, they bagged wins for best casting, best costume and editing. They shook up the red carpet as they hugged fellow Ifta guests and answered questions from the media. 'We didn't expect anyone in America to know what we were talking about,' Kneecap member Moglai Bap said. 'They didn't know what we were on about, but they enjoyed it, that's a good sign.' He said the group would go back to 'focus on the music', 'back to the language, back to the culture' in the time ahead. The Ifta awards celebrate Irish talent in film and television across 29 prize categories. Actor Colm Meaney, known for playing Miles O'Brien in the Star Trek franchise and several role in Roddy Doyle films, will receive the lifetime achievement award for his 'extraordinary contributions to cinema and television'. Speaking ahead of the awards, he said it was an honour to be recognised by his peers. 'It's a lovely award, to be here in my hometown, it's an award that comes from my peers so it's really special.'
