The year 2023 is definitely Irish! And the film industry won’t deny it. Ireland has just picked up no fewer than 14 Oscar nominations, including nine for Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. Enough to make the Emerald Isle part of cinema history!
The last few months have been rich and prolific for Irish cinema. With fourteen Oscar nominations, it would seem that the 7th art has definitely fallen under the spell of Irish productions…
An accolade that places Irish directors, actors and film professionals among the best of the year!
Starting with Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. An eventful film, which created a surprise around a stellar duo, bringing together the immensely talented Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in a gritty, atypical comedy about friendship and betrayal.
This film set an unprecedented record for the most nominations an Irish film has ever received. In fact, it has surpassed the success of Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, which was already critically acclaimed when it was released in 2022!
The icing on the cake: this is the first film to be nominated and to have been shot in the Irish Gaelic language. A first in Hollywood history.
Last but not least, Colin Farrell’s film earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor… An award that celebrates his talent, often unjustly shunned by critics due to the flop of the film Alexandre.
In the Best Supporting Actor category, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan also received one nomination each. A fair return when you consider their performance!
Kerry Condon also received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for The Banshees, while Martin McDonagh received one as Best Director. The same film also received nominations for Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography. In short: a full house for this film shot on Achill Island and Inishmore Island!
Rest assured: “The Banshees of Inisherin” isn’t the only film to have racked up nominations.
An Irish Goodbye is nominated for Best Live Action Short, while An Cailín Ciúin is up for Best International Feature.
Paul Mescal, the famous Irish actor from Normal People, is also in the running alongside Colin Farrell for the Best Actor Oscar for his role in the film After the Sun.
It’s a great achievement for the young Irishman, who is now set to take on one project after another, including a starring role in Gladiator 2!
Of course, nothing is decided yet, and we’ll know more on Monday March 13, 2023, the day of the 95th Oscars ceremony… The competition looks set to be a close one, but these nominations certainly confirm the proven talent of Irish cinema!
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