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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Entertainment
Sophie McLaughlin

An Irish Goodbye: Belfast celebrates stars' triumphant return after Oscar win

It has been the film on everyone's lips since it took the top spot for 'Live Action Short' at this year's Oscars.

An Irish Goodbye and its triumphant rise from filming in the muck in Templepatrick to the stage of the most prestigious film awards in the world has put Northern Ireland on the map in 2023.

The short film, written and directed by East Belfast filmmaker Ross White and creative partner Tom Berkeley, is set against the backdrop of a working farm in rural NI and follows the reunion of estranged brothers Turlough and Lorcan after the untimely death of their mother.

Read more: Northern Ireland film An Irish Goodbye wins the BAFTA

Hot off the plane from living their Hollywood dreams, director Ross White and star James Martin returned to a hero's welcome in Belfast - bringing the iconic Oscars trophy home to accompany their recently won BAFTA.

Surrounded by their families and friends all beaming to congratulate them on their arrival at the Grand Central Hotel, Ross and James were given a red carpet welcome deserving of their triumphant achievements this award season.

Speaking to Belfast Live, James and Ross - running on adrenaline as they try to beat the jetlag - said they could have never imaged that the film would be the massive success it had become two years ago when the project first began.

James Martin and Tom Berkeley accept the Best Live Action Short Film award for "An Irish Goodbye" onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Ross said: "It has been overwhelming - that journey has been a part of our lives for two years now and you never set out making a short film thinking of these massive accolades.

"I grew up watching the BAFTAs and the Oscars and thinking wow imagine one day so to be there and doing it with James and Seamus and Tom has just been a remarkable journey for us all.

James added: "Seamus has been really good to me - it's just nice to be funny and have funny roles. It means so much."

James celebrated his 31st birthday on the night of the awards ceremony and received one of the most star-studded renditions of Happy Birthday on stage when they received their awards.

Arriving back in Belfast in his iconic cheetah print blazer that he wore to receive Oscar, James was surprised by his father, broadcaster Ivan Martin, who bought a matching one just for the occasion.

Pictured at the event is An Irish Goodbye actor James Martin with his parents Ivan and Suzanne Martin (Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye)

James continued: "To win an Oscar and a BAFTA is a dream come true. I work in Starbucks and am an ambassador for MENCAP so to win two awards means something in the disability family.

"I think that is just amazing."

Ross revealed that while he was starstruck meeting heroes like Elton John at the Vanity Fair after-party, James had no fear going up to big names like Billie Eilish and Jamie-Lee Curtis.

"I turned around and saw him with The Rock chatting away and thought what is going on here - it was a bit mad," Ross laughed.

"For a few wee lads from Belfast, it was a bit of a head-turner."

Both the famous BAFTA mask and Oscar statue will fall under spilt custody between the team but Ross stressed how they "belong to Belfast now."

He continued: "It feels like [Northern Ireland] has a real ownership of this film and that is a really bizarre and warm feeling as a filmmaker that the thing you've made has sort of left you know - like a kid, you've let it out into the world and now it's gone.

"To see people speaking about it and really getting involved and debating what things mean is wonderful and feels very surreal to us."

Ross White, Writer & Director of Oscar winning An Irish Goodbye with his parents Alison and Jim White (Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye)

Jim and Alison White, proud parents of director Ross, said they were delighted to see their son and the rest of the team being recognised for the talent they always knew he had.

"We were ecstatic," Alison said. "We are so pleased and happy for them and the whole team have all worked so hard."

Jim added: "We knew he was talented - he did a film prior to this called Roy which was about loneliness which was a lovely film and we knew on the back of it he had an absolute talent.

"We saw An Irish Goodbye and we both loved it. It's resonating with people and I thought that was the most important thing."

Alison said: "We are really pleased for him and so proud."

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